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RAF returns from successful Red Flag training

Published on: 21 Feb 2020

The RAF has returned from a successful inaugural training exercise in the US dubbed Red Flag - or the World Cup for fighter pilots.

A range of aircraft were deployed to Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, including F-35 Lightning jets, Typhoon FGR4s and a Voyager air-to-air refuelling tanker.

Hosted on the dedicated Nevada Test and Training Range, the aim is to replicate combat conditions as closely as possible in order to allow personnel to train for missions.

Indeed, with more than 12,000 square miles of airspace and 2.9 million acres of land, the military training area prides itself on being a 'peacetime battlefield' that cannot be replicated anywhere else in the world.

It meant pilots could participate in simulated enemy air defence systems on the ground, while maintenance crew could practise keeping aircraft flying for long periods.

Now the crews have all returned from the US, their performance will be analysed to examine where improvements may be made.

Speaking at the time of their deployment, RAF Marnham's station commander group captain Jim Beck said: "This training is as near to high-end operational flying as our pilots can get in a controlled environment and will really test them and the teams that support the squadron."