Exclusive: Sonic Booms Over Las Vegas, Red Flag-Nellis 23-1 Takes Flight
Crimson Flag
Crimson Flag-Nellis 23-1 is effectively underway at Nellis Air Drive Base in Nevada. Officers representing the bottom have alerted the general public that they could discover some elevated navy air visitors in the course of the joint US, UK, and Australian train, scheduled to run from January 23 by means of February 10.
A US Marine Corps F-35B from Marine Fighter Assault Squadron-221 takes flight. Picture by US Air Drive Senior Airman Megan Estrada.
Nellis AFB has hosted the occasion since 1975. There are three Crimson Flag occasions every year, together with one for the US solely, one for the 5 Eyes (FVEY) nations (Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United Kingdom, and the US), and one that’s open to a broader worldwide viewers of allies and companions. The 414th Fight Coaching Squadron conducts the coaching, and the drills give aircrews an opportunity to take part in simulated, high-intensity air fight missions in a safe setting. These workout routines happen at Nellis Air Drive Base in Nevada, using the Nevada Take a look at and Coaching Vary. The Nevada setting gives the premiere navy coaching floor for the US Air Drive, serving up 12,000 sq. miles of airspace and over 2.9 million acres of land.
Virtually 100 plane and three,000 allied service members are collaborating within the air fight train targeted on sustaining the readiness and facilitating easy operations between pleasant forces. Colonel Jared Hutchinson, commander of the 414th Fight Coaching Squadron states, “In our forty eighth yr Crimson Flag, members will construct confidence underneath hearth, built-in management, and a warfighter tradition that may win our nation’s fights.” He continued, “Every flag pushes cutting-edge to a brand new stage by constructing on the efforts of earlier Crimson Flags. On this iteration, the allied pressure shall be offered with many new and rising real-world tactical issues.”
A US Marine Corps F-35B from Marine Fighter Assault Squadron-221 takes flight. Picture by US Air Drive Senior Airman Megan Estrada.
January 19, 2023. A Royal Air Drive Voyager KC assigned to the ten and 101 Squadrons of the RAF and based mostly in Brize Norton, England, will get airborne previous to the beginning of Crimson Flag 23-1. Picture by US Air Drive Senior Airman Megan Estrada.
This yr these “new and rising real-world tactical issues” are designed to align with the 2022 Nationwide Protection Technique of specializing in planning for doable operations within the Indo-Pacific Theater. Colonel Hutchinson additionally notes the significance of the coaching for youthful airmen stating, “This yr is predicted to be difficult because it prioritizes younger operators; it permits them to be taught on the planet’s finest fight coaching surroundings whereas writing the following chapter of our resilient heritage.”
In 2023, the Royal Australian Air Drive (RAAF) despatched 5 EA-18G Growler plane from the Quantity 6 Squadron to the US-based occasion, together with about 100 aviators. RAAF’s Director, Air Commodore John Haly, stated not too long ago, “Workout routines like Crimson Flag Nellis are a possibility to advance relationships and interoperability with the US and the UK. Nevertheless, he continued, “Though Australia conducts comparable coaching actions domestically, the scope and scale of Crimson Flag Nellis can’t be replicated inside Australia.”
RAAF’s Train Detachment Commander, Wing Commander Steven Thornton, commented on how real looking coaching situations profit their pressure. “This coaching helps guarantee RAAF stays able to deploy plane and personnel away from their dwelling base and maintain high-tempo operations. It additionally gives the mandatory surroundings for testing and improvement of latest work practices, techniques, or position enlargement.”
Different Upcoming NATO Workout routines and Actions*
In the event you get pleasure from studying about and following our ongoing actions with our NATO companions, here’s a fast checklist of some deliberate occasions.
- DYNAMIC GUARD 23 – Location: North Atlantic, Dates: 20-24 Feb, Function: To take care of the extent of proficiency in EW (digital warfare) and ASMD (anti-ship missile protection) in Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 assigned models when not dedicated in NATO present operations and NATO Response Drive operations.
- DYNAMIC MANTA 23 – Location: Mediterranean Sea, Dates: 27 Feb-10 Mar, Function: To train submarine warfare and Anti-submarine Warfare (ASW) warfighting capabilities for submarines, ASW floor models, and maritime plane to conduct sea management and sea denial-related naval duties in preparation for future collective protection and disaster response operations.
- HEMEX-ORION AMPHIBIOUS 2023 – Location: Mediterranean Sea, Dates: 22 Feb-10 Mar, Description: Hemex-Orion is a high-intensity main engagement train. This multi-domain train continues on the joint stage of the POLARIS train organized in 2021 by the French Navy. In the course of the LIVEX (dwell train), an ATG (afloat coaching group) made of two LHD (touchdown helicopter docks), their escorts, a CSG (provider strike group), a mine warfare element, and superior touchdown forces.
- JOINT PROJECT OPTIC WINDMILL – Location: Netherlands and Germany Dates: 6-31 Mar Function: JPOW23 addresses the necessity for shut operation among the many collaborating nations and entities throughout each NATO IAMD (built-in air and missile protection) and BMD (ballistic missile protection) missions with an emphasis on mission planning, mission execution, and interoperability inside a simulated battle house.
- DYNAMIC MONGOOSE – Location: Norwegian Sea Dates: 24 Apr-5 Could Function: To train submarine operations and anti-submarine warfare for NATO maritime models preparatory to sea management or sea denial-related naval duties in future collective protection and disaster response operations.
*Data supplied by Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE)
My Favourite New Time Killer
It might be slightly late to trace the actions of all of the cool plane collaborating in Crimson Flag this yr. Nonetheless, by means of my favourite new time killing (I’m kidding, it’s fairly informative and useful) web site, you possibly can monitor any navy plane (and any civilian plane for that matter) over the US in actual time. You’ll be able to try the ADS-B change here. Whenever you first click on on the monitoring map, it should seem like a Keith Haring portray or a map of the US coated with skittles. Yep, there are lots of plane over the US at anyone time.
For the navy aviation fanatic, eliminating all that civilian litter is straightforward. First, click on on the letter “U” within the higher right-hand nook of your display to point out solely navy plane.
Screenshot from globe.adbsexchange.com A dwell view of all navy plane in US airspace at a given time. Their perspective determines their shade.
Click on on any plane, and the location robotically offers you its info. For instance, I clicked on the blue plane subsequent to the knowledge field you see, and it informed me all I wanted to learn about FORT41, a US navy C17 flying at an altitude of 25,575 toes and cruising at 424 knots. You’ll shortly discover that there are a good variety of overseas navy plane in US airspace at any given time. An astute SOFREP reader informed me not too long ago how he noticed what he thought-about to be an unusually excessive variety of C3I (command, management, and intelligence) plane over US airspace the opposite night.
Take a look at the location, and make sure you let me know of any thrilling patterns you discover. Depart us your feedback beneath!
