AirRyan From United States, joined Mar 2005, 2282 posts, RR: 11 Reply 1, posted (4 years 2 months 6 days 23 hours ago) and read 2912 times:
Here you go!
Quote:
Red Flag - 414 CTS
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.
Mission
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.
History
After the Korean War the USAF air-to-air kill ratio was an impressive 10-1. During the Vietnam War this number dropped to an unacceptable 2-1 ratio. In order to reverse this trend, the Air Force conducted an extensive study called "Red Baron" which concluded that the Air Force’s lack of dissimilar air-to-air combat training (DACT) and knowledge about soviet tactics and capabilities were major contributors to the degradation of US pilot air-to-air combat skills.
On 15 October 1972, the 64th Fighter Weapons Squadron (FWS) was activated at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, flying camouflaged two-seat T-38 Talons to simulate Soviet aircraft, doctrine, tactics and weapons capabilities.
Due to the tremendous success of the 64 FWS and the availability of the new single-seat F-5E, three more Aggressor squadrons were activated between 1974 and 1976. The 65 FWS stood up at Nellis on 15 November 1975 flying the F-5E while the 64 FWS converted to the F-5E simultaneously. The first Red Flag exercise occurred in November 1975 with both the 64 FWS and 65 FWS providing red air to participants. In August 1975, the 26th Aggressor Squadron (26 TFTS) stood up at Clark Air Base, the Philippines, to provide DACT to Pacific Air Force fighter forces. On 1 January 1976 the 52d Tactical Fighter Training Aggressor Squadron (527 TFTS) stood up at RAF Alconbury, United Kingdom, to provide DACT to United States Air Forces in Europe fighter forces. On 1 April 1989 the 64 FWS transitioned from F-5Es to F-16As. Due to budget constraints, the 65 FWS, 527TFTS, and 26 TFTS were deactivated in late 1989. In October 1989, the 64 FWS converted to F-16Cs.
On 5 October 1990 the 64 FWS was deactivated and reformed as the Adversary Tactics Division under the 414th Combat Training Squadron (Red Flag) at Nellis.
Although diminished in size, the United States Air Force Aggressors continue to provide the most realistic DACT found anywhere in the world.
I would have to disagree in that that the US Navy and Marines (VMAT-401) have to offer as equal a DACT environment as those as Nellis.
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From United States, joined May 1999, 4283 posts, 
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