[Scan-DC] NORAD exercise planned for Washington D.C.

[Alan Henney]

-----Original Message----- 
Sent: Monday, November 14, 2005 6:15 PM
To: Lacore, Madeline
Subject: Falcon Virgo Release

November 15, 2005

NORAD exercise planned for Washington D.C.

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo.  The Continental United States NORAD
Region (CONR) will conduct Exercise Falcon Virgo 06-02 in the National
Capital Region (Washington, D.C.) from 16-18 November. The exercise
comprises a series of training flights conducted in coordination with
the Federal Aviation Administration, the National Capital Region
Command Center, the Civil Air Patrol, the Air Force Flight Standards
Agency, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the Northeast Air
Defense Sector.

Exercise Falcon Virgo 06-02 is designed to test intercept and
identification operations. It will involve F-16 fighter aircraft out
of Andrews AFB and Langley AFB, as well as multiple Cessna aircraft, a
C-21 (Learjet) and an H-60 Blackhawk helicopter all flying at low
altitudes along the Potomac River and around Washington, D.C., during
late night Wednesday, early morning Thursday, late night
Thursday/early morning Friday. In the event of inclement weather, the
exercise will roll over to the following days until the exercise is
ended.

CONR is a regional headquarters assigned to the North American
Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD. NORAD has conducted exercises of
this nature throughout the United States and Canada since the start of
Operation Noble Eagle, started after the terrorist attacks on Sept.
11, 2001. These ongoing exercises are carefully planned and closely
controlled to ensure NORAD's rapid response capability.

Since Sept. 11, 2001, NORAD fighters have responded to more than 2,000
possible air threats in the United States, Canada and Alaska and have
flown more than 40,000 sorties with the support of Airborne Warning
and Control System and air-to-air-refueling aircraft.