Royal Australia Air Force (RAAF) aviators recently sharpened their air combat skills at two premier air training exercises out of Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, alongside fighter aircraft and personnel from the United States and United Kingdom.

Three weeks of high-intensity training resulted in about 200 aviators – including a tactical command and control team – six F-35A Lightning II, an E-7A Wedgetail aircraft and support elements taking part in Exercise Red Flag Nellis followed by Exercise Bamboo Eagle.

Wing Commander Benjamin Meares lead the RAAF contingent for the two exercises that ran from February 2 to 20.

“These large force employment exercises provide Australia with unparalleled exposure to realistic threat scenarios, advanced training with our partners and high-tempo operations,” Wing Commander Meares said.

“Each nation brings different strengths and experiences, and assumes key roles within each mission, building experience and relationships that allow us to work together in the future.

“Beyond the air domain, these exercises strengthen personal and professional bonds amongst partners, from pilots to controllers to logistics and support crews.”

'These large force employment exercises provide Australia with unparalleled exposure to realistic threat scenarios.'

Wing Commander Meares said that building trust, shared procedures and understanding in high-tempo environments matters just as much as mastering aircraft systems.

“For many of our aviators, deploying on Exercise Red Flag [Nellis] is a career highlight and is not an experience that can be easily replicated elsewhere,” he said. 

75 Squadron Pilot Officer Ed experienced Red Flag Nellis for the first time coming off operational conversion course.

“The expectation of a junior pilot on Red Flag [Nellis] is that you can conduct yourself safely up in the air while also being able to contribute effectively to the team effort,” Pilot Officer Ed said.

“My biggest challenge has been building situational awareness. This is my first ever large force engagement exercise, with upwards of 50 to 60 jets in the air on any given mission. You definitely need to have your wits about you and be on top of your game. 

“It’s been a big learning curve for me, understanding how we can work together to make the most of the strengths and weaknesses of each of the aircraft. It is a fantastic experience working with partner nations like the US and UK, and when we come together it really pays off. It’s a cool experience.”

Red Flag Nellis is the world’s most challenging and realistic air training exercise, hosted by the United States Air Force. Conducted in the Nevada Test and Training Range, a 30,000 square kilometre area of land north-west of Las Vegas, the area is equipped with weapons ranges and an integrated air defence system that includes radars, simulated surface-to-air missiles and simulated anti-aircraft artillery. 

Established in 1975, Red Flag Nellis was designed to address critical training shortfalls revealed during the Vietnam War. One of the lessons learnt was that pilots who survived their first 10 combat missions were significantly more likely to survive an entire campaign. Red Flag Nellis simulates the most dangerous initial combat missions allowing pilots to experience the fog and chaos of war in a safe, controlled environment, thus improving survivability and combat effectiveness.

'This is my first ever large force engagement exercise, with upwards of 50 to 60 jets in the air on any given mission. You definitely need to have your wits about you and be on top of your game.'

Red Flag Nellis has evolved over time to meet new and emerging capabilities and tactics to represent the complex nature of modern warfare.

Similar to previous reiterations, Exercise Bamboo Eagle took place following the conclusion of Red Flag Nellis, adding elements of multi-domain warfare and agile combat employment on top of the challenging air training.

Wing Commander Meares said RAAF elements from Exercise Red Flag Nellis were joined by an E-7A Wedgetail from 2 Squadron for Exercise Bamboo Eagle.

“Established in 2024, Bamboo Eagle involves long-range missions to training ranges in the western United States,” he said.

“The exercise simulates the challenges of conducting operations in the Indo-Pacific region and replicates the complexity of modern warfare with dispersed operations and missions focused on coordinating air-to-air combat, strike, intelligence, and surveillance and reconnaissance roles.

“The E-7A provided a critical role in Bamboo Eagle as the eyes and ears above the battlespace, ensuring airborne command and control, wide-area surveillance and tactical coordination.”