Red Flag Air Force Exercise Between USA and India

The Indian Air Force took part during the international military aviation exercise, Red Flag 08 just for the very first occasion, at the request of this United States Aviation Force (USAF), during August 9 to August 23 at Nellis Air Force Base near the United States.

This IAF contingent included 91 officers plus 156 troops below officer level, as well as ten soldiers of the Garud IAF special task squad, commanded by Gp Captain D Choudhury. Gp Captain Ajay Rathore coordinated the operation.

An Overview Regarding This Training

This crew operated eight SU-30 MK-I aircraft, 2 different IL-78 air-to-air refuellers, plus just a single IL-76 cargo plane. Red Flag is indeed an advanced aerial combat practice run held on Nellis Air Force Base between Nevada and Eielson Military Base near Alaska that provides genuine education (during battle conditions). It was first conceptualised around 1975.

Blue Forces (friendly) fought Red Forces (enemy) under genuine aerial combat conditions in a standard practice. Blue Forces had been created up of components from Aerial Combat Orders, Air Speed Command, the United States Air Troops, Europe, this Pacific Air Troops, this Air National Guard, the United States Air Force Reserve, the United States Army, the United States Navy, the United States Marine Squads, this Canadian Air Force, and some other affiliated air troops. They had been supervised by one Blue Forces General, who oversaw the troops under an “employment strategy.”

Thorough Description of the practice

Before to the major exercise near Nellis, this IAF force flew more over 100 sorties throughout this work-up stage near Mountain Home Airforce Base of Idaho, United states, in what might be described as a ‘cost efficient’ operation, with the crew making full utilisation of the instructional facilities readily accessible to them. 

This deployment structure has been ‘crawl, walk, as well as run,’ a word employed to describe a progressive increase throughout the tempo and breadth of exercise as well as battle movement. The IAF crew took involved through air defence missions, offensive air activities, big force engagements, plus dynamic targeting throughout this time.

Battle groups of USAF F-16s as well as F-15s flew sorties alongside IAF planes for this reason, and the problem that the IAF crew faced was adapting to the sophisticated and modern network-centricity of that USAF. Garud, the IAF special actions unit, performed hostage rescue missions inside an urban combat scenario.

The challenging and important exercise officially begins in Air Force Field Nellis, Nevada, with the involved Air Forces’ opening briefings as well as route planning. That exercise was attended by the IAF using SU-30s, the French Aircraft Force using Rafale, the Southern Korean Defence Force using F-15s, plus the American Air Force using F-15s as well as F-16s.

Exercise Red Flag replicated a genuine battle scenario in which those Blue Force fighters faced every conceivable adversity. The presence of a huge air-to-air area with risk replication added towards the exercise’s remarkable training effectiveness. The IAF’s SU-30 aircraft participated in destruction of enemy aircraft defence (SEAD) aerial to aerial as well as air to land operations during the air combat exercise. The IL-78 tanks and also the USAF AWACS have been providing active assistance.

During his inspection, Air Chief marshal Naik observed flying as well as exercise debriefs as well as exercise instructions. He also went to the base’s joint aircraft and space operations area. He held a thorough discussion with the flight crew about how their operations were proceeding. He praised the engineers on achieving a 100 percentage serviceability rate.

Throughout this exercise Red Flag, this IAF special forces commandos, known as Garuds, successfully displayed their mission capabilities by neutralising an opponent radar station, seizing an airport, and conducting combat search as well as rescuing operations within that Nevada desert.

The experiment began its last ‘run’ stage around August 21. Throughout this part of the practice, a modern-day air campaign has been simulated in which opposing forces, as well as ‘aggressors’ F16 or even F15s; provide air-to-air as well as air-to-ground dangers towards the Blue Land as well as its soldiers. Surface-to-air weapons (SAMs) such as the SA2, SA3, SA6, as well as SA8, and also shorter and longer range rapid reaction missiles, have been constantly on hand to counter the allied Blue Forces.

That Red Land was constantly relocating its SAM locations, making it harder for that Blue Forces to operate.

The ‘aggressors’ employed every conceivable way to obtain information from those Blue Forces, which was a fascinating component of the aerial conflict between both the Red as well as Blue Troops. They utilised this against the Blue Forces above the air. As a result, it was critical for every Blue Force member not to provide any data to an unknown individual, as he as well as she may be an official Red Land ‘spy.’

Effectiveness of the Operations

The effectiveness of the operations in such air battles was predicated on everyone’s situational awareness. As a result, network-centric activities became the spins upon which difference between life as well as death depended. During the test, the group IAF seemed to have the problem of adapting with the USAF infrastructure while still performing ‘stand alone’ activities. Those young IAF flyers performed this feat with incredible agility.

Captain Marcus ‘Spike’ Wilson of the USAF Aggressor praised the IAF squad, saying, this IAF is indeed a world-class air unit with superb aircraft and terrific leadership. This is a fantastic learning experience for the Indian Air Force and US Air Force to merge all capabilities in a testing environment. This is the significance of red flag exercise. They would want to see the IAF participate on a regular basis.

Conclusion

These flying machines had a strong tendency to produce snags during intense heat circumstances, such as leaks within hydraulic components, engine lubricant gear box, and so on. Overall functioning of the aviation system becomes inconsistent when integrated circuits fail under intense heat situations. However, owing to careful preparation and the dedication of IAF engineers, aircraft serviceability has been maintained at all moments. Operation exercise Red flag has so far involved 21 nations, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Norway, Southern Korea, Egypt, Italy, Israel, Germany, Spain, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Spain, the Netherlands, as well as Portugal. For the very first occasion, India plus France got the privilege of taking part throughout this renowned exercise.