U.S. air forces conducted a series of low-flying defense exercises over Washington airspace early Tuesday morning.
Exercise Falcon Virgo 06-04 was scheduled to occur Sunday night and Monday morning, but it was postponed due to inclement weather.
The mission was the latest operation conducted by the North American Aerospace Defense Command to test military intercept and identification operations in the National Capital Region, Lt. Lisa Citino, a NORAD spokeswoman said.
Multiple aircraft, fighter jets and helicopters conducted low-flying maneuvers over the city and the Potomac.
According to Citano, Falcon Virgo exercises occur approximately once a month and are designed to prepare the military for any air threat, whether manned or unmanned.
These exercises are especially important to the Washington area, Lt. Citino said, because of the high number of flight violations that occur. Temporary Flight Restrictions to protect the president are common in D.C., and a majority of TFR violations every year occur in the Washington area.
