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Shaw visits northern neighbors

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Kevin Williams
  • 20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. --  More than 130 Shaw personnel are participating in Maple Flag, a six-week multinational exercise hosted by the Canadian Air Forces at Cold Lake Air Base, Alberta, Canada. 

U.S. Expeditionary Force consists of the 77th Fighter Squadron from Shaw, 2nd Fighter Squadron from Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., 64th Aggressor Squadron from Nellis AFB, Nev. and the 964th Airborne Warning and Control System from Tinker AFB, Okla.

“The objectives of the Maple Flag exercise are to provide junior combat aircrew with realistic training in a simulated air combat environment emphasizing large package coalition air forces,” said Capt. Frank Waters, 77th Fighter Squadron mustang flight commander. “This training in a structured academic scenario in order to best achieve the participant's specific tactical training and tactical leadership objectives.” 

Maple Flag, which began May 14 and ends June 23, is comprised of three periods, said Capt. Waters. Shaw is participating in the second period from May 28 – June 9. The original Maple Flag was hosted by the U.S. and Canada in 1978. The airspace used spans across three Canadian provinces. 

Shaw sent 10 F-16CJs and personnel from the 20th Medical Group, 20th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, 20th Component Maintenance Squadron, 20th Equipment Maintenance Squadron, 20th Logistics Readiness Squadron, 20th Communications Squadron, 307th FS, 77th FS and 77th Aircraft Maintenance Unit. 

The Netherlands, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Singapore and Sweden are also involved in the exercise. 

Exercise Maple Flag is a Canadian variation of the Red Flag Exercise, held several times a year at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. 

Both exercises were developed in response to a Vietnam War finding that 90 percent of aircraft losses took place during the first ten combat missions. Aircrew who survived these critical first ten missions were more likely to survive the remainder of their combat tour. 

In order to enhance survivability and improve performance of aircrews, Red Flag was created in 1975. Canadians first participated in Red Flag in 1977 and a year later, the Canadian Commander of Air Command invited the U.S. Air Force to hold a northern Red Flag at Cold Lake. 

The four-week exercise, named Maple Flag, was a great success and was held by 4 Wing Cold Lake bi-annually thereafter until 1987. 

Since 1987, the exercise has been held during one six-week period each spring. Maple Flag continues to be an internationally renowned exercise that provides training for large coalition operations in a structured, academic environment.