Dozens of fighter jets gathered at Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida last week to kick off one of the service’s biggest air combat exercises—even as much of the government remains in shutdown.
More than 50 aircraft and 500 personnel are participating in Checkered Flag 26-1, which began Oct. 21 and runs through Nov. 6. USAF is flying F-16, F-22, and F-35A fighters, and the U.S. Marine Corps and Royal Australian Air Force are contributing F-35C and E-7 aircraft, respectively.
The 325th Fighter Wing at Tyndall is hosting the exercise, which focuses on integrating fourth- and fifth-generation fighters in air-to-air combat scenarios.
The wing said in a release that Checkered Flag encompasses a series of “large force exercises,” in which dozens of fighters take to the air, with “blue forces” defending an objective and “red forces” attacking it. Command-and-control and tanker aircraft provide support.
One objective of the exercise is to train Air Combat Command’s “Immediate Response Force,” a task force intended to mobilize and deploy around the globe on a moment’s notice, the release said.
The exercise is concurrent with Weapons System Evaluation Program 26.01, the latest in a long-running live-fire exercise series that tests air-to-air and air-to-ground systems.
“By combining Checkered Flag and WSEP, the U.S. military saves resources and provides a unique training battlefield for a variety of joint personnel and equipment,” the wing’s release states. The two have been held together in the past.
During the government shutdown, troops have continued to report and the Air Force has conducted operations. To date, Active Duty troops have been paid, while civilians and some Guard and Reserve personnel have not. Pentagon guidance has been to limit temporary duty travel, but the guidance also notes that excepted activities include “training and exercises required to achieve and maintain operational readiness.”
Air Force units have participated in international exercises such as Adamant Serpent, a special operations-focused exercise with Sweden, and wing-level exercises like Noble Panther, hosted by the 325th at Tyndall earlier this month.
Checkered Flag is the first Air Force-led major exercise to take place during the shutdown, but it does appear to have been scaled back from prior years, when more than 80 aircraft participated.
This could be the last major Air Force exercise for a while, however, as exercises like Red Flag, Red Flag-Alaska, and Bamboo Eagle are not scheduled to take place until February 2026 or later.
