Red Flag 09-05 exercise kicks off Aug. 24 Published Aug. 21, 2009 By Tech. Sgt. Aileen Carter Nellis Public Affairs NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. -- Southern Nevada residents may notice increased military aircraft activity as the Air Force hosts Red Flag exercises Aug. 24 to Sept. 4. Red Flag is a realistic combat training exercise involving the air forces of the United States and its allies. The exercise is conducted on the 15,000-square-mile Nevada Test and Training Range, north of Las Vegas. Red Flag is one of a series of advanced training programs administered by the U.S. Air Force Warfare Center and Nellis, through the 414th Combat Training Squadron. More than 70 aircraft will depart Nellis twice a day, in the mid afternoon and again around 10 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 provide Red Flag participants with valuable night-time training. In addition to Nellis aircraft, the exercise will feature participating aircraft from Massachusetts, Utah, Louisiana, California, Washington, Florida, Oklahoma and Kansas and will include B-52s, F-15s, F-16s, EA-6Bs, EC-130s, E-3, F/A-18s, MC-130s and KC-135s. In addition to U.S. aircraft, the Italian Air Force will take part with AMXs and the United Arab Emirates will be participating in Red Flag for the first time and fly F-16s. For a complete list of participating aircraft for both exercises, visit http://www.nellis.af.mil/library/flyingoperations.asp. For more information about Red Flag, call the Nellis Public Affairs Office at 404-2719.
