The North American Aerospace Defense Command
and its geographical component, the Continental United States NORAD Region,
will conduct exercise Falcon Virgo 15-04 Wednesday night through Friday morning, in the National Capital Region, Washington, D.C. Flights
are scheduled to take place between midnight and 5:30 a.m. (EST) each
day.
In the event of inclement weather, the exercise will take place the following evening. If bad weather continues, officials will then make a
decision to postpone or cancel the exercise.
The exercise is
comprised of a series of training flights held in coordination with the
Federal Aviation Administration, the National Capital Region Coordination
Center, the Joint Air Defense Operations Center, Civil Air Patrol, U.S.
Coast Guard and CONR’s Eastern and Western Air Defense Sectors.
Exercise
Falcon Virgo is designed to hone NORAD’s intercept and identification
operations as well as operationally test the NCR Visual Warning System and
training personnel at the JADOC. Civil Air Patrol aircraft and a U.S. Coast
Guard MH-65 Dolphin helicopter will participate in the exercise.
These
exercises are carefully planned and closely controlled to ensure CONR’s
rapid response capability. NORAD has conducted exercise flights of this nature throughout the U.S. and Canada since the start of Operation Noble Eagle, the command’s response to the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11,
2001.
As the continental United States (CONUS) geographical component of
the bi-national command NORAD, CONR provides airspace surveillance and
control, and directs air sovereignty activities for the CONUS region. CONR and its assigned Air Force and Army assets throughout the country ensure
air safety and security against potential air threats.
Since Sept.
11, 2001, CONR fighters have responded to more than 5,000 possible air
threats in the United States and have flown more than 62,500 sorties with
the support of Airborne Warning and Control System and
air-to-air-refueling aircraft.
