Both U.S. and allied nations are taking part in Red Flag, the largest air-to-air combat training exercise in the world from Jan. 21 to Jul. 26 at Nellis Air Force Base in the Nevada desert.
Nellis offers a perfect venue for such an event, with 15,000 square miles of air space, where pilots can fly as low as 100 feet off the ground or twice the speed of sound. According to the Air Force, pilots can expect serious training:
Participants often include both US and allied nations' combat air forces. The exercise gives pilots the experience of multiple, intensive air combat sorties in the safety of a training environment.
That training can include a variety of different aircraft, from fighter jets to electronic counter warfare. Here's who showed up last year:
RF 12-3 featured two daily waves with the scheduled departure of more than 70 aircraft, involved in missions of all types (lasting up to 8 hours), including: MC-12Ws, EP-3 ARES (Airborne Reconnaissance Integrated Electronic System), EA-6Bs, E-2D s, F-15Cs , F-22s, B-2s, F-16CMs and F-16CJs, F-18Cs, E-8 JSTARS (Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System), E-3s, F-15Es, and RC-135V/W Rivet Joint, as well as RAAF F-18s and RAF Tornado GR4s.
David is on the ground to cover Red Flag 13-3 and has many more amazing pictures and more insight into the training taking place at his website.
Check Out Red Flag at The Aviationist >
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