The US Air Force (USAF) has commenced an air-to-air combat joint training exercise, Red Flag 17-3, at Nellis Air Force Base (AFB) in Nevada, US, to demonstrate capabilities of both F-35A Lightning II and F-35B fighter aircraft.
The exercise is the third iteration of Red Flag this year, which allows aircrew to conduct multiple, intensive air combat sorties in the safety of a training environment.
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414th Combat Training Squadron commander lieutenant colonel Mark Sadler said: “For Red Flag, we bring in our joint warfighters with their capabilities and their equipment.
“We come together and fight as a team, and we get to learn from each other as we do that.”
The US Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II fighter jets will participate alongside the USAF’s F-35A’s for the first time in Red Flag.
A variety of aircraft will take part in the exercise, including attack, fighter and bomber, reconnaissance, electronic warfare, airlift support, search-and-rescue, and aerial refuelling aircraft. Ground-based command and control, space and cyber forces will also be involved.
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By GlobalDataParticipating aircraft will conduct combat training missions on the Nevada Test and Training Range, which is north of Las Vegas.
Sadler added: “We get to learn in a realistic training environment as we continue to progress down the road with this platform and other fifth-generation or fourth-generation aircraft.”
The three-week-long event, which will run until 28 July, will witness support from more than 2,500 joint troops.
Red Flag 17-4 is scheduled to be carried out between 14-25 August.
Image: Red Flag 17-3 is the first iteration to feature both the Air Force’s F-35A Lightning II and the Marine Corps’ F-35B Lightning II. Photo: courtesy of Marine Corps/photo by sergeant Lillian Stephens.
