The US Air Drive has begun certainly one of its largest recurring air-to-air fight workouts, Checkered Flag 26-1, at Tyndall Air Drive Base in Florida.
The train, operating from 21 October to six November, goals to strengthen US and allied air dominance by large-scale integration of fourth and fifth technology plane, the service said.
Led by the 325th Fighter Wing, Checkered Flag brings collectively greater than 50 plane and round 500 personnel from seven items to simulate real-world fight operations. Plane concerned embrace F-16C Combating Falcons, F-22 Raptors, F-35A and F-35C Lightning IIs, and the E-7 Wedgetail early warning platform. The Royal Australian Air Drive and the US Marine Corps are additionally participating, underscoring the rising emphasis on joint and allied readiness.
The Air Drive mentioned the biannual occasion is designed to reinforce mobility, deployment and fight employment capabilities for aviators and floor crews. It instantly helps Air Fight Command’s Rapid Response Drive, a formation tasked with deploying quickly to international crises. Officers added that the train matches with the Air Drive Chief of Employees’s precedence of growing mission-ready airmen with various operational expertise suited to contested environments.
Working alongside Checkered Flag is the Weapons System Analysis Programme (WSEP) 26.01, which exams air-to-air and air-to-ground live-fire capabilities. The WSEP permits aircrew to interact manoeuvring targets with dwell munitions whereas maintainers conduct actual ordnance loading. Hosted by the 53rd Wing and run by the 83rd Fighter Weapons Squadron, the programme evaluates a unit’s fight effectiveness and missile reliability beneath operational situations.
By combining Checkered Flag and WSEP, the U.S. Air Drive mentioned it is ready to preserve assets whereas offering a extra complete and sensible coaching atmosphere. The built-in strategy, they added, permits personnel to refine ways, communication and interoperability throughout a number of mission units, together with strike, air superiority and digital warfare.
In line with the service, this iteration of Checkered Flag demonstrates the US navy’s concentrate on readiness, modernisation and partnership. The train contributes to the event of a world response power able to projecting energy throughout the Indo-Pacific and Europe, whereas reinforcing ties with allies similar to Australia.