The North American Aerospace Defense Command this week will hold another series of drills and exercises over the National Capital Region, testing its ability to intercept and identify enemy craft.

Exercise Falcon Virgo, slated to run Tuesday through Thursday, will comprise a series of training flights done in coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration, the NCR Command Center, the Joint Air Defense Operations Center, Civil Air Patrol and NORAD’s Northeast Air Defense Sector. The drills, which have become common since Sept. 11, 2001, are designed to test the area’s rapid response to a terrorist threat or attack.