The North American Aerospace Defense Command and its geographical component, the Continental United States NORAD Region (CONR), will conduct Exercise Falcon Virgo 06-12 Wednesday and Thursday (20-21 Sep 2006) in the National Capital Region (Washington,D.C.).
This exercise comprises a series of training flights held incoordination with the Federal Aviation Administration, the National Capital Region Command Center, the Joint Air Defense Operations Center, Civil Air Patrol, U.S. Coast Guard, and NORAD's Northeast Air Defense Sector. Exercise Falcon Virgo 06-12 is designed to test NORAD's intercept andidentification operations. Civil Air Patrol aircraft, Air Force F-16s, Air Force Flight Standards Agency C-21s, and US Coast Guard HH-65 helicopters will participate in the exercise.
Residents in the area can expect flights to occur during the late night and early morning hours. In the event of inclement weather the exercise will push to the next day until all training requirements are complete.
These exercises are carefully planned and closely controlled to ensure NORAD'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 assets throughout the country ensure air safety and security against potential air threats.
Since Sept. 11, 2001, NORAD fighters have responded to more than 2,100 possible air threats in the United States, Canada and Alaska, and have flown more than 42,000 sorties with the support of Airborne Warning and Control System and air-to-air-refueling aircraft.