EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska -- Six different units from across the globe, spanning three nations, joined forces on the ground and in the air for Red Flag-Alaska 24-2, May 30 - June 14, 2024, at Eielson Air Force Base and Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.
Red Flag-Alaska is a Pacific Air Forces-directed field training exercise conducted on the more than 77,000 square mile Joint Pacific Alaska Range Complex (JPARC) that allows participants to integrate forces to strengthen joint planning, communication and combat readiness.
“This second iteration is where we focus on multinational cooperation,” said U.S. Air Force Capt. Anthony Smith, 353rd Combat Training Squadron team chief. “For Red Flag our joint goal is to emphasize the United States Indo-Pacific Command relationships and how we are working with our partners and allies across the Pacific.”
Exercise RF-A 24-2 brought together the Indian Air Force, Republic of Singapore Air Force, U.S. Army, U.S. Marine Corps, and U.S. Air Force to enhance interoperability and air power capabilities. During the two-week exercise, two combat training missions were conducted each day, providing pilots and other personnel the opportunity to engage in realistic scenarios, sharpening their skill sets so that the U.S. and its partners remain ready.
“We have to utilize the peace time exercises in this kind of environment so that there are no issues and we are able to talk to each other's systems, ensure our processes are streamlined and our methodologies are similar,” said Group Capt. Anubhav Tripathi, Indian Air Force team leader. “We also keep learning from each other's best practices in all domains during peacetime, so that any future collaborative effort will be more effective.”
The JPARC airspace’s unique terrain allows air and ground units to train in a large area for full spectrum engagements ranging from individual skills to complex large-scale joint engagements.
“Joint exercises like this one are important in the scale of the mission complexities of the exercise, which demands us to have detailed planning and tight coordination,” said LTC Lim Jian Yang, Republic of Singapore Air Force air exercise director. “It also provides participating Air Forces with an opportunity to work alongside each other, fostering good relations and ultimately strengthening our defense ties.”
The Indo-Pacific is a top priority for the United States and the Department of Defense as exercises like Red Flag-Alaska displays our commitment to ensuring U.S. forces are capable and ready to face the evolving challenges in the region. This exercise reinforces the United States’ continued commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific region.