WASHINGTON — If you hear something in the night skies above the D.C. area this week, rest easy — if it’s not too loud.

NORAD — the North American Aerospace Defense Command — is conducting an exercise with flights running Wednesday night through Friday morning, with flights happening between midnight and 5:30 a.m. each day.

The exercise involves Civil Air Patrol aircraft and a Coast Guard MH-65 Dolphin helicopter, NORAD says, and is aimed at improving interception and identification, to test the National Capital Region visual warning system and to train personnel.

If there’s bad weather, NORAD says, the exercise will be put off a day. If bad weather continues, NORAD will make a decision at the time as to whether to postpone or cancel.

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