Defense

NORAD celebrates 57th birthday with eye on an old rival

At 57, the North American Aerospace Defense Command is facing old Cold War problems and a new pantheon of rising terrorist threats. The binational command celebrated its birthday last week with cake, punch and a pep talk from its commander, Adm. Bill Gortney.

The command, which defends North America from attack, was a critical element of defense during the Cold War, Gortney said. "We won that war," he said.