Exercise: Red Flag
In order to lessen pilots’ susceptibility and high loss rate in their first five combat missions, the US Air Force planned to offer realistic operational training within Tactical Air Command (TAC) by the mid-1970s, following lessons learned from experiences in Korea and Vietnam.
The idea was to set up a training complex with electronic countermeasures, guns, missiles, and air defense fighter radars that would simulate Soviet air defenses and follow their operating procedures. The idea, which was located at Nellis AFB in Nevada, was later dubbed Exercise Red Flag. Its operations took place in the training ranges in the desert north of the base.
Vulcan bombers invited to participate in Red Flag
The exercise quickly spread due to its early success; by 1977, offers to take part were sent to other US Air Commands, the US Navy, and the US Marine Corps. The RAF was invited to take part early on, using the Avro Vulcan bomber as well as tactical aircraft.
In the book Vulcan Boys True Tales of the Iconic Delta V Bomber by Tony Blackman, Anthony Wright, a Vulcan Navigator Radar who participated in Red Flag 82-2 in 1982—the last Red Flag exercise with Vulcans just before Operation Corporate, the Falklands campaign, and as the V Force was winding down as a deterrent—tells an intriguing tale;
‘Because we were operating at low level, at night, flying across miles of uninhabited desert, apart from take-off and landing at Nellis, our pilots were flying practically blind in the darkness and had to trust the navigation teams. It was only on returning from the desert range and climbing to height that sometime later a huge bright area suddenly appeared and attracted the pilots’ attention. It was the lights of Las Vegas.
‘Each night on landing there followed the same pattern. First there was debriefing followed by a swift exit to the Nellis officers’ club for a wind down, chatting to other American participating crews, including our ‘F-16 enemies’ [the red forces on the exercise flew the F-15 and the F-16], and then back to our Casino.’
F-16 crash
Wright continues;
‘There is one story concerning the F-16 that springs to mind and proves the Red Flag statistics were correct. One evening just as we were about to enter base operations, I heard a shout and turned round to see an F-16 on fire, smoke billowing out behind it, flying, or not as the case might be, low across the airfield parallel to the runway and with a bang the pilot ejected.’
‘I had my camera on my shoulder and was just able to take a photograph of the aircraft on fire as it hit the ground. It was that quick.
F-16 uses hydrazine to fuel its emergency power unit
‘We carried on to plan, briefed and eventually walked out to the aircraft on the huge apron with smoke still coming from the F-16. When we got into the aircraft and onto intercom we were told by air traffic control that all aircraft crews were to close any hatches, windows and doors and not to venture outside as it was hazardous.
‘We complied and were then told the reason. Unknown to us the F-16 used hydrazine, which is highly toxic and highly inflammable to fuel the aircraft’s emergency power unit (EPU). If the F-16’s engine failed then there was no power to restart the engine or operate the flying controls.
F-16 Hydrazine vapors under control
‘The EPU was there to try a restart. Failure of the EPU to generate power means that the pilot has no option but to eject. This one did. Once the fire teams and others in breathing apparatus and contamination suits got the situation under control we were cleared for take-off.’
Wright concludes;
‘Looking back, the flying on Red Flag was very testing, with much adrenalin used by all concerned. Despite that we learnt a good deal and were extremely satisfied to have completed it. Definitely an exercise not to be missed.’
Vulcan Boys True Tales of the Iconic Delta V Bomber is published by Mortons Books and is available to order here.
Photo by Bill Perrins via Mortons Books