WASHINGTON (voa) – The U.S. Defense Department says it is deploying mobile anti-aircraft missiles at the Pentagon and other military sites around Washington as part of an exercise to test capital area defenses.
A Pentagon spokesman told VOA the exercise, code-named “Clear Skies II,” officially begins Tuesday and will run for several days, coinciding with the first anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks.
The spokesman said the exercise has been planned for several weeks and will include jet fighters, support aircraft, radar, the ground-based, mobile missiles and communications equipment. He said there are no current plans to arm the missiles or other air defense systems being used for the exercise.
But the spokesman also said all aviators in the Washington area are advised to read and comply with the latest government notices restricting air space around Washington.
Reuters news agency said it was told by one Pentagon official that Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld could quickly order live missiles moved from stand-by to full alert status on the launchers.
