Combat aircraft

‘Red Flag’ planners remain

mindful of national strategies,

as this important exercise

seeks to stay relevant in order

to meet the needs of its wide-

ranging list of participants.

REPORT AND PHOTOS

Norman Graf

A

LARGER AND LONGER

RUNNING Exercise ‘Red Flag

18-1’ was hosted at Nellis

AFB, Nevada, from January

26 through February 16.

As has become standard,

the  rst ‘Red Flag’ of the year featured

US forces training exclusively alongside

allies from the United Kingdom and

Australia. However, much was new

about this ‘Flag’, re ecting e orts to

keep it relevant. The exercise is moving

from tactical scenarios aimed primarily

at counter-insurgency operations

towards a more strategic, integrated

mission set targeting near-peer

adversaries.

The Nevada Test and Training Range

(NTTR) remains the focal point for ‘Red

Flag’. Seymour Johnson AFB’s 4th Fighter

Above: Specially

marked for the

centenary of the

Royal Australian

Air Force’s No 6

Squadron, one

of the EA-18Gs

that deployed

to Nellis turns

fi nals against an

unusually stormy

Nevada sky.

Right top

to bottom:

Showing signs

of a horizontal

stabilizer

borrowed from

another jet, this

F-16C of the 64th

AGRS carries an

Elta EL/L-8222

electronic warfare

jamming pod.

Seymour

Johnson-based

F-15Es provided

the core element

of the exercise.

This example

carries an AIM-9X

on the port

shoulder station,

proving that this

weapon is now

in operational

service on the

Strike Eagle.

http://www.combataircraft.netwww.combataircraft.net //// May 2018May 2018 65

65-67 Red Flag C.indd 65 20/03/2018 10:58