Page 1 - Desert Lightning News, Nellis-Creech AFB Edition, August 6, 2021

vol. 5, no. 16 Serving Southern Nevada’s military community, including Nellis, Creech and NTTR Aug. 6, 2021

An Aerotech news And review publicAtion • www.Aerotechnews.com
Joint force trains against stronger Red Flag threat

by Tech. Sgt. Robert Hicks RIGHT: Senior Airman Patrick
Nellis AFB, Nev. Ferraris, 926th Aircraft Maintenance
Squadron F-16 Fighting Falcon crew
Deep in the Nevada desert, exercise chief, left, and Tech. Sgt. Steven
Red Flag-Nellis 21-3 provides world-class Harvey, 926th AMXS crew chief,
joint force training through a stronger, right, performs pre-flight checks
more dangerous threat. on an F-16 Fighting Falcon before a
Red Flag unleashes the aggressor Red Flag mission at Nellis Air Force
nation as they refine threat replication, Base, Nev., July 28, 2021. Red Flag
apply advanced jamming and increase takes place over the Nevada Test
threat capabilities to maximize training and Training Range and provides
in non-permissive environments. the warfighter a flexible, realistic
“This exercise provides realistic com- and multidimensional battle space
bat scenarios designed to challenge and to conduct advanced training of
test the capabilities of our pilots, main- U.S. military services and coalition
tainers and logistics teams,” said Lt. Col. forces,
Evan Parr, 27th Fighter Squadron director
of operations, deployed from Joint Base
Langley-Eustis, Va. “Our warfighters are
always ready for combat, but Red Flag
tests us to see where we can improve.” Air Force photograph by Tech. Sgt. Robert Hicks
This Red Flag’s training environment
includes an expanded airspace, an ad-
vanced surface-to-air threat and cutting-
edge air-to-air threats. With both F-22
Raptors and F-35 Lightning IIs flying as
adversaries, this exercise strives to create
a greater challenge for the Joint Force.
“Training in this environment is very
beneficial for our team,” Parr said. “When
we train at home, we fight a mix of F-22s
and T-38 Talons as our adversaries. Here,
we get to train against multiple high-end
threats teamed with the F-16s from the
64th Aggressor Squadron whose primary
mission is to study our adversaries’ ma-
neuvers and techniques and use them
against us.”
The 64th AGRS Airmen go through a
lengthy certification process where they
gain a comprehensive understanding of
U.S. adversaries and their tactics. This
preparation ensures each aggressor can
provide a challenging, yet realistic, threat
to maximize joint force training.
“We’re subject matter experts when it
comes to our enemy air forces,” said Lt.
Col. Chris Finkenstadt, commander, 64th Air Force photograph by Tech. Sgt. Robert Hicks
AGRS. “Based on our focus toward great An F-22 Raptor from Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va., prepares to take off during Red Flag 21-3 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., July 23, 2021.
power competition, we need to make sure
that blue air is ready, and we do that by flage and concealment techniques across in the air and as we debrief each fight.” gether and integrate those for a more
presenting the best possible atmosphere multiple spectrums. Leadership agrees that having our sis- advanced capability,” said Col. Brandon
we can.” “Red Flag’s goal is to challenge, disrupt ter services here is beneficial for building Tellez, Air Expeditionary Wing com-
Alongside the 64th AGRS, the 414th and if able, deny our communication and a more dominant force. mander. “Red Flag represents the highest
Combat Training Squadron makes air- interoperability,” Parr said. “They force “When we arrive at Nellis, we set up level of training that we offer.”
to-ground employment more challenging errors and punish mistakes. We get bet- shop with our sister services and figure Editor’s note: Red Flag 21-3 ran July
with complex target areas and camou- ter by working through these problems out how all of our strengths mesh to- 19-Aug. 6.