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Anti-Terror Exercises Planned for D.C. Skies
free beacon ^ | August 20, 2012 5:09 pm | Bill Gertz

Posted on 08/20/2012 4:00:37 PM PDT by BenLurkin

Air Force and Coast Guard aircraft will fly “intercept and identification” exercises over Washington tonight as part of efforts to prevent suicide aircraft attacks or other threats to the capital, a military spokesman said.

The latest exercise of what the North American Aerospace Defense Command calls “Falcon Virgo” involves Civil Air Patrol Cessna-182 light aircraft and a Coast Guard HH-65 Dolphin helicopter between 11:30 p.m. Monday and 5:30 a.m. Tuesday, NORAD said in a statement.

“We want to make sure people seeing these planes aren’t concerned,” said NORAD spokesman John Cornelio.

“One of the reasons we put out notice of the exercise is so that anyone seeing a military aircraft in close proximity to a civilian aircraft will know that this is a controlled and carefully planned NORAD live exercise,” he said.

No unmanned aerial vehicles will be used, said another spokeswoman.

Details of the scenario for the exercise could not be learned. However, it is expected to involve the helicopter intercepting the Cessna posing as a threat aircraft.

Airspace over the nation’s capital is tightly controlled and aircraft that stray into restricted airspace near the White House, Capitol, and national monuments risk being shot down by military aircraft.

During the September 11 terrorist attacks against the Pentagon and attempted strike on either the White House or Congress using hijacked airliners, U.S. military jets had to be scrambled from southern Virginia.

Since those attacks, the U.S. military has set up a defense system to better protect the region from such threats.

Past Falcon Virgo exercises have used F-16 jets based at Andrews Air Force Base, ground-based Avenger anti-aircraft missile batteries deployed at the southern end of the Navy-Air Force Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, and Stinger and shoulder-fired Stinger anti-aircraft missiles deployed at undisclosed locations.

Cornelio said the main purpose of the exercise is to test the command and control system called the Joint Air Defense Operation Center, located at Anacostia-Bolling.

“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 (JADOC), Civil Air Patrol, U.S. Coast Guard and CONR’s Eastern Air Defense Sector,” the NORAD statement said.

“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 JADOC.”

The exercises are part of the military’s “rapid response capability” for the region, the statement added.


TOPICS: War on Terror
KEYWORDS: counterterrorism; falconvirgo; gertz; norad; terrorexercises; usaf; uscg

1 posted on 08/20/2012 4:00:42 PM PDT by BenLurkin
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To: randita

FYI...


2 posted on 08/20/2012 4:07:29 PM PDT by HokieMom (Pacepa : Can the U.S. afford a president who can't recognize anti-Americanism?)
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To: BenLurkin
Details of the scenario for the exercise could not be learned. However, it is expected to involve the helicopter intercepting the Cessna posing as a threat aircraft.

"...hello Mr Biden, what's going on tonight?....were going to be chasing some Cessna's around DC with helicopters....OK

3 posted on 08/20/2012 4:07:48 PM PDT by Doogle ((USAF.68-73..8th TFW Ubon Thailand..never store a threat you should have eliminated))
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To: randita

FYI...


4 posted on 08/20/2012 4:08:41 PM PDT by HokieMom (Pacepa : Can the U.S. afford a president who can't recognize anti-Americanism?)
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To: HokieMom

Why are they doing this when Hussein’s administration announced a while back that the War on Terror was over?


5 posted on 08/20/2012 4:11:49 PM PDT by South40 ("Islam has a proud tradition of tolerance." Hussein Obama, Cairo, Egypt, June 4, 2009)
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To: BenLurkin

If they want to find the biggest supporters of terrorists in the world, they can look at 1600 Penn. Avenue, NW and 900 Pa. Ave, NW.

Suspects names are Barack Hussein Obama (country of origin in dispute, aka Barry Sotero), and Eric Holder (US born traitor and blatant racist who likes to free convicted terrorists from long jail sentences and to punish American law enforcement officers who try to enforce the laws, esp. about illegal immigration).

PS: Lie-detectors won’t work with these guys. They are too slimy to register at all. All you’d get on the printout is “white space” (no racial innuendo intended, just the truth, Mame).


6 posted on 08/20/2012 4:18:03 PM PDT by MadMax, the Grinning Reaper
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To: BenLurkin

Where was all this defensive stuff on 9/11 and before? Oh, I forgot. Clinton downgraded our continental defenses to pea-shooters and sling shoots. Worked out well on 9/11, and you don’t half the story.


7 posted on 08/20/2012 4:20:07 PM PDT by MadMax, the Grinning Reaper
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To: BenLurkin
Obama to people living in the U. S. (why even pretend it's citizens anymore), I'm here protecting you.  See, look at this exercise.

What a pantload...


Thanks for the donations.  Lets finish this off.  If you haven't already, please click and pencil yourself in.


8 posted on 08/20/2012 4:22:52 PM PDT by DoughtyOne (Americans want what Americans always wanted: Better lives for families; little government authority.)
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To: BenLurkin

The best anti-terror exercise would be to evict every mucking Fuslim from the U.S.


9 posted on 08/20/2012 4:35:46 PM PDT by beethovenfan (If Islam is the solution, the "problem" must be freedom.)
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To: beethovenfan

If we did that, we would have to endure a President Biden.


10 posted on 08/20/2012 4:41:27 PM PDT by TBall
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To: BenLurkin

I heard a jet’s roar over lower Manhattan just before 7 PM tonight.


11 posted on 08/20/2012 5:09:47 PM PDT by Oratam
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To: BenLurkin

I doubt any terrorist would fly in a Cessna.


12 posted on 08/20/2012 5:24:58 PM PDT by Venturer
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To: Mad Dawg; EDINVA; VA_Gentleman; seekthetruth; COBOL2Java; Perdogg; kabar; Gabz; Wage Slave; ...

VA Ping!

If you want on/off the VA Ping List, please freepmail me. Thanks!


13 posted on 08/20/2012 6:02:54 PM PDT by randita (Paul Ryan is "Mr. Smith goes to Washington.")
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