Home Air Israeli Adir F-35s join US Red Flag drill for the 1st time

Israeli Adir F-35s join US Red Flag drill for the 1st time

An F-35I Adir AS-1 assigned to 140 Squadron, Nevatim Air Base Israel lands to prepare for Red Flag-Nellis 23-2 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, March 8, 2023. Photo: US Air Force

For the first time, the Israeli Air Force joined the Red Flag-Nellis 23-2 combat training exercise held from March 12-24 in Nevada, US, with its Adir F-35 fighters.

The recent Red Flag combat warfare exercise put an emphasis on enhancing the capabilities and reinforcing the alliances of the warfighters from the US European and Central Commands. During the exercise, the Israeli Air Force participated with their F-35I Adir and focused on preparing for high-end warfighting and strategic competition through Red Flag’s training program.

Nellis and the Nevada Test and Training Range provided a training opportunity for the US and Israeli combat air forces with over 2,200 targets and realistic threat systems. Participants conducted a variety of scenarios, including defensive counter-air, offensive counter-air suppression of enemy air defenses, and offensive counter-air interdiction.

Colonel Jared Hutchinson, the commander of the 414th Combat Training Squadron, said “The Israeli F-35 participation in Red Flag 23-2 represents a significant step forward for the US and its allies in advancing to the next level of air warfare. This exercise offers a rare chance for warfighters from both countries to integrate their most advanced capabilities. Being the Fifth-Generation Center of Excellence, Nellis AFB is capable of hosting allied F-35 units on the ground and testing them in the air.”

“Red Flag will continue to evolve with the state-of-the-art technology in warfare,” said Hutchinson, “No one is better at taking the most cutting-edge combat capabilities and applying them to the most replicative and relevant combat training scenarios in the world than the 414 CTS.”

Red Flag is a military training exercise at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada that involves multiple branches of the US military and allied nations. Its primary objective is to provide realistic combat training scenarios. Air-to-air and simulated air-to-ground attacks are performed to enhance the combat readiness and interoperability of forces.