Happy Burner Friday to you all, FighterSweep Fans! Another glorious Friday is upon us, and since we’re out here at Nellis Air Force Base this week for Red Flag, we wanted to keep the chatter to a minimum whilst giving your eyes some Mach Diamonds, a little bit of reheat, and a healthy dose of the Sound of Freedom.
This is been a long, robust, and challenging exercise for the White Force–the tactical mentors overseeing the exercise–as well as participants on both the Red and Blue side. To give you an idea of how large this particular Red Flag is, check out the list of participants:
The exercise will include U.S. forces and aircraft from:
– 53rd Wing, 422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron, F-16Cs, Nellis AFB, Nev.
– 1 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force, F/A-18F, RAAF Amberley, Australia
– 2 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force, E-7A, RAAF Base Williamtown, Australia
– 10 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force, AP-3C, RAAF Base Edinburgh, Australia
– 75 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force, F/A-18A, RAAF Base Tindal, Australia
– 3 Fighter Squadron, Royal Air Force, Typhoon, RAF Coningsby, U.K.
– 5 Squadron, Royal Air Force, Sentinel, RAF Waddington, U.K.
– 8 Squadron, Royal Air Force, E-3D, RAF Waddington, U.K.
– 47 Squadron, Royal Air Force, C-130J, RAF Brize Norton, U.K.
– 461st Air Control Wing, 12th Airborne Command and Control Squadron, E-8, Robins AFB, Ga.
– 9th Reconnaissance Wing, 12th Reconnaissance Squadron, RQ-4, Beale AFB, Calif.
– 509th Bomb Wing, 13th Bomb Squadron, B-2, Whiteman AFB, Missouri
– 104th Fighter Wing, 131st Fighter Squadron, F-15C, Barnes ANGB, Mass.
– 169th Fighter Wing, 157th Fighter Squadron, F-16CJ, McEntire JNGB, S.C.
– 144th Fighter Wing, 194th Fighter Squadron, F-15C, Fresno ANGB, Calif.
– 4th Fighter Wing, 335th Fighter Squadron, F-15E, Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C.
– 55th Wing, 343rd Reconnaissance Squadron, RC-135, Offutt AFB, Neb.
– 9th Reconnaissance Wing, 348th Reconnaissance Squadron, RQ-4B, Grand Forks AFB, N.D.
– 55th Wing, 41st Electronic Combat Squadron, EC-130H, Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz.
– 31st Fighter Wing, 510th Fighter Squadron, F-16CM Block 40, Aviano Air Base, Italy
– 7th Bomb Wing, 9th Bomb Squadron, B-1, Dyess AFB, Tex.
– 325th Fighter Wing, 95th Fighter Squadron, F-22, Tyndall AFB, Fla.
– 552nd Air Control Wing, 965th Airborne Air Control Squadron, E-3, Tinker AFB, Okla.
– 9th Reconnaissance Wing, 99th Reconnaissance Squadron, U-2, Beale AFB, Calif.
– Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing TEN, EP3/P3, Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Wash.
– Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing TEN, Patrol Squadron FORTY, P3 LSRS, NAS Whidbey Island, Wash.
– Patrol Squadron 45, P8, NAS Jacksonville, Fla.
– Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing TEN, Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron One, EP3, NAS Whidbey Island, Wash.
– 22nd Air Refueling Wing, KC-135, McConnell AFB, Kans.
– Electronic Attack Squadron 138, EA-18G, NAS Whidbey Island, Wash.
– 23rd Wing, 79th Rescue Squadron, HC-130J, Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz.
– 176th Wing, 210th Rescue Squadron, HH-60G, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska
– 57th Wing, 64th Aggressor Squadron, F-16C, Nellis AFB, Nev
More than 80 aircraft are taking part in this exercise, FighterSweep Fans, so once the VUL starts, it’s nonstop takeoffs and landings for anywhere between three and five hours. So without further ado, here’s a few images:
A B-1B Lancer from the “Bats” of the 9th Bomb Squadron departs Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada during Red Flag 16-1. (Phot by Scott Wolff)
A Block 52 F-16CJ “Super Weasel” from the 157th Fighter Squadron, South Carolina Air National Guard, departs for a Red Flag mission during Period 16-1. (Photo by Scott Wolff)
A Block 25 F-16C from the 64th Aggressor Squadron departs Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada during Red Flag 16-1. (Photo by Scott Wolff)
A McDonnell Douglas F-15C Eagle from the Massachusetts Air National Guard departs for an Offensive Counter Air mission during Red Flag 16-1 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. (Photo by Scott Wolff)
A Boeing EA-18G Growler from VAQ-138 departs for an Escort SEAD mission during Red Flag 16-1. (Photo by Scott Wolff)
A McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle from the 335th Fighter Squadron at Seymour Johnson AFB in North Carolina departs Nellis on a Red Flag mission. (Photo by Scott Wolff)
A McDonnell Douglas F-15C from the California Air National Guard’s 144th Fighter Wing departs during Red Flag Period 16-1 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. (Photo by Scott Wolff)
A pair of McDonnell Douglas F-15Es on the runway at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada during Red Flag 16-1. (Photo by Scott Wolff)