[Scan-DC] NORAD exercise Saturday morning

[Clegg, Andrew W.]

-----Original Message-----
From: Arlington Alert [mailto:msg8547 at arlingtonalert.com] 
Sent: Friday, December 14, 2012 11:27 AM
To: Arlington Alert Subscribers
Subject: Alert from Arlington County

The Continental United States North American Aerospace Defense Command Region (CONR) will conduct flight operations Saturday morning, Dec. 15, in the National Capital Region, Washington, D.C.
This series of training flights are held in coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration, the National Capital Region (NCR) Coordination Center, the Joint Air Defense Operations Center (JADOC), the Potomac Consolidated Terminal Radar Approach Control Facility, Civil Air Patrol, and CONR’s Eastern Air Defense Sector.  
Flights in the NCR are scheduled to take place between 7:20 and 8:10 a.m. (EST).  
These training flights are designed to hone NORAD’s intercept and identification operations as well as operationally test the NCR Visual Warning System. Several U.S. Air Force aircraft will participate in these flights.    
Training flights are carefully planned and closely controlled to ensure CONR’s rapid response capability.  NORAD has conducted 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.   
In the event of inclement weather, the exercise will take place the following morning. If bad weather continues, officials will then make a decision to postpone or cancel the mission.  
As the Continental United States 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 3,400 possible air threats in the United States and have flown more than 59,000 sorties with the support of Airborne Warning and Control System and air-to-air-refueling aircraft.  
For more information on CONR or its mission, visit www.facebook.com/americasaoc or www.twitter.com/1staf.   
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For more information on Falcon Virgo exercises, please contact CONR Public Affairs at (850) 283-8080, or the NORAD Public Affairs Office at (719) 554-6889. dlp/oem