A Skies-Above Battlefield Like No Other
Imagine flying into battle against the toughest opponents in the world but without the risk of real combat. That’s exactly what RAF pilots, alongside their American and Australian allies, are doing right now in one of the most intense and realistic air combat training exercises on the planet: Exercise Red Flag Nellis.
This year marks 50 years of Red Flag, and with it, an impressive 48 years of UK participation. RAF Typhoons, Voyager aircraft, and elite personnel have joined forces with their counterparts from the United States and Australia to put their combat skills to the test in the vast skies above Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada.
The Ultimate Air Combat Challenge
Red Flag isn’t just any training exercise. It’s designed to push participants to their limits with large-scale, high-intensity missions that replicate the chaos and complexity of real-world combat. From fighter pilots and aircrew to controllers and engineers, every single participant plays a vital role in ensuring mission success.
RAF personnel from 51 Squadron Rivet Joint, Air Operations Controllers from 19 and 20 Squadrons, and aircrew and engineers from 6, 10, and 101 Squadrons are all in the thick of it working together to sharpen their skills, test cutting-edge tactics, and perfect the art of seamless integration with allied forces.
Born from the Lessons of War
Red Flag was created by the US Air Force in 1975, following the harsh lessons of the Vietnam War. Studies revealed that aircrews were most vulnerable during their first ten combat missions so why not let them fly those missions in a safe but hyper-realistic environment first? That concept still underpins Red Flag today, giving pilots and crews an unmatched level of preparation before they ever set foot in real conflict zones.
This year’s exercise, running from 26th January to 7th February, is just the beginning. After Red Flag, forces will move on to Exercise Bamboo Eagle where they’ll apply everything they’ve learned in a simulated, multidimensional battlespace that blends air, space, cyber, and maritime warfare.
Testing the RAF’s Cutting-Edge Capabilities
Group Captain Lefroy explains, “Bamboo Eagle will test our ability to integrate tactical effects from dispersed forces and under distributed command and control, synchronising air, space, and cyber effects with the agility needed to outmatch today’s threats.”
From simulated enemy fighter jets and ground-based radars to surface to air missile threats, cyber warfare, and space-based elements this exercise throws everything at the participants. RAF aviators have been attending Red Flag for decades, and the scenarios keep evolving to reflect the challenges of modern warfare.
This year, around 3,000 personnel, including 370 from the UK, will take part, flying up to 100 aircraft across the Nevada Test and Training Range and beyond. The scale and complexity of this operation make it a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the RAF’s best and brightest.
Squadron Leader Raeburn sums it up: “The scale and complexity of Exercise Red Flag Nellis cannot be replicated elsewhere, making it an outstanding place to build experience and reinforce our close working relationship with the United States and Australia.”
As the next generation of RAF pilots take to the skies over Nevada, they aren’t just flying, they’re preparing for the future of air combat, ensuring that when the real fight comes, they’ll be ready.
