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55th FS participates in Red Flag

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman John Gordinier
  • 20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. --  Eighteen F-16s and 214 people of the 55th Fighter Squadron participated in Red Flag from Oct. 10 to 20 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.

"Red Flag is a large force exercise involving joint and coalition airpower in a highly realistic combat training environment," said Lt. Col. Thomas Littleton, 55th FS operations director. "It is a training scenario that is as close to actual combat as possible."

In addition to the 55th FS, Air Force F-15Cs, E-3 Airborne Warning and Control Systems aircraft,    B-52 bombers; Navy EA-6B Prowlers, and Belgian air force F-16As also participated.

The 55th FS fought against Air Force aggressors, Col. Littleton said. The aggressors, called Red Air, flew F-16s and F-15s, simulating Mig-29s and  SU-27s.

"The aggressors also had surface-to-air missile batteries to confront us," he said. "These SAMs were very important to the 55th FS, as they allowed us to train in our primary mission ... suppression of enemy air defenses."

The 55th FS also flew night missions during the exercise.

"We got the chance to train on some of the best ranges in the world against an intense simulated threat array," said Maj. Jeffrey Cunningham, 55th FS chief of standards and evaluations.

The 55th FS also filled eight of the 17 mission commander positions during the exercise, including the first day and first night missions, the major said.

The 55th performed a broad range of mission tasks showing the versatility of the F-16CJ, Maj. Cunningham said. These missions included offensive counter air, escort, suppression and destruction of enemy air defenses, air interdiction and dynamic targeting.

Red Flag was developed at the end of the Vietnam War. It was discovered during the war that many fighter pilots were shot down within their first 10 combat missions. Red Flag was created to minimize these losses by giving inexperienced pilots their first 10 missions in a training environment.

"The folks at Red Flag do an excellent job and the success of their efforts is evident in how well the Air Force does when we go to war," Col. Littleton said.

Overall, the 55th FS did an outstanding job.

"We racked up 69 air-to-air kills and destroyed many surface-to-air missile sites and other targets as well," Col. Littleton said.

"Given how dominant the 55th FS's performance was, I know when we enter our Air Expeditionary Force cycle, we will be ready for the real thing," Col. Littleton said. "All we need now is the opportunity and we will show the world once again why the 55th FS is the most highly trained, professional and lethally talented unit in the U.S. Air Force."