NORAD Schedules Midnight Routine Air Defense Drills Over Washington D.C. Area

U.S. officials stated Sunday that routine air defence drills in the Washington D.C. region are scheduled for the late hours of the week.

Officials from North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), stated in a news release, that on February 14th, between midnight and 2:30 a.m. EST, in the National Capital Region, there will be a live-fly, air defense Falcon Virgo flight, which was the official Website Described as an operation to intercept and identify airspace security incidents.

“The Defense of North America is NORAD’s top priority, and NORAD remains on alert around the clock, every day,” Lt. General Kirk Pierce said. “It is an honor to serve our citizens.”

NORAD made the announcement amid national security concerns. This comes after U.S. officials shot four objects above North America this month.

Aircraft participating in Tuesday morning’s exercise include U.S. Air Force F-16 fighter jets, U.S. Coast Guard MH-65D Dolphin helicopter, U.S. Army C-12 aircraft, and Civil Air Patrol Cessna 182T general aviation aircraft, the release noted.

Some of the exercises could see aircraft flying at about 2,500 feet. Residents in the area can witness this.

Officials from NORAD created Falcon Virgo in response to the terrorist attacks. This is a plan to defend North America against airspace threats.

“NORAD routinely conducts exercises with various scenarios, including airspace restriction violations, hijackings, and responses to unknown aircraft,” The release says. “All NORAD exercises are carefully planned and closely controlled.”

Similar routine exercises were conducted by the defense organization in Washington, D.C. January 2021.