The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) will conduct an overnight air defense exercise this week and advises residents to take note.
NORAD has announced that residents in the area should anticipate a live-fly air defense exercise occurring between midnight and 2 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 6. In the event of adverse weather conditions, the exercise will be rescheduled for the following morning at the same time.
Named “Falcon Virgo,” the exercise aims to evaluate NORAD’s intercept and identification operations. It will involve testing various scenarios such as airspace restriction violations, hijackings, and responses to unidentified aircraft. Participating in the exercise will be U.S. Air Force F-16 fighter jets, a U.S. Coast Guard MH-65D Dolphin helicopter, a U.S. Army UH-60M helicopter, and a Civil Air Patrol C-182 aircraft.
Authorities have indicated that some segments of the exercise may include flights at an altitude of approximately 1,000 feet and could be visible from the ground.
Photo: Senior Airman George Rahe / CANR Public Affairs
The @NORADCommand will conduct Exercise FALCON VIRGO, a live-fly air defense drill, on Dec 6, 2023, from midnight to 2:30 a.m. EDT in the NCR. Scenarios are meticulously supervised by #NORAD.@aircombatcmd | @usairforce | @AirNatlGuard | @CivilAirPatrol | @uscoastguard pic.twitter.com/L8i6djLwsC
— 1st AF/America's AOC (@1stAF) December 4, 2023