The latest Red Flag exercise at Nellis AFB, Nev., is set to kick off Jan. 25 with more than 80 aircraft from dozens of units across the US Air Force, US Navy, Royal Air Force, and Royal Australian Air Force. Red Flag 16-1 will run through Feb. 12, according to a Nellis release. This iteration of the Air Force’s top air combat exercise will include a reconnaissance element with RQ-4 Global Hawks and U-2s, both from Beale AFB, Calif., B-2s from Whiteman AFB, Mo., and F-22s from Tyndall AFB, Fla., along with several other types of fighter, command and control, refueling, airlift, and electronic attack aircraft. More than 80 aircraft will takeoff from Nellis twice per day, remaining in the air over the Nevada Test and Training Range for up to five hours. This is the first of four Red Flag exercises scheduled for Nellis this calendar year.
The U.S. military is sending more fighter jets to the Middle East to step up its war with Iran, adding to what is already the largest buildup of airpower in the region since the 2003 invasion of Iraq. For now, the operation shows little sign of coming to a quick…