Colorado Springs Colorado –
TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. – The North American
Aerospace Defense Command and its geographical component, the Continental
United States NORAD Region, will conduct exercise Falcon Virgo 16-01 in the
National Capital Region, Washington, D.C., Monday through Thursday between
midnight and 5:30 a.m. EDT.
In the event of inclement weather, the exercise will take
place the following evening. 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 NCR
Coordination Center, the Joint Air Defense Operations Center, Civil Air Patrol,
U.S. Coast Guard and CONR’s Eastern and Western Air Defense Sectors.
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. Civil Air Patrol
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 more
than 62,500 sorties with the support of Airborne Warning and Control System and
air-to-air-refueling aircraft.