The Red Flag exercise, held more or less regularly at Nellis Air Force Base since 1975, are very realistic aerial war games. The purpose is to give pilots from the U.S., NATO and other allied countries an opportunity to practice and refine their skills for real combat situations. This includes the use of "enemy" hardware and live ammunition for bombing exercises within the Nevada Test and Training Range (NTTR). The exercises with flares and all kinds of aircraft can make a spectacular show, especially at night. There are usually two sorties per day, Monday to Friday: One sortie during daytime and one in the evening or at night.

There are two teams, the good guys (Blue Team) and the aggressors (Red Team). The Red Team is made up of Nellis AFB-based pilots specifically trained for the role as adversary, or aggressor, flying F-15 and F-16 aircraft. During the Cold War they sometimes used actual Russian aircraft, and to this day they use call signs such as MiG and Flanker. The Blue Team consists of the various guest "players", the students, in their respective aircraft. For most Red Flag exercises the Blue Team includes the roles of Escort, Interdiction, SEAD (Suppression of Enemy Air Defense), Airlift, Command & Control, Reconnaissance, Refueling and Search & Rescue.

The Red Team sets up on the west side of the Nellis Ranges, in the Tolicha Peak area between Tonopah and Beatty. The Blue Team sets up in the east, over Delamar Lake east of Alamo, which the pilots call Texas Lake because of its shape. The objective for the Blue Team is to neutralize simulated Red Team air defense systems and to hit and destroy targets, mostly in 70's Ranges, south-east of the Tonopah Test Range. Both teams usually meet in the airspace west and north-west of Rachel, where they engage in very realistic aerial dogfights. The southern part of Railroad Valley, and especially the old Cedar Pipeline Ranch is an excellent place to watch the air show.

The most popular viewing spot is close to Rachel, just north of Coyote Summit. By the trash barrels on Hwy. 375 near Coyote Summit take the dirt road that leads south from the highway, and follow it up the hill about 300 yards off the highway. From there you have an excellent view of the planes of the Blue Team coming low through Coyote Summit, as they move in for the attack from Texas Lake. Even better, follow the tracks on the back side of the hill. Park where the tracks end and hike up to the saddle in front of you and from there to the top of the hill to your left. Many of our Red Flag photos were taken from up there.

Other good places to see the Blue Team include the Powerlines Overlook in the mountains behind the Black Mailbox and the Pahroc Summit Pass, which the pilots call Student Gap.

Some Red Flag exercises are U.S. only, while others include coalition forces. The list of foreign countries that have participated in the past includes: Argentinia, Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Korea, Malaysia, NATO, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom and Venezuela. The exercises usually last two, sometimes three weeks.

Green Flag is an advanced, realistic, and relevant Air to Surface training exercise, preparing joint and coalition warfighters to meet combatant commander requirements across Air, Space, and Cyberspace. It is primarily conducted in conjunction with U.S. Army National Training Center exercises at Fort Irwin, California. It is a Joint exercise administered by the U.S. Air Force Warfare Center and Nellis Air Force Base through the 549th Combat Training Squadron. Source: Nellis AFB

JFEX Joint Forcible Entry Exercise is a U.S. Air Force Weapons School large-scale air mobility exercise in which participants plan and execute a complex air-land operation in a simulated contested battlefield. JFEX participants' ability to synchronize aircraft movements from geographically-separated bases, command large formations of dissimilar aircraft in high threat airspace, and tactically deliver and recover combat forces via air drops and combat landings on an unimproved landing strip. Source: Nellis AFB

Black Flag is an event solely focused on test and tactics development in a realistic, massed force, fully integrated, high threat density environment. Established as the test counterpart to Red Flag, an event designed to train like we fight, Black Flag allows the Air Force to test like we fight. While Red Flag builds readiness, Black flag builds capability. Source: Nellis AFB

Bamboo Eagle is designed to provide advanced training in a disaggregated, multi-domain scenario in order to sustain and strengthen the ability of the joint and coalition force to prevail in conflict when necessary. The eight-day exercise takes place in various locations across the United States as well as designated sea and airspace in the eastern Pacific. Warfighters implement all-domain combat-power generation from multiple basing locations throughout the western part of the U.S., while conducting distributed command and control, agile logistics, and air-to-air refueling. Source: Nellis AFB

U.S. Air Force Weapons School Integration (WSINT) is a series of complex, large-force employment missions that serve as the capstone portion of Weapons School classes, which take place twice a year. WSINT involves the planning and execution of every aspect of air, space and cyber combat operations, with joint force components converging over the Nevada Test and Training Range. Source: Nellis AFB

More information on the various Nellis-based exercises can be found on the Nellis AFB web site.

The following schedule shows the planned dates for upcoming air exercises, and dates for past exercises. For information on participating units (if available) click on "Units". For photos click on "Photos".

Related links:

• Tenets of Red Flag - official USAF document
• Nellis based Exercises - by British Military Aviation and Black Program Researcher Richard Cliff
  
• Red Flag NACTS Information - The NACTS equipment involved in the Red Flag Exercises
• Scanner Frequencies - Radio frequencies used during the flag exercises
• Scanner and Military Aviation Glossary - Code words and phrases used in military aviation and in radio transmissions
• Nellis AFB 57th Wing Radio Call Signs
• Official Nellis AFB web site - Red Flag information