Red Flag (USAF)
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RED FLAG is an advanced aerial combat training exercise hosted at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. Since 1975, air crew from the United States Air Force (USAF) and other U.S. military branches and allies take part in the exercises, each of which is six weeks in duration.
The Red Flag exercises, conducted in four-to-six cycles a year by the 414th Combat Training Squadron of the 57th Fighter Wing, are very realistic aerial war games. The purpose is to train pilots from the U.S., NATO and other allied countries for real combat situations. This includes the use of "enemy" hardware and live ammunition for bombing exercises within the Nellis Air Force Range.
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[edit] Organization of Red Flag
The mission of the 414th Combat Training Squadron (Red Flag) is to maximize the combat readiness and survivability of participants by providing a realistic training environment and a forum that encourages a free exchange of ideas. To accomplish this, combat units from the United States and its allied countries engage in realistic combat training scenarios carefully conducted within the Nellis Range Complex. The Nellis Range complex is located northwest of Las Vegas and covers an area of 60 nautical miles by 100 nautical miles, approximately half the area of Switzerland. This space allows the exercises to be on a very large scale.
In a typical Red Flag exercise, Blue Forces (friendly) engage Red Forces (hostile) in realistic combat situations. Blue Forces are made up of units from Air Combat Command, Air Mobility Command, United States Air Forces Europe, Pacific Air Forces, the Air National Guard, U.S. Air Force Reserve, U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, the Canadian Air Force as well as allied air forces. They are led by a Blue Forces commander, who coordinates the units in an "employment plan". Red Forces are composed of Red Flag's Adversary Tactics Division flying F-16s (64th Aggressor Squadron) and F-15s (65th Aggressor Squadron) to provide realistic air threats through the emulation of opposition tactics. The Red Forces are also augmented by U.S. Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps units flying in concert with electronic ground defenses and communications, and radar jamming equipment. Additionally, the Red Force command and control organization simulates a realistic manual integrated air defense system.
A key element of Red Flag operations is the Red Flag Measurement and Debriefing System. RFMDS is a computer hardware and software network which provides real-time monitoring, post-mission reconstruction of maneuvers and tactics, participant pairings and integration of range targets and simulated threats. Blue Force commanders objectively assess mission effectiveness and validate lessons learned from data provided by the RFMDS.
A typical flag exercise year includes one Green Flag (an electronic combat-oriented exercise), one Canadian Maple Flag (operated by Canadian Forces Air Command) and four Red Flags. Each Red Flag exercise normally involves a variety of fighter interdiction, attack, air superiority, defense suppression, airlift, air refueling and reconnaissance missions. In a 12-month period, more than 500 aircraft fly more than 20,000 sorties, while training more than 5,000 aircrews and 14,000 support and maintenance personnel.
Before a "flag" begins, the Red Flag staff conducts a planning conference where unit representatives and planning staff members develop the size and scope of their participation. All aspects of the exercise, including billeting of personnel, transportation to Nellis, range coordination, munitions scheduling, and development of training scenarios, are designed to be as realistic as possible, fully exercising each participating unit's capabilities and objectives.
[edit] Origin of Red Flag
The origin of Red Flag was the relatively poor performance of U.S. Air Force pilots in air combat maneuvering (air-to-air combat) during the Vietnam War in comparison to previous wars. Air combat over North Vietnam led to an overall exchange ratio (ratio of enemy aircraft shot down to the number of own aircraft lost to enemy fighters) of 2.2:1 (for a period of time in June and July 1972 during Operation Linebacker the ratio was less than 1:1).
USAF pilots were not versed in the core values and basics of ACM due to the belief that BVR (Beyond Visual Range) engagements and equipment made maneuvering combats obsolete, and nearly all pilots were unpracticed in maneuvering against dissimilar aircraft because of an Air Force emphasis on flying safety.
An Air Force analysis (the "Red Baron" study) showed that a pilot's chances of survival in combat dramatically increased after he had completed 10 combat missions. Red Flag was created in 1975 to offer US pilots the opportunity to fly 10 realistically-simulated combat missions in a safe training environment with measurable results. Many aircrews had also fallen victim to SAMs and Red Flag exercises provided pilots experience in this regime as well.
The concept of Colonel David Burney, Colonel Richard "Moody" Suter became the driving force in its implementation, persuading Tactical Air Command commander Lt. Gen. Robert Dixon to adopt the program. Red Flag is one of a series of colored "flags" providing realistic training under combat conditions, many of which are also conducted at Nellis. Black Flag is a portion of the Red Flag exercise for training ground maintenance crews under field combat conditions.
The "Aggressor squadron", the opponents who flew against the pilots undergoing training, were selected from the top fighter pilots in the Air Force. These pilots were trained to fly according to the tactical doctrines of the Soviet Union and other enemies, to better simulate what NATO pilots would encounter in real combat. The Aggressors mostly flew Northrop F-5 fighters in the 1970's and 1980's, but also were equipped with captured MiG fighter aircraft. In 2005, the Aggressors use F-16 and F-15 aircraft, painted in the color schemes commonly found on Soviet aircraft.
It is interesting to note that the United States Navy took a much different approach to improving fighter aircrew performance during the Vietnam War. Rather than a large, multi-squadron exercise, the Navy concentrated on "training the trainers," establishing the United States Navy Fighter Weapons School (more widely known as TOPGUN) in 1969 - while the Vietnam War was still on-going. The best aircrew from each squadron were run through a short course at TOPGUN. They returned to their parent squadrons and shared the lessons learned with their fellow pilots. As a a result, U.S.N. pilot performance far surpassed that of the U.S.A.F. from 1970 until the end of hostilities.
Red Flag was also depicted in a 1970s TV movie "Red Flag: The Ultimate Game". Red Flag is also featured in a 2004 IMAX film Fighter Pilot: Operation Red Flag.
[edit] See also
- Red Flag - Alaska - Exercise based out of Eielson AFB, Alaska (Formerly Cope Thunder)
- MAPLE FLAG
- TOPGUN, the U.S. Navy Strike Fighter Tactical Instruction course (formerly U.S. Navy Fighter Weapons School), based at NAS Fallon, Nevada.
- Opposing force
