Red Flag by Richard VanderMeulen

Clinging to valleys and popping over ridge-tops, F-15E Strike Eagles of the Elmendorf Alaska based 3rd Wing/90th Fighter Squadron, USMC VMFA-224 Bengals F/A-18 Hornets and British Air Force IX Squadron GR-4 Tornado’s work their way into the hostile territory of the "Red" force, sneaking in under the radar, avoiding SAM sites and enemy Migs to strike targets deep within enemy territory. At a marginally higher altitude Australian F-18 Hornets of 3 Squadron and F-111’s of 1 Squadron team with USAF A-10 Thunderbolt II’s of 52nd Wing/81 Fighter Squadron to work ground targets as F-16CJ Vipers from 52nd Wing/23rd Fighter Squadron and 53rd Wing/ 85th and 422nd Squadrons work the SEAD (Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses) role on enemy SAM (Surface to Air Missile) sites called out by loitering EA-6B Prowlers, and destroying those foolish enough to "light-up" their radar sites.

High overhead Eglin AFB, Florida based F-15C’s of the 33rd Wing/58th Fighter Squadron share CAP (Combat Air Patrol) duties with Missouri Air National Guard and Elmendorf AFB based F-15C’s, ensuring enemy aircraft cannot threaten high value assets like the USAF B-2 bombers of the 509th Bomb Wing/393rd Bomb Squadron high above the aerial battle field directing precision guided weapons to targets behind enemy lines. Behind the protective curtain of fighters, a lone E-3 AWACS of 552nd Air Control Wing from Tinker AFB, OK tracks enemy aircraft, relaying information to attacking aircraft and directing high value assets away from "leakers" (hostile Migs) while vectoring the Mig CAP to the incoming targets. Along the forward edge of battle, US Navy EA-6B Prowlers jam the enemy’s radar systems and communications.

The unsung hero’s of military airpower, KC-135R tankers of the Washington Air National Guard’s 141st Air Refueling Wing/116 Air Refueling squadron and the supporting Mississippi and Pennsylvania ANG orbit in established tanker "tracks," flying at a safe distance allowing aircraft to top off their tanks before heading to their targets and post-strike, allowing air to air and air to ground assets to operate for extended periods and over extended distances.

Does this scenario sound like something out of the Gulf War, or perhaps Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan? If it does, it is because missions like this played out during a four-week period, over the Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada Test and Training Range complex during Red Flag exercises are tailored to prepare crews for likely operational theaters. Only in this case highly experience and carefully trained USAF pilots played the "bad guys."

Fulfilling the "red" force role has traditionally been the task of Nellis based 57th Wing/64th Aggressor Squadron—formerly the 414th Combat Training Squadron—flying F-16 Falcons (more commonly referred to the Viper) in a variety of camouflage patterns including blues, browns and greens approximating some potential real world adversaries. Camouflage paint schemes provide a method of rapid visual identification of "hostile" or "friendly" aircraft.

Commonly, the limited resources of the 64th Aggressor Squadron would be augmented by other Air Force F-16 squadrons, often drawing from Luke AFB, AZ instructor pilots or 53rd Wing. Drawbacks to the situation included the unit’s heavy tasking---support of all Red Flag exercises as well as Maple Flag in Canada, Weapons School classes and support of operational test and evaluation programs---and limited assets. The relatively small number of aircraft types the F-16 can mimic and quite simply the fact that Red Flag participants became accustomed to seeing the same aircraft each sortie.

Red Flag 2006-1 saw a new training asset with the establishment of the reformed 65th Aggressor Squadron flying F-15C and F-15D Eagles, acting as surrogate Mig or Sukoi fighters in the Defensive Counter Air (DCA) role. Officially "stood up" in January of 2006, the 65th played a restricted role during its first Red Flag with aircraft availability limited to a single camouflaged aircraft in desert brown scheme and two aircraft in the standard two-tone gray. A second camouflage F-15 emerged from the paint shop in time to take part in the final mission of Red Flag 2006-1. By the time this year’s only other Red Flag exercise rolls around in August, the 65th AGRS will be at full strength.

To more fully mimic potential hostile air forces and provide an element of surprise for exercise participants, the 64th AGRS and 65th AGRS augmented their forces with a limited number of US Marine Corps F-5E’s from MCAS Yuma based VMFT-401 "Snipers," and by ground controllers emulating the former Soviet-style system operated by many potential threat nations. The "Snipers" were brought in toward the end of each two-week period of the Flag to add an element of surprise.

Red Flag tracks its existence and basic format to lessons learned during the Vietnam War, when United States Air Force analysts noted a dramatic drop in mission survivability and dropping success rates among USAF pilots. According to past Red Flag Director of Staff Steve "Carlos" Satava, "After Vietnam we figured out that if you survived the first ten missions your chance of survival went up dramatically. Red Flag simulates the first ten missions a pilot flies in combat." Red Flag however allows pilots to fly those first ten missions in a learning environment where the only missiles they face are represented in computer models and the closest they come to dieing is hearing "your dead" on the radio.

Established in 1975, Red Flag has grown to become one of the world’s premier military training exercises. Based at Nellis AFB, within sight of Las Vegas strip, Red Flag exposes pilots and military planners to the most realistic combat simulations possible. Four-week Red Flag exercises divided into two, two-week periods typically took place four times a year in addition of a single "Maple Flag" each year in Canada. Due to increasing budgetary constraints and operational tempo, this year’s schedule has been reduced to only two four-week Red Flag exercises and a Maple Flag, with Red Flag 2006-1 operating as a "US only" flag limited US units and to our closest allies, in this case Australia and the United Kingdom.

Red Flag, operated by the 57th Wing, is tasked to plan and control training. The 64th and 65th Aggressor Squadrons’ mission is to maximize the combat readiness, capability and survivability of participating units by providing realistic training in a combined air, ground and electronic threat environment while providing a free exchange of ideas between forces." Participating units and the free exchange of ideas go far beyond the scope of the US Air Force, to include the air forces of the US Navy and Marines, and those of allies from around the world for one Red Flag each year, currently scheduled for August of 2006.

The Nevada Test and Training Range, home to the air war that can involve more than one hundred aircraft, covers a significant portion of the state of Nevada, measuring approximately 120 nautical miles square, and covering over a million acres. The range is divided into a series of smaller areas which support specific activities. Live ordnance deliveries may take place only in "70 series" ranges while the "EC" series supports electronic warfare. Some areas represent high-threat environments, with large number of simulated radar and SAM sites including mobile sites that change between missions.

Radar and SAM sites, including "smoky sam" accurately simulate those found in the "real world." Entire airfields, military bases and convoys have been constructed in the desert to provide targets for blue force attackers working to defend a fictitious nation which is being threatened by an attacking nation. Fictitious names of the blue and red force nations are changed for each Flag.

While most of the restricted ranges are approved only for captive carry of ordnance or small practice bombs---the Air Force simply cannot afford to build target complexes just to blow them up---several ranges are cleared for full scale inert weapons or live ordnance, giving air crews a rare opportunity to experience the real thing. Allied air force aircraft can often be seen departing Nellis with live ordnance, taking advantage of good weather and live fire ranges often not available in Europe. Lt Col Satava notes "seventy five percent of the live ordnance dropped in the US is dropped in the Nellis range complex." Live ordnance delivery is typically restricted to the second week of each period as crews build their experience.

Red Flag scenarios are designed to closely resemble "real world" situations, and are tailored to mission aspects or requirements requested by visiting units. To accomplish this goal, the 414 Combat Training Squadron works closely with the aggressor pilots of the 64th and 65th Aggressor Squadrons and range control officers operating fixed and mobile assets on the range.

According to 64th AGRS commander Lt. Col Paul "Biff" Huffman, the unit’s F-16 Falcon pilots are among the most experienced pilots in the Air Force, with a requirement of Instructor Pilot status with a minimum of 750 hours in high performance fighters. The unit’s re-designation as the 64th Aggressor Squadron occurred in October of 2003, and signals a renewed emphasis on aggressor or adversary training. Currently the 64th AGRS operates eleven aircraft—all aircraft are painted in distinctive "Flanker" blue or "Flogger" brown camouflage to aid in visual recognition—and a similar expansion in personnel from twelve assigned pilots to seventeen, allowing the unit to increase the number of aircraft flown for each mission from the typical five aircraft to six or seven per mission.

In addition to the almost 120 aircraft operating from Nellis AFB during each period, it has become common for UAV’s (unmanned Aerial Vehicles) such as the Predator to be operated from Indian Springs auxiliary airfield along the western edge of the range. Of the large missions flown twice daily—when possible missions are divided into day and night missions to best simulate combat situations—each tactical aircraft carries a pod connected to the Nellis Air combat Training System (NACTS) which can monitor up to 100 aircraft in the high-activity aerial combat environment with complete information regarding altitude, speed, position and attitude, with information collected and transmitted real-time from NACTS pods carried by each aircraft. Additionally, the system can monitor 100 low activity aircraft such as tankers and AWACS by monitoring IFF (Identification Friend or Foe) systems and GPS.

Although simulated missile launches and kills can, and are, called over the radio, the final analysis of the probable kill will happen in the post mission debrief when computer analysts make the final decision. Lt. Col Huffman notes most pilots don’t call shots unless they’re pretty sure. "If there’s any doubt[about a kill], you’ll see guys asking for change because of the five dollar rule." The rule requires any pilot who calls a kill that isn’t confirmed by NACTS operators to pay the "killee" $5.00 on the spot, "and I.O.U.’s are not accepted."

During Red Flag exercises operational tempo and arrangements closely resemble what crews can expect in combat. Aircrews receive all the briefings, including intelligence and satellite imagery of their targets and the daily "frag" delineating the mission requirements. Planning for missions keep personnel working at all times to coordinate the entire operation. The beginning stages of an evolution can see as many as hundred or more aircraft launching from Nellis’ parallel runways in as little as thirty to forty minutes. It is through this real-world combat situation that pilots and crew members sharpen their skills.

By the end of their two weeks at Red Flag crews go home with the equivalent of their first ten combat missions, greatly increasing their preparation and their survivability. "Kills" at Red Flag are debated at post-flight debriefings. "Kills" in real combat are far more permanent and there is no second chance. Training boils down to honing an aircrew member’s skills and giving them the ability to competently and confidently flying combat missions in a hostile environment. In the end it becomes a matter of training like you fight, and fighting like you train. Thanks to Red Flag, our aircrews and those of our allies are the best trained in the world.

We would like to offer special thanks to those instrumental in making our coverage possible: LtCol Nancy Reid, Capt Daniel Dubois, Col Joe Rohert, Mr. Michael Estrada, LtCol Tony Lanzillo, Maj. Kimpel, LtCol David Storer LtCol William Rudd, LtCol Paul "Biff" Huffman, LtCol Larry Bruce, SQNLDR Stephen "Chaps" Chappell, SQNLDR Glen Ferguson, Ms Jen Harrison, CMSgt Don Roberson and all the highly skilled and dedicated tanker crews of the Washington Air National Guard 141 ARW/116 ARS with whom we had the honor of flying. A finer group of men and women you will not find.

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