RED FLAG 17-2

Red Flag 17-2 was held at Nellis Air Force Base between 27th February and 10th March 2017

As usual, the Exercise was conducted on the vast instrumented Combat Ranges north of Nellis and was organised by the 414th Combat Training Squadron, Nellis AFB. It followed the usual pattern of two airforces, The Blue Airforce Package with AWACS, Tankers, SEAD Fighters and defending Fighters pitched against the Aggressor Squadrons of the Red Airforce. Unusually there were no heavy bombers involved, but a large number of F-16 units and also participants from the Spanish and Dutch Air forces

BLUE AIR FORCE

Escort

55thFS, 20th FW, Shooters, Shaw AFB, SC – flying F-16CM aircraft

493rd FS, 48th FW, Grim Reapers, RAF Lakenheath, UK  – flying F-15C/D aircraft

100th FS, 187th FW, Montgomery ANGB, AL – flying F-16C aircraft

120th FS, 140th FW, Milehigh Militia, Buckley AFB, CO – flying F-16C aircraft

The Netherlands Airforce – flying F-16AM aircraft

The Spanish Airforce – flying EF2000 aircraft

SEAD

VMAQ-4, Seahawks, MCAS Cherry Point, NC – flying EA-6B aircraft 

Airlift

The Spanish Air Force – flying KC-130H aircraft 

Command and Control

128th ACCS, Robins AFB, GA – flying E-8C Aircraft

966thAACTS, Tinker AFB, OK – flying E-3B Aircraft 

VAW-117, The Wallbangers, NAS Point Magu, CA – flying E-2C Aircraft 

Search and Rescue

79th RQS Davis Montham AFB, AZ – flying HC-130J Aircraft

Refuelling

927thARW, Macdill AFB, FL – flying KC-135R Aircraft

92nd ARW, Fairchild AFB , WA – flying KC-135R Aircraft

336th ARS, March AFB, CA – flying KC-135R Aircraft

RED AIRFORCE

64th AGRS, 57th ATG, Nellis AFB – flying F-16C ; these aircraft are painted in colours representing the former Communist country airforces and fly in a similar way to those countries to give participating opposition pilots a realistic training environment similar to that which they might encounter in a real engagement .

Participants From Dutch Air Force

Participants From Spanish Air Force