The Continental United States NORAD region and the North American Aerospace Defense Command will conduct exercise Falcon Virgo 15-08 starting at midnight Wednesday into early Thursday morning over the skies of Washington, D.C.
Falcon Virgo is a series of training flights designed to hone NORAD’s intercept and identification operations as well as test the NCR Visual Warning System and training personnel at the Joint Air Defense Operations Center (JADOC).
The flights are held in coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration, the National Capital Region Coordination Center, JADOC, Civil Air Patrol, U.S. Coast Guard and CONR’s Eastern Air Defense Sector. The Civil Air Patrol’s aircraft as well as the Coast Guard’s MH-65 Dolphin helicopter will participate in the training flights.
These training flights have taken place throughout the U.S. and Canada as a response to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
CONR has responded to more than 5,000 possible air threats in the United States since September 11, 2001. CONR-assigned Air Force and Army throughout the country ensure air safety and security from potential air threats.
The exercises are timely after a gyrocopter flew into restricted airspace in early April and raised concerns over tracking equipment.