Red Flag 15-2: Red Flag Meets Virtual Red Flag

Article and Photos by Barry Griffiths

April 26, 2015

The second Red Flag premier air combat exercise of 2015 took place recently at Nellis AFB, Las Vegas, NV and the Nevada Test and Training Range and provided more than 2500 military participants with realistic opportunities to enhance their combat skills and experiences. Red Flag exercises are designed to simulate the first surge of aerial warfare, usually the first 10 combat sorties in that conflict and, as a result, all spectrums of air warfare such as command and control, intelligence, electronic warfare and combat SAR are included in the missions flown.

Each day during its two weeks of operation, Red Flag 15-2 scrambled over 100 aircraft in day and night missions from Nellis AFB and other US bases and utilized 13 different USAF squadrons, as well as ten F-16s and a C-130J from the Royal Norwegian AF, plus two NATO E-3A AWACs.

A Red Air F-16C Aggressor makes a sharp, high speed bank as it heads out to the NTTR.

A Norwegian Air Force F-16AM Fighting Falcon launches for its combat sortie with Blue Air.

Virtual Red Flag

It was fitting that, on the 40th anniversary of Red Flag, Virtual Red Flag assets were integrated with Red Flag aircraft and aircrews for the first time ever. The virtual participants, in simulators at their home bases or at Kirtland AFB, NM, provided real time ground surveillance to support the attack operations and targeting during the actual exercise. The inclusion of Virtual Red Flag in this long-running air combat training exercise proved to be a cutting edge experience for the military personnel involved as it integrated platforms that can’t always be tasked for training.

Lt. Col Philip Stodick, from the 57th Operations Group, described how a high demand asset such as the E-8C JSTAR would participate virtually in the Red Flag exercise by having its crew operate in a simulator at their home base “pumping out virtual surface tracks to task actual aircraft flying in the exercise”. In a combat training environment, where operational costs are a critical factor and assets may not be readily available, Virtual Red Flag is now well positioned to ensure that intensive combat training can continue into the future.

The Northrop Grumman E-8C Joint STARS tracks ground vehicles and some aircraft, collects imagery, and relays tactical pictures to ground and air theater commanders.

The NATO E-3A Component was operated by an international air and groundcrew from 11 NATO nations.

The Red Flag 15-2 Participants

In a typical Red Flag exercise, Blue Forces (friendly) engage Red Forces (hostile) in realistic combat situations and this year’s second Flag was no different. There were two mass launches daily with the AWACs and tankers departing first, followed shortly afterwards by the Red Team aircraft heading out to their defensive positions on the NTTR to wait for the arrival of the Blue Air attackers.

Red Air Assets

The 64^th Aggressor Squadron (AGRS), permanently based at Nellis AFB, NV with its F-15s and F-16s, was tasked as the Red Air hostile defensive force with the addition of 4 T-38 Talons from Randolph AFB, TX and a B-1B Lancer and 2 EA-6B Prowlers from Blue Air operating with Red Air in a swing role for specific missions.

This Red Air F-16C Viper from the 64th AGS returns to Nellis AFB from the Nevada Test and Training Range (NTTR)

Four supersonic "Black Eagles"T-38C Talons from the 435th FTS were added to the Red Air team for Red Flag 15-2.

A 37th BS "Tigers" B-1B Lancer, in a swing role with Red Air, on short final into Nellis AFB.

The EA-6B Prowlers with the VMAQ-3 "Moon Dogs" have been performing their enemy air defense suppression role for 38 years.

After the inactivation of the 65^th Aggressor Squadron (AGRS) in late 2014, seven of its F-15 Eagles carrying camouflage schemes identical to those observed on Russian-manufactured Su-27 Flankers, were assigned to fly with the F-16s of the 64th AGRS for a short period of time during the drawdown. Although the Aggressor F-15s flew daily sorties, it now looks as though Red Flag 15-2 was likely their swan song as these all-weather tactical fighters, with their advanced jamming and self-escort electronic warfare pods, will shortly be re-deployed to other USAF squadrons.

The all-weather tactical F-15C Eagle of the 64th AGS launches with full afterburners to join the Red Air Team.

This Red Air F-15C Eagle from the 64th AGS carries a blue camouflage scheme identical to that of the Russian Su-27 Flanker.

This 64th AGS F-16C Viper, sporting a forest brown camo scheme resembling the Mig-23, returns from a Red Air mission.

This 64th AGRS F-16C Viper, with an Arctic camo scheme, turns onto short final at Nellis AFB.

Some Blue Air Assets

It seems as if each Red Flag has a different twist with a different mix of aircraft being used in each to meet the objectives of the respective exercise. In this case, the fighter assets of Blue Air were F-16s variants operated in complimentary roles by the aircraft of several US squadrons and those of their Norwegian ally.

421st FS “Black Widows”

The 421^st FS, a night fighter squadron from Hill AFB, UT., with their fully modified CCIP F-16CMs, equipped with night vision goggles, Harm Targeting System, and the Advanced Targeting Pod launched daily with full racks of laser-guided and inertial-aided munitions.

A Block 40 F-16 Fighting Falcon from the 421st Fighter Squadron (421 FS) "Black Widows" departs Nellis AFB during a Red Flag 15-2 launch.

A Block 40 F-16 Fighting Falcon from the 421st Fighter Squadron (421 FS) "Black Widows" recovers from a Red Flag sortie.

125th FS “Tulsa Vipers”

The F-16C Tulsa Vipers of the 125^th FS, with their distinctive Indian Head tail schemes (now the symbol of the Oklahoma Air National Guard), launched daily in their air superiority role. The squadron brought a large number of its pilots and ground crews to Red Flag 15-2 and, as Lt. Col. Robin Cavanaugh, the public affairs officer for the 138th Fighter Wing, remarked, “We try to bring as many as we can, for this exercise provides the operational and maintenance sides of the squadron as best an experience as they could have in a training environment”.

The “Tulsa Vipers” color bird, with its distinctive full color Indian head tail scheme, is on short final into Nellis AFB.

A Blue Air “Tulsa Viper” heads out to the Nevada Test and Training Range on its Red Flag mission.

55th FS “Fightin’ Fifty-Fifth”

The F-16CJ Wild Weasels of the 55^th FS Shaw AFB SC were extremely active in the daily training missions and were among the first to launch after the Aggressors and Tankers had left. The Wild Weasels were always heavily loaded with armaments to support their enemy defense suppression role.

An F-16CJ of the 55th FS carries a HARM targeting system and HARM missiles on its Blue Team Wild Weasel mission.

This Wild Weasel is on base leg as it returns from its Red Flag air superiority sortie.

555th FS “Triple Nickel”

The combat-ready F-16CM’s of 555^th FS, ferried in from Aviano AB, Italy, had a primary mission of air superiority and participated in Red Flag 15-1 and again in Red Flag 15-2.

The F16-CMs of the 555th FS are based in Italy where they are tasked with supporting joint NATO and combined operations.

A “Triple Nickel” fighter executes a sharp, high speed banking turn immediately after launch.

VMAQ-3 “Moon Dogs”

The Grumman EA-6B Prowlers of VAMQ-3 (Moon Dogs), recently deployed against Islamic State militants in Iraq, and now back at their home base at MCAS Cherry Point, brought six aircraft to Red Flag 15-2. Although the US Marines’ all-weather, twin-engine, tactical electronic attack Prowlers have been in the business of suppressing enemy air defenses for 38 years with VAMQ-3, its future is now short term only. The US Navy has recently retired its Prowlers and the USMC’s EA-6B Prowlers will be phased-out beginning in 2016 with the program concluding in 2019. Perhaps, as a result of their imminent disappearance, the “Moon Dogs” Prowlers generated a lot of interest from the onlookers as they launched and recovered at this year’s second Red Flag.

This Prowler from the “Moon Dogs” squadron turns very sharply into its final approach to Nellis AFB.

The US Marine EA-6B has been performing its enemy air defense suppression role for over 40 years and is due to be phased out in the very near future.

NATO E-3A Component

The E-3A Component is unique as it is NATO’s only integrated multinational operational flying unit, and provides rapid deployability, airborne surveillance, command, control and communication for NATO operations. There are currently 17 E-3A Component AWACS in the multi–national NATO fleet based at Geilenkirchen, Germany. The two E-3A Components participating in Red Flag 15-2 were quite unique as they were operated by a NATO air and ground crew from 11 NATO nations, including crew members from Romania participating in their first Red Flag exercise. These aircraft flew daily sorties at Red Flag 15-2 and were tasked as the primary air battle command and control aircraft of the exercise thus exposing their crews to realistic and stressful combat situations in the controlled environment of Red Flag.

The NATO E‐3A Component is usually one of the very last aircraft to return to base at the conclusion of each daily Red Flag exercise.

Thirty multinational aircrews from 15 of NATO’s 28 nations are assigned to the Component’s three operational E-3A squadrons.

23rd BS “Bomber Barons”

The B-52H Stratofortress, with its capacity to loiter for extended periods over, or even well outside, the battlefield and deliver precision standoff and direct fire munitions, was well represented at Red Flag 15-2 with four “Bomber Barons” of 23rd BS, Minto AFB, ND flying for Blue Air. After watching a number of take-off and landings, it’s clear that the BUFFs may have had their original J57 turbojet engines upgraded to TF33-P-3 turbofans, but they must still be the smokiest aircraft in the USAF inventory. On final approach their eight engines emit swirling vortices of thick smoke and at launch they disappear into a bank of dense black fog. On another note, it was fascinating to watch these behemoths executing multiple go-arounds; they would approach to within 100 feet of the runway and then change to full throttle and lumber back into the circuit. And then, on landing, they would pop their bright yellow 40 foot diameter drag parachute to slow down their momentum.

The Stratofortress has been operated by the US Air Force since the 1950s and will continue in service well into the 2040s.

The BUFF can land easily in crosswinds because it has built-in landing gears that swivel and ensure that on landing it still goes in a straight line.

37th BS “Tigers”

The B-1B Lancer, the USAF’s long range supersonic heavy bomber, is all about raw power for at launch the “Bone”, with a full load of fuel and ordnance, has each of its four General Electric turbofans generating almost 31,000 lbs of thrust with their afterburners lit. The naked power of the “Bone” was evident to us as we watched several launches from the side of the active departure runway. Astonishingly, it had its nose up within 3500’ of starting its roll and then was fully airborne with a steep angle of attack at 5000’; solid proof that the Lancer’s wing sweep at the full-forward position allows a short takeoff roll and a fast base-escape profile when departing airfields under attack. Since the B-1B continues to be upgraded along many lines, and with its ability to carry out a wide range of missions, the “Bone” is expected to continue in service until the 2040s.

This “Bone” is aided in its super-quick lift-off with its wing sweep set at the full-forward position.

Once airborne, the Lancer’s swept wings can be configured for maximum cruise distance or high-speed, supersonic penetration.

Red Flag 15-3 is scheduled for this summer from July 13-31. Information about the aircraft participating in this combat training exercise may be found on the Nellis AFB website.

Aviation Photography Digest would like to thank MSgt David W Miller Jr and the rest of the 99th Air Base Wing Public Affairs for their support during this exercise.

Barry Griffiths

Editor at Aviation Photography Digest

Barry Griffiths is a published author, wildlife photographer and naturalist. After a successful career as an educator, he became founder and President of Quest Nature Tours, a company specializing in worldwide nature tours and expedition cruising. On his retirement from these endeavors, he continues to photograph wildlife and pursue his lifelong interest in all aspects of aviation.

Barry can be reached at: [email protected]