Fighters to Fly Air Defense Exercise to Prepare for NATO Summit

Continental U.S. North American Aerospace Defense Command Region fighters will be active in the skies over Chicago tomorrow in preparation for the next week’s NATO summit.

Exercise Amalgam Virgo 12-NATO, a NORAD air defense exercise, will be held in the greater Chicago area to allow interagency partners an opportunity to work collaboratively in this environment, officials said.

The Amalgam Virgo exercise comprises a series of training flights held in coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration, the Secret Service, the Coast Guard, the NATO Summit Joint Operations Center and the Continental U.S. NORAD Region's Eastern Air Defense Sector.

Residents in the Chicago area can expect flights to begin around 9 a.m. tomorrow and continue for about two hours.

Exercise Amalgam Virgo is designed to hone NORAD’s intercept and identification operations. Civil Air Patrol aircraft, Air National Guard C-21 aircraft, an Air Force KC-135 tanker, Air Force F-16 fighters and a Coast Guard HH-65 helicopter will participate in the exercise.

"Providing the air defense for special security events like this year’s NATO summit is a part of our day-to-day mission," said Air Force Lt. Gen. Sid Clarke, Continental U.S. NORAD Region commander. "Our interagency partnerships are a key component to the air defense shield for events like this, and the Amalgam Virgo exercise is an excellent opportunity for us to hone our air defense skills with all our interagency partners.”

The Continental U.S. NORAD Region has conducted exercise flights of this nature throughout the United States since the start of Operation Noble Eagle, the command's response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

During the NATO Summit, Air Force fighter jets will be on alert to enforce the FAA's temporary flight restriction zone during the summit. Officials advised all aviators to check Notices to Airmen as required, with a special focus on temporary flight restrictions.


Source: 17 May 2012 - dailyairforce News

Photo: F-16 Fighting Falcons, like the one shown here, sit ready to deploy at a moment's notice to respond to possible or real air threats over the United States. Continental U.S. North American Aerospace Defense Command Region officials will be conducting Exercise Amalgam Virgo 10-Miami on Jan. 28, 2010, to test command and control and execution procedures for air defense for Super Bowl XLIV. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. David Neve)

(17.05.2012)