Red Flag 11-3 kicks off Feb. 21

Someoneforyou

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UNITED STATES - 18 FEBRUARY 2011

Participants: U.S. Air Force, U.K. Royal Air Force and Royal Australian Air Force

NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. -- Southern Nevada residents will notice an increase in military aircraft activity as the Air Force conducts Red Flag 11-3, Feb. 21 - March 11.

Red Flag is a realistic combat training exercise involving the air forces of the United States and its allies. The exercise takes place north of Las Vegas 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 land. With 1,900 possible targets, realistic threat systems and an opposing enemy force that cannot be replicated anywhere else in the world, Nellis and the NTTR are the home of a "peacetime battlefield," providing combat air forces with the ability to train to fight together, to survive together and to win together.

The 414th Combat Training Squadron is responsible for executing Red Flag, which is one of a series of advanced training program exercises that organizations assigned to the U.S. Air Force Warfare Center administer at Nellis AFB and on the NTTR by.

Red Flag 11-3 will mark the official transition to a three-week exercise. It will also undergo several changes to include cyberspace as a new domain in execution of Red Flag.

For the first two weeks of Red Flag 11-3, more than 80 aircraft are scheduled to depart Nellis twice a day, with early launches around 11 a.m. and late launches around 7 p.m. During the third week, early launches change to 2 p.m. and late launches begin around 9:30 p.m. Aircraft may remain in the air for up to four hours. The flying times are scheduled to accommodate the other flying missions at Nellis and to provide Red Flag participants with valuable training in planning and executing a wide-variety of combat missions.

The exercise involves a variety of U.S. forces aircraft, to include F-15s, F-16s, E-3s, E-8s, A-10s, B-2s, C-130s and KC-135s, from Nevada, Missouri, Georgia, New Mexico, Missouri, Nebraska, Texas, South Carolina and Washington. In addition to U.S. aircraft, the U.K. Royal Air Force will participate with GR4 Tornados and the Royal Australian Air Force will participate with their C-130s.
 
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Someoneforyou

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U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptors depart Nellis AFB during Red Flag 11-3.


U.S. Air Force A-10's from Selfridge, Mi. depart Nellis AFB during Red Flag 11-3.

An U.S. Air Force E-3 Sentry AWACS departs Nellis AFB during Red Flag 11-3.


U.S. Air Force EA-18G Growler's depart Nellis AFB during a Red Flag 11-3.

U.S. Air Force F-16's and F-15's from the Nellis AFB 64th and 65th Aggressor Squadron depart Nellis AFB during Red Flag 11-3.


U.K. Royal Air Force GR4 Tornado's depart Nellis AFB during Red Flag 11-3.


U.K. Royal Air Force GR4 Tornado's depart Nellis AFB during Red Flag 11-3.


U.S. Air Force KC-135's depart Nellis AFB during a Red Flag 11-3.

Watch as a Royal Australian Air Force C-130, EC-130, and HC-130 depart Nellis AFB during Red Flag 11-3.
 
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Someoneforyou

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Deterrence assurance at Red Flag
UNITED STATES - 15 MARCH 2011

WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. -- Members of the 509th and the 131st Bomb Wings integrated to support three B-2 Spirits at Red Flag 11-3, Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.

Red Flag is a realistic combat operations exercise, or 'peacetime battlefield,' providing the air forces of the United States and its allies with the ability to train to fight together, to survive together and to win together.

Red Flag 11-3 took place Feb. 21 to March 12 and marked the official transition to a three-week exercise, from the previous two-week exercise. The transition allowed for extensive training opportunities and scenarios.

"Red Flag exercises can best be described as a building-block approach to training," said Lt. Col. Mark Riselli, 509th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron commander. "With the B-2 flying multiple sorties daily during the three week exercise, each mission becomes more complex to test, train and build experience for participants at the tactical level.

"Whiteman played a key role by supporting the only heavy bomber aircraft for the exercise," he said. "The United States Air Force was able to match the F-22 with the B-2 during Red Flag to further develop our lethal stealth war fighting capabilities."

Red Flag 11-3 was the largest in 35 years making it a great training opportunity, according to Colonel Riselli.

"Participating in Red Flag gave maintenance and support personnel the opportunity to sharpen their expeditionary skills by planning and executing the steps necessary to move personnel, parts, equipment and aircraft from the comfort and routine of Whiteman Air Force Base to a location many of us were not familiar with," Colonel Riselli said.

Total Force Integration was a large focus for Team Whiteman and a rigorous test of their ability to survive and operate in a combat environment.

"Together, we (the 509th BW and 131st BW) planned and executed the three week exercise with active duty and Guard personnel working side-by-side, every step of the way," said Colonel Riselli.

"This seamless integration of the 509th and 131st Bomb Wings, spread throughout all aspects of operations, proves what a great complement active duty and Guard forces are to each other," said Maj. Jen Avery, 131st Operations Support Flight B-2 pilot. "The exercise was composed of members from not only the U.S., but Britain and Australia creating realistic, multi-national combat training against a formidable threat."

Red Flag takes place north of Las Vegas on the Nevada Test and Training Range, which includes more than 12,000 square miles of airspace and 2.9 million acres of land.

Aircraft and personnel deploy to Nellis for Red Flag under the Air Expeditionary Force concept and form the exercise's "Blue" forces. Each mission brings capabilities of each weapon system together to successfully execute specific missions. The "Red" forces threats are aligned under the 57th Adversary Tactics Group, which controls seven squadrons of USAF Aggressors, including fighter, space, information operations and air defense units. The aggressors are specially trained to replicate the tactics and techniques of potential adversaries and provide a scalable threat presentation to Blue forces, which aids in achieving the desired learning outcome for each mission.

Whiteman personnel performed their duties to perfection while deployed to Nellis AFB, according to Colonel Riselli.

"Any time you deploy, you learn a new lesson and learning those new lessons together strengthened our total force integration mindset," said Colonel Riselli.


NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev., -- Senior Airman Mark Dixon, 509th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron crew chief, from Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., communicates through his headset with a B-2 Spirit pilot during Red Flag 11-3 at Nellis Air Force Base, March 8. Red Flag is a realistic combat training exercise for the United States and its allies. During Red Flag, military units are able to test their skill and firepower over the Nevada Test and Training Range.
 

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