[Scan-DC] Exercise Falcon Virgo 06-12

[Alan Henney]

September 19, 2006

NORAD exercise planned for Washington D.C.

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. – 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 in the National Capital Region (Washington,
D.C.).

This exercise comprises a series of training flights held in
coordination 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 and
identification 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.