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Red Flag (the 414th Combat Training Squadron) conducts war exercises (Red Flags) so that combat aircrews can train in the most realistic simulated war environment possible. Red Flags are not competitions between flying units, nor competitions between pilots.
Exercise participants come from flying units around the Air Force. Sometimes the Navy, Marines, Army and allied forces take part too. Every Red Flag exercise is made of 1, 2 or 3 periods. Each period is 2 weeks long.
At the end of each period, a whole new group of flying units arrives, and the last one leaves. Each period, we receive enough participants and aircraft to compose an AEF size flying wing.
The mission of the 414th Combat Training Squadron (414 CTS) is to conduct airpower training exercises known as Red Flags. A Red Flag is a realistic combat training exercise involving the air forces of the United States and its allies. It is conducted on the vast bombing and gunnery ranges at Nellis AFB, NV. Red Flag is one of a series of advanced training programs administered by the Air Warfare Center and Nellis, through the 414th Combat Training Squadron.
In a typical Red Flag exercise, Blue Forces (friendly) engage Red Forces (hostile) in combat situations. Blue Forces are made up of units from ACC, Air Mobility Command (AMC), US Air Force Europe, Pacific Air Forces (PACAF), Air National Guard (ANG), United States Air Force Reserves (USAFR), Army, Navy, Marine Corps and allied air forces. They are led by a Blue Forces commander who orchestrates the employment plan. Red Forces are composed of Red Flag's Adversary Tactics Division flying the F-16 and provides air threats through the emulation of enemy tactics. They are often augmented by other U.S. Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps units flying in concert with electronic ground defenses, and communications and radar jamming equipment.
A typical flag exercise year includes one Green Flag (an electronic combatoriented exercise), one Canadian Maple Flag, one Coalition Flag (emphasis on allied participation) and two Red Flags. Each Red Flag exercise normally involves a variety of interdiction, attack, air superiority, defense suppression, airlift, air refueling and reconnaissance aircraft. Within a 12-month period, more than 1,200 aircraft fly 20,000+ sorties, while training over 26,750 personnel.
Since combat is no place to train aircrews, Red Flag provides a peacetime "battlefield" within which our combat air forces can train. Inside this battlefield, aircrews train to fight together, survive together and win together.
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