[Scan-DC] NORAD exercise

[Greg Danes]

FYI



*This is an important message from the District of Columbia AlertDC system.*


The North American Aerospace Defense Command and its geographical
component, the Continental United States NORAD Region, will conduct
exercise Falcon Virgo 17-04 Tuesday night into Wednesday morning in the
National Capital Region, Washington, D.C., with flights scheduled to take
place between approximately midnight and 2:30 a.m. (EST).

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 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, and
the Eastern Air Defense Sector.

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. U.S. Air Force F-16 and
C-21 aircraft, Civil Air Patrol C-182 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 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 approximately
68,000 sorties with the support of Airborne Warning and Control System and
air-to-air-refueling aircraft.