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  • Red Flag’s 50th Anniversary

    The U.S. Air Force celebrates 50 years of Red Flag—an aerial combat training exercise that has transformed how pilots prepare for modern warfare.

  • Red Flag 25-1 Celebrates 50 Years of Excellence

    Red Flag 25-1 takes flight at Nellis Air Force Base uniting U.S. forces with allies from the Royal Air Force and Royal Australian Air Force in a combined exercise to enhance combat readiness and strengthen partnerships.

  • 20th Attack Squadron sets new training standard at Red Flag

    More than 90 Airmen from the 20th Attack Squadron participated in Red Flag 24-1 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, to integrate with joint and coalition combat air forces in a large force exercise, culminating in certification to return to combat operations.

  • Red Flag building receives an upgrade

    A six-year construction project is complete just in time for Red Flag 23-3, taking place here from July 17-August 4. With expanded square footage and an operational upgrade to building 201, the newest additions to the Red Flag headquarters exemplify how Nellis is bringing the future faster.

  • Air Force incorporates Agile Combat Employment in RED FLAG 23-1

    As flying units from around the globe converged at Nellis Air Force Base for RED FLAG 23-1, the 505th Command and Control Wing welcomed the 355th Wing’s Command and Control Force Element, or C2FE, from Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, to execute as the first Lead Wing C2FE in a Tier 1 Large Force

  • Crows bring EMS to Red Flag 23-1

    Red Flag 23-1 wrapped up earlier this month with close to 100 platforms and 3,000 coalition servicemembers in attendance, including Crows from the 350th Spectrum Warfare Wing who provided warfighters with Electromagnetic Spectrum (EMS) support to accomplish their first ten combat missions.

  • Kessel Run’s C2IMERA featured at RED FLAG

    Close to 100 aircraft and 3,000 coalition service members participated in RED FLAG-Nellis 23-1, a large force air combat training exercise centered on readiness and interoperability between joint and allied forces. This iteration focused on the Indo-Pacific theater and the pacing challenge,

  • ‘Top Gun’ or ‘A Beautiful Mind?’

    Hollywood fighter-pilots are smiling, swaggerific, sunglassed men and women always looking to beat somebody at something. In reality, F-35A Lightning II pilots are not simply daredevils with skill and guts, willing to strap themselves to a single engine with 40,000 pounds of thrust. They are also

  • AFA Legends Weave Together the Past, Present and Future

    From the U.S. Air Force’s inception 75 years ago through today, there has been no shortage of visionaries who have selflessly and honorably served to drive the Air Force into the future. Five of these great leaders shared their wisdom and experiences with Airmen, during the Nellis Air Force Base leg

  • Nellis trains total force with Iron Flag-Nellis 22-2

    Have you ever wondered where the training missions at Nellis like Green Flag or Red Flag get their munitions from? Or maybe how Airmen train with live munitions to become better at their craft? What about how munitions units prepare for deployments? Well, look no further than the 57th Wing Munitions

  • 965th AACS brings future to AWACS with DRAGON Mod at Red Flag

    The 965th Airborne Air Control Squadron is putting new equipment to the test in Red Flag 22-2 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. The 965th AACS is one of 14 units from across the coalition core function forces participating in Red Flag-Nellis 22-2. This exercise is especially monumental for the

  • Whales & Tales

    It’s not every day you get the opportunity to shadow the crew of an E-3 Airborne Warning and Control System Aircraft. During Red Flag 22-1 my colleague, Meagan Hannon, and I had the chance to experience a day in the life of a 964th Airborne Air Control Squadron member. The advanced aerial exercise

  • Red Flag 22-2 showcases integration of Air Power

    Red Flag-Nellis 22-2 is underway. Coalition partners have landed and the around-the-clock training has begun. This iteration will focus on tactical integration of cutting edge airpower. These efforts will reinforce the exercise's root purpose to provide junior combat air force aviators and partners

  • Red Flag-Nellis 22-1 kicks off with allied forces

    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.

  • 388th Fighter Wing heads to Red Flag 22-1 as lead wing with F-35A

    Starting this week, the 388th Fighter Wing is serving as the lead wing at Red Flag, the Air Force’s premier combat exercise, which takes place at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, several times throughout the year. The 421st Fighter Squadron and 421st Fighter Generation Squadron, alongside Reservists

  • Red Flag 21-2 creates agile, multi-domain problem-solvers

    Understanding how another allied fighting force maintains and conducts its missions is vital to asymmetric strategic advantage. During Red Flag Nellis 21-2, around 2,500 U.S. and international participants integrated to capitalize on becoming the best they can be before any future deployments to the

  • 34th FGS maintainers provide fifth-generation airpower at Red Flag

    Maintainers from the 34th Fighter Generation Squadron, alongside Reservists from the 466th Aircraft Maintenance Unit deployed 12 F-35A Lightning IIs to Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., from Jan. 25-Feb. 12. Day-and-night, the Airmen generated two sets of eight aircraft to meet the large-scale conflict

  • Red Flag 21-1 kicks off at Nellis

    Southern Nevada residents may notice an increase in military aircraft activity from Jan. 25 through Feb. 12 as Nellis begins Red Flag 21-1, one of the U.S. Air Force’s largest combat training exercises.

  • Hill Airmen deploy F-35A for large combat exercise

    Airmen from the active duty 388th and Reserve 419th Fighter Wing here are deploying to Nellis AFB, Nev., to take on a tough adversary – other Airmen. Approximately 200 Airmen from Hill AFB will participate in Red Flag 21-1 from Jan. 25 to Feb. 12.

  • NTTR: Training our way to victory

    Red Flag, an air-to-air combat exercise for pilots, and Green Flag, a ground combat training exercise, are two of the largest training operations in the Department of Defense. The NTTR enables training opportunities like these, while also providing a practice home to the U.S. Air Force Aerial

  • 'Ghost-painted' F-16 takes to the sky

    An F-16 Fighting Falcon with a "ghost" paint scheme departs Hill Air Force Base, Utah, for Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., June 3, 2020. The 576th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron painted the jet at the request of the 64th Aggressor Squadron at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, that participates in training

  • Sky is the limit for Red Flag 20-2

    An F/A-18C Super Hornet multi-role combat jet assigned to Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 232 at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California, flies at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, March 9, 2020. Red Flag increases interoperability between partner nations and across the joint force as Airmen train

  • 388th, 419th Fighter Wings serve as core wing at Red Flag

    Airmen from the 388th Fighter Wing, alongside reservists from the 419th Fighter Wing, are currently deployed for combat training with the F-35A Lightning II here during Red Flag where they are performing the “core wing” function at what is known as the Air Force’s premier large force exercise.

  • Unique F-35A program, maintainers progress during Red Flag 20-1

    Hundreds of Airmen from Hill’s 388th and 419th Fighter Wing are deployed here with the 421st Fighter Squadron for Red Flag, the Air Force’s premier large force combat exercise. This is the first Red Flag for the 421st Fighter Squadron as an F-35A Lightning II unit.

  • 805th Combat Training Squadron; Nellis AFB’s newest squadron

    The operations center sits in a large room, filled with rows of computers, displaying a simulated combat scenario. Above different areas in the room are signs designating who sits where. Cyber, Space and Judge Advocate are just a few of the stations in the dark room. Illuminating the area in the

  • Dedicated to the Raptor

    The 106 degree Fahrenheit heat beats down on the Nellis Air Force Base flightline where crew chiefs work tirelessly to complete the mission of Red Flag 19-3.Out of the more than 20 units from across the U.S. Armed Forces and Australian Air Force that attended the exercise, the crew chiefs from the

  • Giving F-22 Raptor its senses

    The F-22 Raptor is one of the U.S. Air Force’s fifth generation fighter aircraft, performing both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions allowing full realization of operational concepts vital to the 21st century fight.With the combination of sensor capability, integrated avionics, and advanced

  • 726th ACS updates Control and Reporting Center

    The 726th Air Control Squadron, a geographically separated unit of the 552nd Air Control Wing, impressed at recent training exercise, Red Flag 19-2. Better known by their call sign, Hardrock, the unit became the first to fully integrate the new generation of Control and Reporting Center into their

  • Colombian Air Force supports US Navy Growlers for premier air-to-air combat

    The Colombian Air Force is supporting the U.S. Navy during the U.S. Air Force-led air-to-air combat exercise Red Flag. The Colombian Air Force brought their Multi-Mission Transport Tanker Jupiter 767 to refuel the U.S. Navy’s EA-18G Growlers for the duration of the exercise. The Colombian MMTT

  • Hill Airmen, F-35 a lethal combo at Red Flag

    Airmen from the 388th Fighter Wing’s 4th Fighter Squadron wrapped up flying operations with the F-35A Lightning II in an “exponentially more challenging” Red Flag. The 4th FS integrated the F-35A into a large, capable “Blue Force” in diverse missions against an equally capable “Red Force.” Nearly

  • Red Flag adjusts for today’s challenges

    The 414th Combat Training Squadron (CTS), which oversees Red Flag, is making changes to the exercise for improved efficiency at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. Red Flag is a realistic multi-domain training exercise that maximizes the combat readiness and survivability of participants by providing a

  • NATCF; eyes, ears of Red Flag 18-3 aircraft

    In a large dimly lit room located in the Nellis Air Traffic Control Facility (NATCF), faces are illuminated only by the reflection of air traffic control radar scopes. Airmen assigned to the 57th Operation Support Squadron monitor the airways of aircraft departing and landing at Nellis Air Force

  • Refueling keeps Red Flag flying

    The Red Flag Tanker Task Force, with air mobility assets from three bases, descended on the Las Vegas skies three weeks ago in support the international training exercise, Red Flag-Nellis 18-1.The RFTTF consists of personnel, aircraft and equipment from McConnell Air Force Base, Fairchild AFB, and

  • Red Flag 18-1 in full swing at Nellis AFB

    A KC-135 Stratotanker jet assigned to the 100 Air Refueling Wing at Royal Air Force Mildenhall, takes off during Red Flag 18-1 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, Feb. 5, 2018. Red Flag is one of a series of advanced training programs administered by the U.S. Air Force Warfare Center to train

  • MQ-9s participate in Red Flag 17-2

    Remotely piloted MQ-9 Reaper aircrews from the 89th Attack Squadron at Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, alongside the 432nd Operations Support Squadron and 42nd ATKS at Creech Air Force Base participated in Red Flag 17-2 from Feb. 27 through March 10, 2017, at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada.

  • 20th FW kicks off Red Flag 17-2 at Nellis AFB

    The U.S. Air Force’s two-week premier air-to-air combat training exercise Red Flag 17-2 began Feb. 27 and will conclude March 10.Held multiple times each year on the vast bombing and gunnery ranges of the 2.9 million acre Nevada Test and Training Range, Red Flag is a realistic combat training

  • Red Flag 17-1 pushes domain, fifth-gen integration

    As coalition pilots, intelligence analysts, and cyber and space operators convene at the Nevada Test and Training Range north of Las Vegas, for Red Flag 17-1, they have one goal in mind: work together to defeat the adversary, which at times is 20 living adversaries simultaneously working to attack

  • MQ-9 participates in Red Flag 17-1, integrates with F-35

    Two MQ-9 Reapers and multiple aircrews from the 432nd Wing/432nd Air Expeditionary Wing participated in Red Flag 17-1 from Jan. 23 to Feb. 10, 2017, at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. This was the first time the MQ-9 and F-35A Lightning II have integrated in an exercise.

  • Youngest maintainer at Red Flag launches America’s youngest jet

    The future belongs to the young. Nathan Kosters, the youngest F-35 crew chief in the 34th Aircraft Maintenance Unit, was born in 1996. “The Macerana” was No. 1 on the charts (somehow), “Independence Day” topped the box office and the F-16 Fighting Falcon had already been flying for 22 years.

  • F-35A, maintainers proving reliable at Red Flag

    When it comes to the F-35A, much is made of the edge its fifth-generation technology gives pilots, but America’s newest fighter aircraft is also proving capable in the hands of maintainers.

  • Reservists take on ‘enemy’ at F-35A Red Flag debut

    Nine Air Force Reserve F-35A pilots and 16 maintainers from the 419th Fighter Wing are taking on the world’s greatest aggressor fleet during Red Flag 17-1. The reservists joined about 200 personnel and 13 F-35A Lightning IIs from the active duty 388th FW to debut the Air Force’s newest fighter jet

  • Red Flag proves ‘intense’ for F-35A pilots

    Red Flag 17-1 is living up to its reputation as a grueling and rigorous test of fighter pilot skills, according to Hill Air Force Base F-35A pilots participating in the premier air-to-air combat exercise at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., from Jan. 23 to Feb. 10. The three-week exercise has friendly

  • F-35A Lightning maintenance sparks Red Flag 17-1

    The debut of the F-35A Lightning II at Red Flag has afforded the pilots and maintainers of the aircraft a chance to be a part of the Air Force's premier air-to-air combat training exercise.

  • Red Flag evolves as ISR, cyber presence increases

    The silent warfighters of the Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance and Cyber communities are honing their operational skills and testing new capabilities during Red Flag 17-1 at the Nevada Test and Training Range north of Las Vegas, yesterday through Feb. 10. Red Flag is a realistic combat

  • Red Flag's heartbeat: Core unit arrives at NAFB

    The 1st Fighter Wing’s air crews and support personnel out of Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, arrived at Nellis AFB, Nevada, Jan.17 and 18, 2017, to participate in Red Flag 17-1, as the exercise’s core unit.

  • HC-130J trains at all hours during Red Flag

    The 71st Rescue Squadron, Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, prepare an HC-130J Combat King II for Red Flag 16-4 night operations at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., Aug. 25, 2016.