Nearly 100 aircraft and 3,000 personnel have arrived at Nellis Air Force Base to participate in the first Red Flag exercise of 2022.
Aimed at providing realistic training and increasing combat effectiveness, the exercise will run from Jan. 24 to Feb. 11.
“Red Flag-Nellis 22-1 is America’s premier air combat exercise focused on readiness and partnering through Air Expeditionary Wing-led strike ops,” said Col. Jared Hutchinson, 414th Combat Training Squadron commander. “In its 47th year of execution, participants will build confidence under fire and integrated leadership and warfighter culture that will lead to victorious coalition fights.
“They will learn from each other face-to-face, so we’ll all be better prepared and ready when we meet again in another region of the world,” he added.
With the 388th Fighter Wing from Hill Air Force Base, Utah, at the lead wing position,
this iteration will include participants from the U.S. Air Force, Navy, Marines, Space Force, Air National Guard, U.S. Air Force Reserves, the United Kingdom (Royal Air Force) and Australia (Royal Australian Air Force).
Units partecipating
Aircraft participating include the A-10, B-2, B-52, E-3, E-7A, E-8, EA-18G, EC-130, F-15E, F-16C, F-22, F-35, FGR4, HC-130, KC-135, MH-60, MQ-9, RC-135 and RQ-4.
Red Team
F-16C/D 64 Aggressor Squadron, Nellis AFB, NV
L-159 Draken International, Nellis AFB, NV
Mirage F-1 Draken International, Nellis AFB, NV
Blue Team
F-35A 421st FS, Hill AFB, UT
F-22A 94th FS, JB Langley-Eustis, VA
F-16CM 179th FS, MN ANG, Duluth ANGB, MN
Typhoon FGR4 RAF 1(Fighter) Sqn, RAF Lossiemouth, UK
Typhoon FGR4 RAF 41st TES, RAF Coningsby, UK
Interdiction
B-2A 393d BS, Whiteman AFB, MO
B-52H 23d BS, Minot AFB, ND
F-15E 335th FS, Seymour Johnson AFB, NC
A-10C 75th FS, Moody AFB, GA
MQ-9 50th ATKS, Shaw AFB, SC
Command & Control
E-8C 12th ACCS, Robins AFB, GA
E-7A RAAF 2 Sqn, RAAF Base Williamtown
E-3G 964th AACS, Tinker AFB OK
Reconnaissance
RC-135VW 38th RS, Offutt AFB, NE
RQ-4 348th RS, Grand Forks AFB, ND
Electronic Warfare
EC-130H 43d ECS, Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ
EA-18G VAQ 134, NAS Whidbey Island, WA
EA-18G VAQ 142, NAS Whidbey Island, WA
Refueling
KC-135R 6th ARW, MacDill AFB, FL
KC2 RAF 10 Sqn, RAF Brize Norton, UK
CSAR
HC-130J 79th RQS, Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ
HH-60W 41st RQS, Moody AFB, GA
Credit. A special thanks
“Red Flag 22-1 is a unique exercise, because it demonstrates the most cutting edge-tactical integration of air power from the U.S. and her primary allies, the U.K. and Australia,” said Hutchinson. “Each flag pushes the state of the art to a new level by building on the efforts of previous Red Flags. There are many new and emerging real-world tactical problems that will be presented for the first time to the allied force.”
Brig. Gen. Michael Drowley, 57th Wing commander, welcomed participants during a pre-brief Jan. 21. He advised units that the training they are about to receive has evolved over time and includes
modern-day problem sets aimed to prepare them if they get the call to defend the nation.
During the exercise, red forces, led by the 57th Operations Group and supported by the Nevada Test and Training Range, will drive static, dynamic and adaptive threats, challenging participants.
The Red Flag is one of the largest combat simulation exercises for the USAF (United States Air Force), it generally takes place 3/4 times a year at Nellis AFB in Las Vegas, Nevada. Also it takes place Red Flag Alaska at Eielson AFB, AK.
The mission of the 414th CTS is to maximize the combat readiness, capability and survivability of participating units.
Red Flag exercises provide realistic, multi-domain training in a combined air, ground, space and electronic threat environment while providing opportunity for a free exchange of ideas between forces.
Red Flag gives participating units with different mission sets an opportunity to train together during a large-force, joint interoperability live-fly exercise.