Indian Air Force Comes to Red Flag

In February 2007, U.S. Air Force (USAF) Chief of Staff Michael Moseley invited his Indian counterpart to participate in the USAF's elite air combat exercise, Red Flag. This month, the Indian government has accepted for Red Flag 2008. Although Western air forces regularly participate in Red Flag, this is the first time the Indian Air Force will do so. The cost of India's participation is estimated at roughly $25 million, mostly to ferry a squadron of frontline Su-30 fighters and supporting infrastructure to the United States.

Red Flag was started by the USAF in 1975, in response to poor combat performance in Vietnam. It provides the most realistic simulation of air, ground, and electronic threats possible, rivaled only by the U.S. Navy's similar and more famous program, Top Gun. Red Flag is hosted at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, and Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska. In these exercises, "Blue Forces" are made up of USAF, US Air Force Reserve and National Guard, US Navy and Marine, Canadian Air Force, and allied air units. "Red Force" opponents are drawn from the F-16Cs and F-15Cs of the 64^th and 65^th Aggressor Squadrons, who have been trained to simulate foreign air tactics. It can be assumed that the Indian Air Force will operate both against and alongside American air units in Red Flag 2008.

USAF F-16C from the Aggressor Squadron

Credit: U.S. Air Force

Copyright: U.S. Air Force (Public Domain)