Red Flag-Alaska 18-1 begins late April

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  • Pacific Air Forces Public Affairs

Red Flag-Alaska 18-1, a Pacific Air Forces-sponsored exercise designed to provide realistic training in a simulated combat environment is scheduled to begin April 26 with primary flight operations over the Joint Pacific Alaska Range Complex scheduled through May 11.

U.S. Navy aviators and Air Force Airmen are expected to fly, maintain and support more than 60 aircraft from more than a dozen units during this iteration of the exercise. The majority of aircraft will be based at and fly from Eielson Air Force Base and Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska.

Red Flag-Alaska exercises provide unique opportunities to integrate various forces in a realistic threat environment and dates back to 1975 when it was held at Clark Air Base in the Philippines and called exercise COPE THUNDER. This iteration marks the first of the calendar year.