An immersive look at Exercise Red Flag, a high-stakes air combat simulation designed to prepare pilots for real-world combat scenarios against potential adversaries like Russia or China. The article details a flight aboard an RAF Voyager, highlighting the intensity and realism of the exercise, including near-misses, aerial refueling, and the crucial role of each aircraft in the mission.
WATCH: Go inside Exercise Red Flag Roaring engines. Crushing G-forces. A pilot sucking in air so as not to pass out. The desperate beeping of a missile system trying to get a lock on the enemy.So imagine my surprise when, cruising along at 22,000ft and relaxing in my seat aboard what looks to all intents and purposes like a passenger plane, I’m told that mere moments ago we were almost shot down.
That’s because this isn’t an ordinary passenger plane, and this isn’t any old flight. I’m actually on board an RAF Voyager, a mid-air refuelling aircraft, and right now we’re in the middle of one of the most realistic air combat simulations staged anywhere in the world.Four RAF Typhoons form up alongside the Voyager during Exercise Red FlagA few hours before our near-miss in the air, I’d sat in a briefing room where the American, British and Australian commanders running this exercise had explained that Red Flag isn’t like other air combat drills.What pilots come here to do is to rehearse real combat, or as close to it as they can get without getting killed. Every day the scenario facing the allied pilots is different, and every day there’s an enemy force somewhere in the skies with just one mission: Stop them. During my visit the scenario was combat against a “near-peer adversary” which, if you de-code the military speak, means either Russia or China. An allied force made up of British Typhoons alongside American and Australian F-35s was tasked with destroying the enemy’s radar, effectively blinding their air defences. The plan was for a few allied jets to move forward and bomb enemy infrastructure on the ground first, which means things like roads and bridges. That would cause the enemy to turn on their air defences, including their radar, to try and shoot these jets down.Two RAF Typhoons fly alongside the Voyager after taking on fuel Once the radar was lit up, that would allow a much larger allied force sitting in reserve to unleash hell upon it. The Voyager, being unarmed, would hold back from the frontline with a fighter escort, refuelling any jets that were running low to keep them in the fight. Trying to stop them would be an adversary force of unknown number, flying both F-16s and fifth generation fighters. Though hardly the most impressive aircraft in the sky, the Voyager would actually be a priority target for these enemies.Listen to the latest episode of the Daily Mail's War on Tape by clicking here All seemed to be going well: Our unseen wingmen were engaging the enemy up on the line of contact a few hundred miles ahead, and we were hanging back in support. At one point, four Typhoons formed up alongside in perfect unison before two of them swept under the tail of the Voyager, taking fuel from both wings simultaneously. But then a worrying ping on the radar: An enemy plane had managed to slip past the fighters ahead of us, and was heading for the Voyager. With nothing to shoot this opponent down, the Voyager pilots would have no choice but to start taking evasive manoeuvres if it got within a certain distance - no small feat in what is basically an Airbus A330-200 painted military colours. The pilots watched as the enemy jet closed in on that safety line, at one point getting to within 50 miles. That may sound like a lot, until you realise some of these jets can travel up to 1,500mph. At that speed, it could close that gap in just two minutes. But then, as suddenly as it had appeared, it was gone again. The escort had done its job and taken the opponent down. Our Voyager stayed airborne for another couple of hours, refuelling some US F-35s in the process, before heading back safely to base.Red Flag was born out of the Vietnam war, with the idea being to give pilots enough real-world experience to make it through their first ten flights, statistically the most likely time for them to be shot down. Back in those days, many of the pilots on this airbase would have possessed actual combat experience. These days, when America and its allies haven’t fought an enemy with a capable airforce for three decades - perhaps longer - it's a fair bet that none of them have seen combat. So if we ever do get into a shooting war with China or Russia, then it is drills like this that are going to make the difference between life and death.
Exercise Red Flag Air Combat Simulation RAF Voyager Military Training Aviation
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Pictures show large-scale Manchester Airport training exercise as fire crews swarm TUI plane on runwayFirefighters surrounded a TUI plane on the runway
Read more »
Manchester Airport Conducts Major Emergency Services Training Exercise Simulating Plane CrashManchester Airport hosted a large-scale training exercise involving various emergency services, simulating a plane crash scenario. The exercise, codenamed Operation Icarus, included a TUI aircraft, volunteer actors, and participation from Greater Manchester Police, Fire and Rescue Service, and North West Ambulance Service. The exercise aimed to practice multi-agency response in realistic conditions, with a focus on passenger safety.
Read more »
PSNI Issues New Guidance on Illegal Flag Removal Amidst Hate IncidentsThe Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has released a new service instruction for its officers and staff regarding the removal of illegal flags and addressing incidents involving public displays. This guidance, based on the National Decision-Making Model, was developed in response to a rise in anti-immigration hate incidents in 2023 and aims to ensure consistent action by the PSNI when dealing with offensive displays in public spaces.
Read more »
What is Japanese walking and why it's good if you don't like exerciseIt's become a viral fitness trend, and the Japanese interval walking technique is a relatively easy way to boost your fitness. And the great thing is it's totally free
Read more »
Analysis finds aerobic exercise to be most effective for reducing depression and anxietyAerobic exercise, such as running, swimming, and dancing, may be most effective for relieving the symptoms of depression and anxiety, finds an overarching (umbrella) review and data synthesis of the available evidence, published online in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
Read more »
Epstein caught on 'spy camera' hidden inside carriage clock in new footage inside his living roomGrainy footage from a ‘spycam’-style camera inside the living room of paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein’s Palm Beach house has been released.
Read more »