The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) has taken to the skies for Exercise Red Flag Nellis 25-1 with its biggest contingent yet.
Deploying about 430 personnel and 17 aircraft, the RAAF has joined forces with the United States and the United Kingdom at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada.
2025 marks the 50th anniversary of Exercise Red Flag in the US, and the biggest RAAF participation, featuring F-35A Lightning II, F/A-18F Super Hornet, EA-18G Growler, E-7A Wedgetail aircraft and 41 Wing Tactical Command and Control team.
Group Captain Stewart Seeney, Commander of the RAAF task unit for Exercise Red Flag Nellis 25-1, underlined the impact of this activity.
“This is the most significant number of aircraft we’ve deployed to Nellis Air Force Base for Exercise Red Flag since we first attended in 1980,” Group Captain Seeney said.
“These exercises provide a complex and realistic training environment where we can integrate different capabilities and develop our ability to work with key allies and partners.”
‘Exercise Red Flag teaches us how to fight a large force together, making it a highly valuable training opportunity.’
Participating in Exercise Red Flag Nellis is a career-defining experience for RAAF aviators. It offers invaluable opportunities to work alongside allies and master high-end capabilities such as long-range strike, electronic warfare and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.
This exercise advances Australia’s interoperability with its partnered nations and improves the tactics, techniques and procedures to be implemented across the Indo-Pacific region.
Commanding Officer of 77 Squadron Wing Commander Ben Sawley highlighted the exercise’s unique challenges and learning opportunities.
“It’s the first time 77 Squadron has brought the F-35A to Exercise Red Flag, and it’s been excellent working with our United States and United Kingdom partners,” he said.
“Exercise Red Flag teaches us how to fight a large force together, making it a highly valuable training opportunity.”
As Exercise Red Flag Nellis continues, the RAAF’s participation underscores its commitment to regional security and its ongoing role as a key partner in global Defence operations.
“The ability to integrate and operate seamlessly with our allies is crucial, and exercises like Red Flag ensure we’re ready,” Group Captain Seeney said.
