Falcon Virgo is a series of exercises designed to test airspace security, especially around major American cities like New York City and Washington, D.C. They involve both regular military fighter aircraft and air operations centers (to include Air Force Reserve Command and Air National Guard) and Civil Air Patrol forces.

Description

The exercises comprise a series of training flights held in coordination with the United States Northern Command / North American Air Defense Command (USNORTHCOM / NORAD), First Air Force (1 AF), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the National Capital Region Command Center (NCRCC), the Joint Air Defense Operations Center (JADOC), the Continental US NORAD Region (CONR), the Civil Air Patrol (CAP), the U.S. Coast Guard and the CONR's various Air Defense Sectors.[1]

One of the exercises implied the pilots from the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) who orchestrated fake aerial attacks on US cities, such as New York City and Washington DC, to stress-test Air Force and the Coast Guards.[2]

The exercises are planned and controlled to ensure NORAD'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 11 September 2001.[3][4]

Exercises

  • 09-07 - 15 to 19 May 2009[5]
  • 12-07 - 11 to 12 April 2012[6]
  • 15-13 - August 2015[7]

References

  1. ↑ "NORAD exercise planned for Washington D.C." NORAD News. 11 December 2007. Archived from the original on 14 December 2007. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
  2. ↑ Sheridan, Mary Beth (17 January 2017). "Civilian Pilots Provide Target Practice". Washington Post. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
  3. ↑ "North American Aerospace Defense Command". Archived from the original on 2008-04-16. Retrieved 2008-06-16.
  4. ↑ USNORTHCOM Public Affairs, United States Northern Command. "NORAD exercise planned for Washington, D.C." NORAD News. North American Aerospace Defense Command. Archived from the original on 6 October 2012. Retrieved 20 October 2015. 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.
  5. ↑ "Falcon Virgo". Inside Defense. 13 May 2009. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
  6. ↑ Aid, Matthew (11 April 2012). "Falcon Virgo Returns to Washington". matthewaid.com. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
  7. ↑ Sisk, Richard (23 August 2015). "NORAD Tries to Detect Gyrocopters in D.C." Military.com. Retrieved 19 July 2018.


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