Britain's top gun pilots hone their skills in huge military exercise

Royal Air Force Typhoons from RAF Lossiemouth, on Exercise Red Flag
AS1 Samantha Holden RAF
Mark White

By Mark White


Published: 10/02/2023

- 07:25

Updated: 10/02/2023

- 10:07

During the exercise, the RAF Typhoons and Voyager tanker aircraft will join their US and Australian colleagues in facing simulated ground-based air defence systems

As the UK indicates it might send some of its combat aircraft to Ukraine, British Typhoon pilots are exercising their skills as part of a major operation in the US.

More than 300 RAF personnel are currently taking part in Exercise Red Flag along with their counterparts from the United States and Australia.

The operation – the biggest annual test of RAF capabilities – also builds on the trilateral co-operation between the three nations, who recently agreed a multi-billion dollar deal to provide Australia with nuclear-powered submarines.

Image shows Typhoons from 2 (AC) Squadron, RAF Lossiemouth, leading in a US Navy EA-18G Growler after a successful mission at Nellis Air Force Base during Red Flag 23-1. A Royal Air Force detachment, operating from Nellis Air Base Nevada, is honing its cutting-edge air combat skills in the largest scale Exercise Red Flag to date.Exercise Red Flag is the pre-eminent annual air combat training exercise run by the United States. The United States Air Force has expanded this long-established exercise to include a vastly increased geographical area to challenge participants to overcome what USAF planners are calling the Tyranny of Distance in addition to the traditional combat air missions of previous exercises.The Exercise has previously been run over the Nevada Test and Training Range and area of 12,000 square miles of airspace and 2.9 million acres of land. Now training areas in Utah and California have been added, as well as missions being flow out over the Californian Pacific Coast. The exercise area has therefore become vast and is aimed to reflect the challenges of conducting air operations at range The RAF detachment of around 300 personnel currently taking part on the exercise is operating seven Typhoons from RAF Lossiemouth based II (Army Co-operation) Squadron, plus a Voyager operated from 10 and 101 Squadron based at RAF Brize Norton. In addition, aircrew from 51 Squadron based at RAF Waddington have been integrated into the flight crew of a USAF RC-135 Rivet Joint intelligence gathering aircraft. Australia is the only other nation participating, reflecting the close Defence partnership between our three countries.
Typhoons from 2 (AC) Squadron, RAF Lossiemouth, leading in a US Navy EA-18G Growler after a successful mission at Nellis Air Force Base during Red Flag 23-1
AS1 Tom Cann RAF

The RAF detachment is operating Typhoons from RAF Lossiemouth in North East Scotland along with a Voyager refuelling tanker aircraft from RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire.

The exercise has previously been held over the Nevada Test and Training Range, an area of 12,000 square miles of airspace. This latest deployment has been significantly expanded to include new training areas in Utah and California, as well as missions over the Californian-Pacific coast.

Air Commodore Howard Edwards, the RAF’s Combat Air Force Commander said: “This is the most important exercise that the RAF participates in each year. There are a number of reasons for this. First and foremost, the scale and complexity of the exercise tests all of the participants in a way that just doesn’t exist anywhere else in the world.

“The original intent of the exercise was to seek to replicate the first 10 combat missions a fast jet air crew will face in combat.

“Now the exercise has developed and evolved into what it represents today and recognises the threats that have evolved and so the exercise has evolved to represent them”.

Colonel Jared Hutchinson, the Commander of the US Air Force’s 414 Combat Training Squadron said: “The allied force will be presented with many new and emerging real-world tactical problems that enables them to learn in the world’s best combat training environment.

“Our allies are one of the greatest strategic assets we have in protecting our nations”.

During the exercise, the RAF Typhoons and Voyager tanker aircraft will join their US and Australian colleagues in facing simulated ground-based air defence systems, as well as aggressor aircraft that will simulate enemies.

Image shows a Mission Systems Operator (MSO) refuelling a US Navy EA-18G Growler from an RAF Voyager during Red Flag 23-1. A Royal Air Force detachment, operating from Nellis Air Base Nevada, is honing its cutting-edge air combat skills in the largest scale Exercise Red Flag to date.Exercise Red Flag is the pre-eminent annual air combat training exercise run by the United States. The United States Air Force has expanded this long-established exercise to include a vastly increased geographical area to challenge participants to overcome what USAF planners are calling the Tyranny of Distance in addition to the traditional combat air missions of previous exercises.The Exercise has previously been run over the Nevada Test and Training Range and area of 12,000 square miles of airspace and 2.9 million acres of land. Now training areas in Utah and California have been added, as well as missions being flow out over the Californian Pacific Coast. The exercise area has therefore become vast and is aimed to reflect the challenges of conducting air operations at range The RAF detachment of around 300 personnel currently taking part on the exercise is operating seven Typhoons from RAF Lossiemouth based II (Army Co-operation) Squadron, plus a Voyager operated from 10 and 101 Squadron based at RAF Brize Norton. In addition, aircrew from 51 Squadron based at RAF Waddington have been integrated into the flight crew of a USAF RC-135 Rivet Joint intelligence gathering aircraft. Australia is the only other nation participating, reflecting the close Defence partnership between our three countries.
Mission Systems Operator (MSO) refuelling a US Navy EA-18G Growler from an RAF Voyager during Red Flag 23-1
AS1 Tom Cann RAF

Image shows a Typhoon from 2 (AC) Squadron, RAF Lossiemouth, taking off from Nellis Air Force Base during Red Flag 23-1. A Royal Air Force detachment, operating from Nellis Air Base Nevada, is honing its cutting-edge air combat skills in the largest scale Exercise Red Flag to date.Exercise Red Flag is the pre-eminent annual air combat training exercise run by the United States. The United States Air Force has expanded this long-established exercise to include a vastly increased geographical area to challenge participants to overcome what USAF planners are calling the Tyranny of Distance in addition to the traditional combat air missions of previous exercises.The Exercise has previously been run over the Nevada Test and Training Range and area of 12,000 square miles of airspace and 2.9 million acres of land. Now training areas in Utah and California have been added, as well as missions being flow out over the Californian Pacific Coast. The exercise area has therefore become vast and is aimed to reflect the challenges of conducting air operations at range The RAF detachment of around 300 personnel currently taking part on the exercise is operating seven Typhoons from RAF Lossiemouth based II (Army Co-operation) Squadron, plus a Voyager operated from 10 and 101 Squadron based at RAF Brize Norton. In addition, aircrew from 51 Squadron based at RAF Waddington have been integrated into the flight crew of a USAF RC-135 Rivet Joint intelligence gathering aircraft. Australia is the only other nation participating, reflecting the close Defence partnership between our three countries.
Typhoon from 2 (AC) Squadron, RAF Lossiemouth, taking off from Nellis Air Force Base during Red Flag 23-1
AS1 Tom Cann RAF

The Typhoon Mk 4 is a highly capable fourth-generation multi-role combat aircraft. It’s already been deployed around the world on policing and combat missions including deployments to allies in Eastern Europe, to help bolster NATO’s presence after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The RAF is about to start training Ukrainian air force pilots to operate NATO fast-jets as part of the UK’s latest commitment to boost military assistance to Kyiv.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said “nothing is off the table”, as he confirmed the UK is considering the possibility of sending British jets to Ukraine after an appeal by President Volodymyr Zelenksy.

Sources have suggested that some of the UK’s stock of older Tranche 1 Typhoon aircraft, which will shortly be withdrawn from service, could be refurbished and redeployed to the embattled Eastern European nation.

Image shows a. RAF Voyager from RAF Brize Norton landing at Nellis Air Force Base during Red Flag 23-1. A Royal Air Force detachment, operating from Nellis Air Base Nevada, is honing its cutting-edge air combat skills in the largest scale Exercise Red Flag to date.Exercise Red Flag is the pre-eminent annual air combat training exercise run by the United States. The United States Air Force has expanded this long-established exercise to include a vastly increased geographical area to challenge participants to overcome what USAF planners are calling the Tyranny of Distance in addition to the traditional combat air missions of previous exercises.The Exercise has previously been run over the Nevada Test and Training Range and area of 12,000 square miles of airspace and 2.9 million acres of land. Now training areas in Utah and California have been added, as well as missions being flow out over the Californian Pacific Coast. The exercise area has therefore become vast and is aimed to reflect the challenges of conducting air operations at range The RAF detachment of around 300 personnel currently taking part on the exercise is operating seven Typhoons from RAF Lossiemouth based II (Army Co-operation) Squadron, plus a Voyager operated from 10 and 101 Squadron based at RAF Brize Norton. In addition, aircrew from 51 Squadron based at RAF Waddington have been integrated into the flight crew of a USAF RC-135 Rivet Joint intelligence gathering aircraft. Australia is the only other nation participating, reflecting the close Defence partnership between our three countries.
Typhoons from 2 (AC) Squadron, RAF Lossiemouth, leading in a US Navy EA-18G Growler after a successful mission at Nellis Air Force Base during Red Flag 23-1
AS1 Tom Cann RAF

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