First 2013 RED FLAG-Alaska takes off

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Shawn Nickel
  • 354th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska --  U.S. and coalition forces took flight Aug. 12, kicking off RED FLAG-Alaska 13-3.

RF-A 13-3, which runs through Aug. 23, is a Pacific Air Forces-sponsored, Joint National Training Capability accredited exercise, enables participating units to sharpen their combat skills by flying simulated combat sorties in a realistic threat environment.

The exercise provides unique opportunities to integrate various forces into joint, coalition and multilateral training from simulated forward operating bases.

Additionally, the training allows participants to exchange tactics, techniques and procedures, as well as improve interoperability.

While aircraft utilize thousands of square miles of training ground within Interior Alaska, maintenance and support personnel utilize the opportunity to train to sustain a large-force deployed operation.

More than 60 aircraft and 2,600 personnel from the U.S. Air Force active duty, Reserve and Air National Guard, U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and the Republic of Korea will participate in the two week-long tactical air combat exercises designed to replicate the stress warfighters face during their first 10 combat sorties of a conflict.

RF-A 13-3, held at Eielson and Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, is the first of this calendar year.