14 Aircraft & 410 Personnel on Exercise Red Flag

Fourteen RAAF aircraft and about 410 personnel are currently in the USA putting man and machine through their paces in a demanding joint training exercise with US forces at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada.

Exercise Red Flag 16-1, conducted by the U.S. Airforce, is one of the most demanding combat training environments created and is recognised as the USAF's premier air-to-air combat training exercise.  

An air-battle management contingent from No. 41 Wing is conducting surveillance and battlespace management of coalition forces inside the exercise area. Overhead will be six F/A-18F Super Hornets from RAAF Base Amberley, six F/A-18 Hornets from RAAF Base Tindal, one AP-3C Orion from RAAF Base Edinburgh, and an E-7A Wedgetail from RAAF Base Williamtown.

Officer Commanding 81 Wing and exercise director, Group Captain Phil Gordon, highlighted the importance of Exercise Red Flag for Air Force and its personnel.

“Exercise Red Flag involves a series of air-combat scenarios that test operational air and ground crews to the highest level,” he said. “For members of RAAF, this exercise is the culmination of years of training – it is incredibly challenging and the ultimate test of coalition interoperability.

“There are very few training environments in the world that recreate the complexity and dangers of a modern battlespace like Exercise Red Flag. Day and night-time missions at Red Flag will require large numbers of aircraft to work together to complete the assigned mission across a variety of roles. The threats they face range from aggressor F-15 and F-16 fighters and simulated surface to air missile engagements, through to electronic warfare and cyberspace attacks”, Group Captain Gordon said.

“It provides the ultimate environment in which our Air Force personnel can showcase their extraordinary abilities in a deployed scenario.”

Wing Commander Jason Begley from RAAF Base Edinburgh’s No. 10 Squadron will lead the AP-3C Orion detachment in conducting overland surveillance in the exercise area.

“The Orion, together with the Wedgetail AEW&C will help build the big picture of what’s happening on the ground and in the air within the exercise area at Exercise Red Flag,” Wing Commander Begley said.

“We’re coming to this exercise with considerable experience in this role, especially from Operation Slipper over Afghanistan, where we support combat personnel on the ground.

“The scale and complexity of Exercise Red Flag makes it quite unique, so we stand to gain a lot of experience in working with allied partners.”

RAAF personnel attending the exercise who carried a supply of 'challenge coins' can expect to return home with pockets bulging with elaborate coins from the various US Forces they encounter. The US is home to the growing tradition of exchanging challenge coins between allies as part of joint operations and exercises.

Exercise Red Flag will conclude on 13 February 2016.