Red Flag 10-03 exercise kicks off

NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. -- Southern Nevada residents may notice increased military aircraft activity as the Air Force hosts Red Flag exercises Feb. 22 to March 5.

Red Flag is a realistic combat training exercise involving the air forces of the United States and its allies. The exercise is conducted on the 15,000-square-mile Nevada Test and Training Range, north of Las Vegas. Red Flag is one of a series of advanced training programs administered by the U.S. Air Force Warfare Center and Nellis, through the 414th Combat Training Squadron.

More than 70 aircraft will depart Nellis twice a day, in the early afternoon and again around 7 p.m. Aircraft may remain in the air for up to four hours. The flying times are scheduled to accommodate the other flying missions at Nellis and provide Red Flag participants with valuable night-time training.

In addition to Nellis aircraft, the exercise will feature participating aircraft from New Mexico, Texas, South Carolina, Washington, Arizona, California, Oklahoma, New York, Georgia, Nebraska, United Kingdom, Australia and Washington D.C and will include F-22A, B1B, F-18, GR-9, EA-6B, EC-130, F-16CJ, E-3, E-8, RC-135 and KC-135. In addition to U.S. aircraft, the Royal Australian Air Force will be participating with F-18 Hornets and the U.K.'s Royal Air Force will be participating with GR-9 Harriers.

For a complete list of participating aircraft for both exercises, visit http://www.nellis.af.mil/library/flyingoperations.asp.

• exercise |
• RedFlag |
• UnitedKingdom |
• AWACS |
• F22Raptor |
• FA18SuperHornet |
• B1BLancer |
• F16Falcon |
• NellisAFB |
• Harrier |
• KC135 |
• RC135 |
• EA-6B |
• kc-135 |
• Mexico