The biggest Checkered Flag train held to this point wrapped up at Tyndall Air Drive Base, Could 21. Checkered Flag, one of many Division of Protection’s largest air-to-air workouts, is a two-week lengthy, large-scale aerial train designed to combine fourth and fifth-generation airframes to reinforce mobility, deployment, and employment capabilities of aviators and maintainers. The train, which began Could 10, centered on integration of Air Drive and U.S. Navy fleets, to incorporate fighter, tanker, digital warfare and command and management plane. Greater than 115 plane and 15 joint squadrons from throughout the nation participated within the train, with 71 of these plane and a pair of,000 personnel working out of Tyndall AFB.

Moreover, the train leveraged the present rebuild of Tyndall AFB to afford on-station members the chance to be taught from logistical challenges they could face downrange. Plane taking part in roles in Checkered Flag 21-2 are additionally concerned with the 53rd Wing’s Weapons System Analysis Program (WSEP) East 21-8, also called Fight Archer, the Air Drive’s joint program to check air-to-air and air-to-ground live-fire weapons employment for fight aviators. Holding the coaching concurrently saves assets and gives further coaching for the items.

U.S. Navy Sailors assigned to the Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 103, Naval Air Station Oceana, Va., put together to load an AIM-9 missile throughout Weapons System Analysis Program 21-8 at Tyndall Air Drive Base, Fla., Could 11, 2021. Checkered Flag 21-2 was held in coordination with the 53rd Wing’s WSEP East 21-8, run by the 53rd Weapons Analysis Group positioned at Tyndall Air Drive Base, Fla. Holding these workouts collectively allowed taking part items to check each air-to-ground and air-to-air functionality. (U.S. Air Drive photograph by Airman 1st Class Tiffany Worth)

The Location of Tyndall AFB gives a premier website for the train. With unhindered entry to greater than 180,000 sq. miles of airspace over the Gulf of Mexico, members can take off and get into the struggle shortly. Whereas Tyndall AFB housed the vast majority of the train plane and personnel, there aren’t any amenities massive sufficient for all of the gamers to collect for mission planning. With items working out of Cecil Area in Jacksonville and Eglin AFB, gamers divided into completely different Places permitting for members to plan missions by way of video teleconference earlier than assembly within the air. The added problem additional hones mission readiness as a result of it’s extra consultant of fight.

Over the course of 14 days, gamers in Checkered Flag flew a mixed 882 sorties, 692 originating out of Tyndall AFB. Moreover, 54 missiles had been fired underneath WSEP with greater than 100 first-time shooters taking part. The ensuing 25 aerial occasions straight supported the Air Fight Command commander’s plan to coach the Fast Response Drive – a devoted pressure prepared for worldwide, fast response to unexpected or unplanned operations. The 325th Fighter Wing hosted and cultivated a joint integration surroundings and coaching train.

Largest Checkered Flag Exercise Wraps Up at Tyndall Air Force Base
An F-15E Strike Eagle assigned to Seymour Johnson Air Drive Base, N.C., receives gasoline from a KC-135 Stratotanker over the Gulf of Mexico throughout Checkered Flag 21-2, Could 12, 2021. The big-scale aerial train designed to combine fourth and fifth-generation airframes to reinforce mobility, deployment, and employment capabilities of aviators and maintainers. (U.S. Air Drive photograph by Workers Sgt. Stefan Alvarez)