Page 1 - Desert Lightning News, Nellis AFB, Aug. 4 2017
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vol. 1, no. 5 Serving Southern Nevada’s mililtary community, including Nellis, Creech and NTTR August 4, 2017
An Aerotech news And review publicAtion • www.Aerotechnews.com
F-35A, F-35B integrate at Red Flag
by Staff Sgt. Peter Thompson Air Force photograph by Staff Sgt. Peter Thompson
Nellis AFB, Nev. U.S. Air Force F-35A and Marine Corps F-35B Lightning IIs taxi before taking off July 18, 2017, at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. The 33rd
Fighter Wing and Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 211 took part in the first combat exercise with Air Force F-35As and Marine Corps
The U.S. Air Force’s 33rd Fighter Wing F-35Bs operating simultaneously during Red Flag 17-3. The large-scale exercise, which was developed to provide pilots with critical
from Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., and experience in combat situations, enabled F-35 pilots to plan and train using the same tactics, techniques and procedures.
Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 211
from MCAS Yuma, Ariz., took part in commonality between each branch’s pi- their help, they can swing immediately counter air. So we are testing the capa-
the first combat exercise with Air Force lots was clear as they were able to predict without having to explain any aircraft or bilities of the aircraft in several different
F-35As and Marine Corps F-35Bs one another’s actions and movements. capability differences.†mission sets,†Vickers said.
operating simultaneously during Red
Flag 17-3, at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. “We are executing the same tactics In the past, when the branches would Participation in exercises like Red
and we are talking the same language fly together in a strike package using dif- Flag is important across the enterprise
Red Flag is a realistic combat training which is a force multiplier between the ferent aircraft, communications barriers because integration opportunities are
exercise involving the air forces of the two services,†Abbamonte said existed between the services, creating limited without them.
United States, its allies, and coalition limitations. With these consolidated
partners. More than 100 aircraft a nd “They flowed where we expected guidelines, those issues are minimized “We need to (continue establishing)
3,000 personnel participate in the exer- them to flow and called kills where we if not eliminated. our commonality and tactics so that we
cise an average of four times each year expected them to call kills,†said Lt. Col. can trust that everyone is bringing to the
Matthew Vickers, 58th Fighter Squadron “I flew F-18s before so every time we fight is what we expect,†Vickers said.
The exercise was originally developed F-35A pilot. “Everything was going to flew with an Air Force unit, the com-
to provide pilots with critical experience plan. That was the first validation and munications and tactics would be a little “We don’t have enough opportunities
in combat situations in a manner that it’s been more of the same (since then).†bit different; we’ve erased that and it’s a to integrate which is why it is so impor-
can’t be replicated at most home stations. really good thing,†Abbamonte said. tant to be a part of exercises like Red
This t raining i n t urn i mproves p ilot’s The interoperability between the Flag,†Suttlemyre said.
percentage of survivability during real- branches stretches past the battlefield to Together the Marine Corps and Air
world combat operations. mission planning. Force displayed the F-35s wide range That continued integration is crucial
of abilities through the completion of as the F-35 enterprise approaches full
“We are trying to create combat real- “With the A to B similarities, I can multiple mission requirements presented warfighting capability. Currently, some
ism for these pilots,†said U.S Air Force walk into mission planning, know what to them. of the aircraft’s systems only commu-
Col. Ryan Suttlemyre, Red Flag Air they have to offer and they know what nicate amongst their own variant. As
Expeditionary Wing vice commander I have to offer, so we can build our tac- “We’ve executed a myriad of different new sustainment blocks are created to
and 33rd Operations Group commander. tics,†Vickers said. “Even though we may roles including suppression of enemy upgrade the platform, those restrictions
“Normal missions at home are between be executing different roles, if I need defenses, attack operations and defensive will also be erased.
six to eight aircraft on both the blue
and red sides. Here, we have somewhere
between 60 to 80 aircraft o n t he b lue
side and 30 to 40 on the red side. They
also have 10 to 15 times the number of
surface-to-air threat emitters that we
have at Eglin Air Force Base.â€
During this U.S.-only installment
of Red Flag, the Air Force and Marine
Corps validated F-35 joint Tactics, Train-
ing and Procedures, through mission
integration with one another.
“It’s been an awesome experience
integrating with everyone but especially
the F-35A in particular,†said Maj. Brett
Abbamonte, Marine F-35B pilot. “The
ability to see the overall situational
awareness and capabilities that the F-35
brings to this joint fight with all these
assets is eye opening to us as F-35 pilots
and pilots of other aircraft platforms.â€
From the first combat sortie on, the
INSIDE: Commentary – 2; News – 3-11; Lighter Side – 17; Veterans Resources - 18
