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