Red Flag exercise kicks off Monday Published Jan. 26, 2009 NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. -- Southern Nevada residents may notice increased military aircraft activity as the Air Force prepares for Red Flag exercise 09-02 Jan. 26. 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. Flying for this month's exercise begins Jan. 26 and ends Feb. 6. About 80 aircraft will depart Nellis twice a day, between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., and again between 6:15 p.m. and 10:45 p.m. Some aircraft can 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. U.S. aircraft will come from Nellis, Creech, Colorado, Georgia, Arizona, North Carolina, California, Nebraska, Missouri, and Alaska, and will include F-15s, F-16s, KC-130s, E-3s, E-8s, A-10s, MQ-1s and KC-135s. In addition to U.S. aircraft, the United Kingdom will be sending Harrier GR-9s to participate as well. For a complete list of participating aircraft for the exercise, visit http://www.nellis.af.mil/library/flyingoperations.asp. For more information about Red Flag, call the Nellis Public Affairs Office at 652-6337.
