TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. – The North American
Aerospace Defense Command and its geographical component, the Continental
United States NORAD Region (CONR), will conduct exercise Falcon Virgo 14-08
Monday night through Thursday morning, in the National Capital Region, Washington,
D.C. Flights are scheduled to take place between midnight and 5:30 a.m. (EDT)
each day.
The exercise is comprised of a series of training flights
held in coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration, the National
Capital Region (NCR) Coordination Center, the Joint Air Defense Operations
Center (JADOC), 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 certify newly assigned Command and Control 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.
In the event of inclement weather, officials will then
make a decision to postpone or cancel the exercise.
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.