RED FLAG 24-3 NELLIS AFB, NEVADA
Story and photos by William Ellison
Well, it was that time of the year again to brave the Las Vegas 110+ degree heat out at Las Vegas Motor speedway for Red-Flag 24-3. 24-3 is the last red flag of the calendar year at Nellis AFB and this was my 2nd RF exercise I would attend this year. Other than seeing some personal friends and some friends who are stationed at Nellis AFB this Red flag was differently on my list. With me being a huge F-16 fan and with the 480th Fighter Squadron making a visit from Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany no way I was going to miss the opportunity to document these F-16’s.
My visit to Red Flag just seemed different to me this visit around. It just didn’t feel like a normal red flag exercise. Tankers were flown from home stations instead of Nellis and the rush of departures just didn’t seem like past years of nonstop action and flex departures. Felt like several jets would go out and then a waiting period of 15-20 mins before the next wave. When the last wave of jets took off 30 mins later the 1st jets that went out were already calling up for initial approach. Also, none of the 64th Aggressor Squadron special painted F-16’s took to the skies during my 2-day visit. I knew that at least Wraith (My favorite paint job) was not flying due to being in maintenance. Not sure if the unit is painting all the jets into the new have glass gray paint scheme but all the 64th viper that went out had 2 tone or Have glass gray paint.
I personally try to attend at least 1 Red Flag a year. Red Flag gives photographers a chance to see aircraft and units that you normally don’t see every day or even other aircraft that have been loaned or transferred to units and have not been Updated with the new unit markings. A good example is the new 706th Aggressor Squadron which stood up in 2023. This unit has a mix 457th FS (USAF AFRC)” Spads” from Fort worth Texas, 121st FS (USAF ANG) ” Capital Guardians” Washington DC ANG and 93rd Fighter Squadron ( USAF AFRC)” Makos” Homestead AFB. Recently the unit has been updating these F-16’s with a new tail Letters marked as LV and new tail bands Cajun symbol known as the fleur de lis.
Red Flag also gives you an opportunity to see unexpected visitors. On the last day I was treated to a RAAF C-17 coming in from Alaska as well as an unmarked USAF C-37 transport. I had always missed the Aussie C-17’s when they would stop in Arizona to transport F-35 equipment from Luke back to Australia. During RF 24-3 the last few days of the exercise we were also treated to several transport and tanker aircraft which would move the units to new locations for Bamboo Eagle 24-3 which starts the week after red flag.
During Red Flag 24-3, around 30 units and approximately 2,000 participants from the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Space Force, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Navy and Air National Guard will participate in daily training both in the air and on the ground. The 1st Fighter Wing from Langley AFB, Virginia will serve as the core wing as all the units participate in complex mission scenarios against aggressor forces. Red Flag 24-3 will conclude on 2 August 2024.
Nellis has hosted Red Flag exercises since 1975 to provide aircrews with the experience of multiple, intensive air combat sorties in the safety of a training environment. There are three iterations of Red Flag annually: one U.S. only, one open to FVEY (Five Eyes) participants and another that welcomes an expanded roster of international allies and partners. The training occurs at Nellis AFB on the Nevada Test and Training Range, the U.S. Air Force’s premier military training area with more than 12,000 square miles of airspace and 2.9 million acres of land.
Unit list provided by Dreamland resort. For the most up to date info about Red Flag visit https://www.dreamlandresort.com/
