Red Flag 24-1, the world’s most demanding air combat exercise, has begun

From January 15 to 26, more than 100 aircraft are gathered at Nellis Air Force Base to participate in the Red Flag combat exercise, one of the most demanding in the world.

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The 388th Fighter Wing at Hill AFB, Utah, will take command as the lead wing for the participating aircrafts, which include the F-35 Lightning II, EA-18G Growler, F-22 Raptor, B-2 Spirit and Eurofighter Typhoon.

In line with the «National Defense Strategy 2022» designed by the Pentagon, the Red Flag 24-1 exercise will focus on the Indo-Pacific theater of operations to prepare for high-level war fighting and strategic competition (i.e. China).

Nearly 100 aircraft and close to 2,000 participants from the U.S. Air Force (USAF) and the other U.S. Armed Forces, as well as the Royal Air Force (RAF) and Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) are scheduled to take off from Nellis twice a day and may remain in the air for up to five hours during this large-scale exercise. There will also be night takeoffs so that aircrews can simulate training during night combat operations.

My first of several days at Red Flag has come to a close! #planespotting #aviation #usaf #nellis pic.twitter.com/H5maZ0IvO7

— Jacob M. – SentryImages/WX (@twistedsentrywx) January 16, 2024

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A long tradition in military training

Nellis has been organizing Red Flag exercises since 1975 to provide aircrews with the experience of multiple, intense air combat sorties in the safety of a training environment.

Three editions of Red Flag are held each year: one exclusive to the United States, one open to FVEY participants (Five Eyes -FVEY- is an Anglo-Spheric intelligence alliance consisting of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States) and one that welcomes an expanded list of international allies and partners. The training takes place at Nellis AFB on the Nevada Test and Training Range, the U.S. Air Force’s premier military training area with more than 12,000 square miles of airspace and 2.9 million acres of terrain.