How did NORAD's mission change after September 11th?

• A. It was altered to address threats originating from within the continental United States.
• B. It shifted focus to air quality monitoring in major cities.
• C. It expanded to include maritime surveillance worldwide.
• D. It dissolved and merged with another defense command.

Answer: (A)

After September 11th, NORAD’s focus shifted to homeland defense, specifically defending the continental United States by detecting and intercepting threats that could originate within U.S. airspace. This expanded role means better real-time airspace awareness, warning, and coordination with the FAA and other agencies to rapidly identify and intercept potentially hostile aircraft. The other ideas don’t fit the mission NORAD took on—there’s no shift to air quality monitoring, global maritime surveillance, or dissolving into another command.