Photo by Eric Uhlir

If you hear planes flying overhead at some point later tonight into the wee hours, don’t fret—it’s just Exercise Falcon Virgo.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) has announced that it will be conducting some aerial exercises—code-name Falcon Virgo—over D.C. tonight and tomorrow night between 11:30 p.m. and 5:30 a.m. According to a press release, Civil Air Patrol aircraft, Air Force F-16s, and a U.S. Coast Guard HH-65 Dolphin helicopter will participate in the exercises, which are meant to “hone NORAD’s intercept and identification operations as well as operationally test the NCR Visual Warning System.” (As if those cannon blasts from Arlington last year weren’t enough.)

The full press release is below, which, not unexpectedly, is written in confusing military jargon. They could merely have settled for something a little more to the point: “NORAD to Engage in Top Gun-Style Exercises Over D.C., Residents Asked to Wave American Flags and Not Panic.”

The North American Aerospace Defense Command and its geographical component, the Continental United States NORAD Region (CONR), will conduct exercise Falcon Virgo 12-09 over a two-day period with late flights set for Monday, June 18, and Tuesday, June 19, in the National Capital Region, Washington, D.C.The exercise is comprised of a series of training flights held in coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration, the National Capital Region Coordination Center, the Joint Air Defense Operations Center (JADOC), Civil Air Patrol, U.S. Coast Guard and CONR’s Eastern Air Defense Sector.Flights in the National Capital Region are scheduled to take place between 11 p.m. (EDT) on Monday June 18 and 5:30 a.m. (EDT) Tuesday June 19 and also between 11 p.m. (EDT) Tuesday June 19 and 5:30 a.m. (EDT) on Wednesday June 20.

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. Civil Air Patrol aircraft, Air Force F-16s, and a U.S. Coast Guard HH-65 Dolphin helicopter will participate in the exercise. These exercises are carefully planned and closely controlled to ensure CONR’s rapid response capability. NORAD has conducted exercise flights of this nature throughout the U.S. and Canada since the start of Operation Noble Eagle, the command’s response to the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.In the event of inclement weather, the exercise will take place the following evening. If bad weather continues, officials will then make a decision to postpone or cancel the exercise.