RED FLAG 13-3
Red Flag 13-3 was held at Nellis Air Force Base on 25th February 2013 and continued until 15th March.
RAPCON were privileged to be invited to the Media Day held on 28th February and are indebted to our hosts 99ABW Public Affairs Office and the excellent access 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, 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. This Flag was noteworthy because of the variety of types taking part, eighteen types in total ranging from the T-38C Talon to the F-22 Raptor
BLUE AIRFORCE
552nd ACW, TINKER AFB,Oklahoma, flying E-3B and E-3C AWAC aircraft plus an RC-135W from Offutt AFB
91st ARS, MACDILL AFB, FLORIDA Plus aircraft from Utah and Kansas flying KC-135R Tanker Aircraft
393rd BS, 509th BW,The Tigers, Whiteman AFB flying the B-2 Bomber
57th WG Nellis AFB flying A-10C aircraft
492nd FS, 48th FW ,Madhatters, Lakenheath, UK flying F-15E fighters
27th FS, Fighting Eagles, Langley AFB flying F-22 Fighters
79thFS, Tigers, Shaw AFB flying F-16C Fighters
175th FS, Fightin Lobos, South Dakota ANG flying F-16C fighters
SEAD was performed by the following
43rd ECS Davis-Montham AFB flying EC-130H aircraft
VAQ135 NAS Whitbey Island flying EA-18G aircraft
VMAQ 2 MCAS Cherry Point flying EA-6B aircraft
560th FTS RANDOLPH AFB flying T-38C aircraft
79th RQS, 23rd WG Nellis AFB carried out Search and Rescue
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 in the future
64th AGRS, Nellis AFB, Nevada flying F-16C/D aircraft. Again 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
Foreign Participants
The United Kingdom brought along Tornado GR4s with 12 Squadron and Typhoon FGR2s from Coningsby. The Typhoons were making their debut at Red Flag
Australia brought along a pair of Wedgetail aircraft again making their first appearance at Red Flag
