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The U.S. Army is running drills in Philadelphia this week

If you see a Black Hawk helicopter flying over Philadelphia this week, don’t worry, it’s likely just a military training exercise.

Two Black Hawk military helicopters fly over the field on the first day of training camp open to the public and media at the NovaCare Complex in South Philadelphia on Wednesday.
Two Black Hawk military helicopters fly over the field on the first day of training camp open to the public and media at the NovaCare Complex in South Philadelphia on Wednesday.Read moreHEATHER KHALIFA / Staff Photographer
    by Rodrigo Torrejón
    Updated 
    Published 

If you see a Black Hawk helicopter flying over Philadelphia this week, don’t worry, it’s likely just a military training exercise.

On Wednesday and Thursday, the United States Army Task Force 46 will be running dense urban terrain exercises across the city, including at the SEPTA NRG station, the Navy Yard, and the Fire Academy. A Black Hawk helicopter will be part of drills Wednesday and will likely be flying over the CSX rail yard, in the area near the sports stadiums in South Philadelphia. Those attending the Phillies game at 12:35 p.m. against the Braves may catch a glimpse of the helicopters.

The city’s Office of Emergency Management posted a notification to residents that the exercises would be happening from Tuesday to Thursday, along with a list of locations for the drills:

  1. Philadelphia Fire Academy, Northeast Philadelphia (July 27 and 28)

  2. Pleasant Hill Park, Northeast Philadelphia (July 27 and 28)

  3. Philadelphia Navy Yard, South Philadelphia (July 27 and 28)

  4. CSX Railyard, South Philadelphia (July 27)

  5. SEPTA NRG Station, South Philadelphia (July 28)

  6. Port of Philadelphia (July 28)

  7. Albert Einstein, Penn Presbyterian, Pennsylvania, Temple, and Thomas Jefferson hospitals (July 27 and 28)

The training exercise at the NRG station at Broad Street and Pattison Avenue will take place in a closed section of the station and the subway will run as usual, although one entrance will be closed during the training. Medium tactical vehicles will also be used at the Navy Yard.

The training exercises are meant to simulate attacks by near peer countries — nations that have similar military capabilities as the United States — in a major American city. There will be mock search and rescues, along with mock injuries as part of the exercises.

Although the exercises are happening in at least one location that will be used by the public, the exercises themselves are not open to public viewing.

The Office of Emergency Management warned that there could be temporary traffic and access closures to the exercise locations. Impacted areas could include the parking lots at Linden and Delaware Avenues at Pleasant Hill Park, the area of Kitty Hawk Ave and League Island Boulevard, and Wells Fargo Center lots A, B, G, and H on Thursday.