RED FLAG 14/2

Red Flag 14/2 was held at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada between 3rd and 14th March 2014.

RAPCON were privileged to be invited to the Media Day held on 4th of March and are indebted to our hosts at the 99ABW Public Affairs Office and for the excellent access that they gave us to the runways.

As usual, the Exercise was conducted on the vast instrumented Combat Ranges north of Nellis and was organised by the 414th Combat Training Squadron which is based at Nellis AFB. It followed the usual pattern of two airforces, The Blue Airforce Package with AWACS, Tankers, Bombers, SEAD Fighters and defending Fighters pitched against the Aggressor Squadrons of the Red Airforce. Unusually no dedicated SEAD aircraft took part but Public Affairs informed us that the Danish F-16s and Saudi F-15S aircraft fulfilled this role along with the 77th Fighter Squadron

BLUE AIRFORCE

552nd ACW, 964th AACS, TINKER AFB,Oklahoma, flying E-3B AWACS

NATO,  Geilenkirchen AB, Germany flying E-3A AWACS

157th ARW, New Hampshire , 22nd ARW, McConnel AFB, and 927th ARW, Macdill AFB all flying KC-135R Tanker Aircraft performed Air Refuelling

96th BS, 2nd BW, Red Devils,Barksdale AFB LA flying B-52H aircraft

336th FS, $th FW, Rocketeers, Seymour Johnson AFB NC flying F-15E aircraft

123rd FS, 142nd FW, Redhawks, Portland ANGB OR flying F-15C

40th FTS, 96th TW Eglin AFB FL flying F-15C/D aircraft & partnering aircraft from the 123rd FS

4th FS, 388th FW,Fighting Fujiins, Hill AFB UT flying F-16CM aircraft

77th FS, 20th FW, Gamblers, Shaw AFB SC flying F-16CM aircraft

Royal Danish Air Fforce flying F-16AM aircraft

Belfgian Air Force flying F-16AM aircraft

Royal Saudi Air Force flying F-15S aircraft

UAE Air Force flying F-16E/F aircraft

79th Rescue Squadron Davis-Montham AFB AZ flying HC-130J aircraft carried out Search and Rescue duties.

RED AIRFORCE

65th AGRS, Nellis AFB, Nevada flying F-15C/D aircraft. These are painted in blue or sand schemes to represent SU-27 aircraft from the former Communist Block countries and included two new paint schemes. These will not be seen much longer as the 65th are due to stand down later this year.

64th AGRS, Nellis AFB, Nevada flying F-16C/D aircraft. Once more these are painted in blue, sand or Arctic colour schemes to represent Mig-29 aircraft from the former Communist Block countries

The 65th and 64th fly in a manner that reflects the tactics of the former communist countries and unlike the other participants if shot down they are allowed to regenerate and return to the fight. Their task is to prevent the Blue Airforce from completing their tasked operation

BLUE AIR FORCE  –  “Heavies”