Special Report:NORAD Announces Test Flights Over DC Area

NORAD,the North American Aerospace Defense Command,has alerted the public that it will conduct a series of test flights over the Washington,DC area between 11pm and 5:30am on Monday and Tuesday nights,June 18-20.The exercises will be coordinated with the Federal Aviation Administration and other authorities.F-16 Fighting Falcon interceptors,as well as a U.S. Coast Guard HH-65 Dolphin helicopter and civilian aircraft,will be participating in the drill.According to NORAD,the flights are a test of interception and identification operations,as well as a certification process for new command and control personnel.Since the 9-11 attacks,NORAD has been routinely patrolling the skies over New York,Washington and other big U.S. cities,as well as over Camp David,the presidential retreat in Maryland's Catoctin Mountain Park.The U.S. Coast Guard contributes heavily armed helicopters to Washington,DC's security.NORAD is the binational U.S.-Canadian military organisation that ensures the sovereignty of the continental airspace.