Nellis AFB , NV, USA - 24/01/2008

The backbone of our trip to Nevada was provided by Red Flag 08-2.1, with the Thursday being the Media Day for this particular period.

Contrary to the forecasts, the weather, especially early doors, was superb and the variety of aircraft on display matched it perfectly.

Red Flag is an advanced aerial combat training exercise designed to train aircrews from the US, NATO and other allied countries for real combat operations.

The 414th Combat Training Squadron are responsible for the running of the exercise and their mission is to maximise the combat readiness and survivability of participants by providing a realistic training environment and a forum that encourages a free exchange of ideas.

Red Flag exercises see "Blue Forces" (friendly) engage "Red Forces" (hostile) in realistic combat situations on the vast (6000sq miles) Nellis ranges.

As is the norm during Red Flag periods, the resident units tend to do some flying before the RF packages themselves get airborne, and this particular one saw the F-15Cs and A-10As of the 57th Wg, as well as the F-22As and A-10As of the 422nd TES, 53rd Wg doing so. A number of F-16C/Ds of the Aerial Display Squadron (The Thunderbirds) also did the same. There were also a couple of visitors during this period too; a "Happy Hooligans" (ND ANG) C-21A Learjet, and a C-17A from 60th AMW at Travis AFB, CA.

As these aircraft began to recover, the Red Flag packages started to move out, as always with the heavies getting airborne first.

This particular wave saw an old friend from 'home' take part - an E3-D Sentry AEW1 from RAF Waddington. The Sentry, along with the E-2C Hawkeye were responsible for providing an Airborne Warning and Control System to the players.

The 79th RQS from Moody AFB, GA, were present with a pair of HC-130P Hercules. One example flew with this mission and provided a Combat Search And Rescue (CSAR) capability, along with a pair of HH-60s from the 41st RQS.

With the heavies getting airborne, the Air Defense components started to taxi out. First up were the Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptors of the 27th FS, 1st Fighter Wing, from Langley AFB, VA.

The Canadian Armed Forces supplied a pair of CC-130 Hercules, one an 'E' model, and the other an 'H'. They came from the 8th Wg at CFB Trenton.

Providing the heavy bomber element were the 34th BS, 28th BW from Ellsworth AFB, SD, with four B-1Bs. Two flew with the package.

The first fast jets to get airborne were the Red Force assets, namely F-16Cs of the 64th AGRS, 57th Wg, and a pair of F-15Cs, one from each of the 433rd WPS, and one from the 65th AGRS, both affiliated to the 57th Wg. Unfortunately the recent grounding of the A-D models of the Eagle had meant that a number of airframes and crews weren't fit to take part and consequently the vast majority were forced to sit out the exercise.

The Langley Raptors were the first Blue Force fighter assets to take to the skies.

As they did so, the F-15Es of the 389th FS, 366th Wg from Mountain Home AFB, ID began taxying out. The unit had recently converted from the F-16C/D, with the aircraft being acquired from the now defunct 90th FS at Elmendorf AFB, AK.

Also, and I must be honest, I'm not sure whether these were Red Flag assets or whether they were simply detached for a workup, F-16C/Ds of both the 138th FS NY ANG and also the 124th FS IA ANG. Either way they were very welcome additions for us! After their impending deployment east, the 138th will convert to UAVs...

The other big draw for us was the presence of the F-16C/Ds of the 425th FS, 56th FW, perhaps better known as the Singapore Air Force Training Unit, from Luke AFB, AZ. All of the 'D' models were Block 52+ types with the enlarged dorsal spine.

Responsible for the Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD) were a pair of Grumman EA-6B Prowlers from VAQ-134 "The Garudas", based at NAS Whidbey Island, WA. They were joined by F-16Cs of the 422nd TES.

The ANG Vipers continued to depart in pairs every now and again during the whole time on base.

Approximately two hours after the first aircraft had gotten airborne, the recoveries started to commence. By this stage the cloud had started to roll in, and quite a lot of the aircraft coming back sadly did so with the sun obscured....

An aircraft I didn't capture any decent shots of during departures was the Grumman E-2C Hawkeye. This particular example came from VAW-121 "Bluetails" from NAS Norfolk, VA.

....and with the Sentry back on the deck, that signalled the end of our time on base at Nellis.

We spent the afternoon outside the fence at the Speedway end where we caught a handful of recoveries in fairly nice light.

My sincere thanks go to Mike Estrada for arranging the day and for hosting us so well.