RED FLAG PARTICIPANTS
July 2008

Red Air
F-15s and F-16s, Nellis AFB, Nev.

Blue Air
F-15s, RAF Lakenheath, United Kingdom
F-5s, Brazilian Air Force

Air-To-Ground
B-52s, Minot AFB, N.D.
F-16s, Turkish Air Force
Gripens, Swedish Air Force
F-16s, Hill AFB, Utah

Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses
EA-6Bs, NAS Whidbey Island, Wash.

Command and Control; Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance
E-3, Tinker AFB, Okla.
E-3, NATO

Air Refueling
KC-135s, Fairchild AFB, Wash.
KC-135s, Turkish Air Force
KC-137, Brazilian Air Force

_______________________________

RED FLAG PARTICIPANTS
August 2008

Red Air
F-15s and F-16s, Nellis AFB, Nev.

Blue Air
F-15s, Jacksonville, Fla.
F-15s, Eglin AFB, Fla.
Rafale', French Air Force

Air-To-Ground
Rafale', French Air Force
F-15s, Nellis AFB, Nev.
SU-30s, Indian Air Force
F-15Ks, Republic of Korea Air Force

Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses
EA-6Bs, NAS Whidbey Island, Wash.
F-16s, Nellis AFB, Nev.
F-16s, Eglin AFB, Fla.
EC-130Hs, Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz.

Command and Control; Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance
E-3s, Tinker AFB, Okla.

Airlift
C-130s, French Air Force
C-17s, McChord AFB, Wash.

Air Refueling
KC-135s, unit to be determined
IL-76/78, Indian Air Force

What rubbish.... According you even the F15K, Rafale and F15 US are bombers??!!

Ahem iam actually pointing towards the participation. where as rafales are also in Blue team if you look with open eyes.

Yep you are right... except for F15K

Have you read there are going to be surprise missions, change of course and missions, this is the most realistic as it gets, so who know what is in for MKI’s, its too early to speculate on anything right now.

NEW DELHI: Tearing into the sky as part of the Blue Forces to defend against the "aggressor" Red Forces of F-15s and F-16s on Monday, India's eight frontline Sukhoi-30MKI fighters were the cynosure of all eyes at the Nellis US Air Force base in Nevada.

This, after all, is the very first time that the frontline Russian-origin Sukhoi-30MKI fighters are taking part in war games on US territory. "We have trained long and hard for this day," said IAF contingent commander Group Captain D Choudhury, in a pep talk to his 'air warriors' before the world-famous 'Red Flag' air combat exercise kicked off in Nevada.

"It's time to showcase our professionalism. I have total faith and confidence in you. The world is watching us. So, gentlemen let's show them what we are made up of," he added.

IAF fighter pilots have certainly proved more than a match for American, French, British and other pilots in combat exercises over the last few years. But Red Flag is in a different league altogether, with IAF's six Sukhois, two IL-78 mid-air refullers and an IL-76 heavy-lift aircraft flying over 120 sorties just in the "work-up" phase.

"Red Flag will provide a realistic war situation, in which the Blue Forces pilots will have all possible odds 'thrown' at them," IAF spokesperson Wing Commander Mahesh Upasani told TOI over the phone from US. IAF pilots in their Sukhois, along with French ones in their spanking new Rafale fighters, South Korean ones in their F-15K jets and a large USAF element, will constitute the "friendly" Blue Forces during the two-week multi-nation exercise.

"The Red Forces, in turn, will be represented by F-15s and F-16s of the 64th and 65th aggressor squadrons of USAF based at Nellis. The availability of a large air-to-air range, with threat replication, contributes to the tremendous training value of the exercise," said Upasani.

IAF, of course, is pretty sure about holding its own in this largest-ever overseas deployment for the force, even though they are not as used to the "advanced network-centricity" and AWACS (airborne warning and control system) environment as USAF.

"As the exercise progresses, Blue Forces will often be told to change their plans during mid-flight to put them under pressure. The 'kill removal' practice, under which aircraft assumed to have been shot down by the enemy are removed from the exercise, makes it even more realistic," he added.

As reported by TOI earlier, India is shelling out around Rs 100 crore to take part in the complex air combat manoeuvres, which are being touted as a new high in Indo-US military ties. Indian and American armed forces, incidentally, have held around 50 war games in the last seven years to build "interoperability" and learn "best practices" from each other.

Such exercises also give the two confidence that they can operate together against "a common enemy" in the future if required.

Typical indian source.Surprise missions for aircrafts dedicated to A2G role would not be A2A.It would always be A2G because your imaginary payload will be A2G.

1. Name one version of Sukhoi 27 series that Russia operates as bomber class except the Su-34 please.
2. Gripens must be bombers too then in your opinion (Red flags, July 2008, A-G)?
3. Changing roles.................... isnt there something called multi-role capability?

Even if there is any truth to this logic, would you rather fight an enemy with 200 Su-30 bombers or 200 Su-30 fighters?

I know how capable MKI is but the rules are rules.MKI was assigned to A2G role in this excercise. Surprise or no surprise this excersise is not designed so that other participants may learn from USAF but its the other way round.

Ever wonder why the Red Air is composed fully of USAF and majority of Blue air is USAF.Plus MKIs are useless against F-15s in A2a role with E-3s.Your datalink is not compatible.

Rafale may be compatible with Link 16s.So is the case with turkish F-16s.

SU-30-MKI is a MULTIROLE fighter i hope most people know the term what multirole means and indian or not but the MKI will have a BVR+WVR combo of 2 missles each despite the fact its carrying A2G munations and bombs a plane always have A2A missles for self defence regardless of the fact MKI faces F-15's or F-16's doesnt matter it will have A2A munations as i have mentioned before.

I think they are doing this because the IAF decided not to use their Bars radar due the fear that it may disclose their frequency on which they operate. I think these chickens did the same in UK also. Correct me if I am wrong.

Its true.The Bars radar was switched off during the same in UK and this time it was entirely removed in india itself.So it cant participate in A2A missions which needs radar.but it still can use its IRST which ofcourse is of no bid use in BVR combats.

and ^^^ ,I beg ur pardon for the use of lang like chickens.
the better u use ur lang the better the discussion would be.

LOL thats because they are smart unlike us they dont trust the uncle and know if the need be the uncle would back stab them and we might end up with those frequencies or for that matter somebody else so i think they are playing it smart. We arent dealing with the same IAF of 1965 and 1971 a lot has changed since then. unlike us atleast their MKI's can take on and pick up NATO or American aircrafts if there is a need for engagment we are getting brand sparking new F-16Block52+ which wont have DFRM as well as wont be able to lock onto nato aircrafts since they would always apper as friendlies.

My above comment aside only a War can tell us how capable the MKI's really are and i hope there is never one because Wars only bring havoc and caos, although MKI is a very very capable aircraft but it isnt a F-16 or F-22 killer by default as some naive people claim anything is possiable in Air to Air combat it all comes to tactics,training,experience and the man inside the machine who finally makes a difference not the other way around although technology helps or might give you an edge but it doesnt garentee victory.

F-22 killer??!! No way. I still not so sure about F-16. Now don't call me anti Pakistani just I said something about F-Solas

Your a human being for me 1st then anything else but it all depends on the pilot F-16A/B OCU's would be out matched by the SU-30MKI in BVR anyday in WVR it all depends on the pilots, where as after the MLU F-16's would be quite a challange for the MKI's or any other aircraft for that matter please do keep in mind we have been operating them for ages and have great experience on these jets.

American, French and South Korean aircrews are getting a close look at one of the world's fabled aircraft - the Indian air force's Su-30MKI strike fighter.

An Indian air force group of 50 pilots and weapon systems officers - flying eight Su-30MKIs, two Il-78 tankers and an Il-76 transport - are just finishing a month-long deployment to the United States with a training cycle at the latest, annual Red Flag aerial combat excercises based at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.

They were part of a contingent of 246 IAF personnel selected from 20 (fighter) Squadron, Poona; 78 (tanker) Squadron, Agra; 44 (transport) Squadron, Nagpur, and a special operations team trained for combat search and rescue, says Group Captain Dee Choudhry.

Of great interest to observers - and no doubt to U.S. intelligence - was the Su-30MKI's Russian-made, long-range radar and AA-12 Adder air-to-air missile capability. In fact, foreign air force officials admit that they suspect that intelligence gathering goes on at an event like Red Flag.

India's Su-30MKI aircraft offers an especially attractive target. It carries the Tikhomirov Scientific Research Institute of Instrument Design NIIP-BARS radar that so far has only been seen on the MKI. But it's considered a variant of what NIIP developed for Russia's new Su-35 multi-role aircraft and what it's working on for the next-generation PAK-FA fifth-generation stealth fighter.

One long-time military analyst mused to Aviation Week that the event might provide insight, although it was no certainty. "I'll bet your [intelligence] boys hovered up every little squiggly amp from BARS. [Yet] sometimes the [radar's] training mode is just a software package that emulates the radar transmissions, but it's actually not emitting."

Indeed, to observers' dismay, and no doubt to that of the U.S. intelligence community, the IAF flew with a number of handicaps, some of them self-imposed, some not.

Their powerful Russian-made radar was, in fact, emitting, says Choudhry, but operating only in the training mode which limited all its range and spectrum of capabilities. In addition, the IAF wasn't allowed to use chaff and flares to avoid being targeted by surface-to-air missiles nor did its aircraft have the common data link. CDL brings a flow of targeting information into the cockpit displays that improves the accuracy and speed of data transfer and eliminates the need for most communications. The Indian air crews had to rely on voice communications which slowed the process and limited situational awareness.

Despite its limitations, the Su-30MKI's radar was able enough to allow the IAF's Sukhois to participate in a beyond-visual-range fight with U.S. aggressor aircraft carrying simulated AA-10C air-to-air missiles. Because there were so many foreign aircraft capable of offensive counter-air/escort missions (including French Rafales and South Korean F-15Ks), the Sukhois are flying fewer air-to-air missions than Indian team members had hoped, Choudhry says.

"It was almost what we expected," Choudhry says. "Because we couldn't use our chaff and flares, when we were targeted by SAMs we were shot down. And there was no picture in the cockpit to help our situational awareness so the workload on the [aircrews] was very high." Nonetheless, "We came a long way. We trained hard. And the degree of difficulty was not unexpected." (what he is trying to say here is we got our asses kicked lol)

Photo showing Indian Air Force support conducting post-flight maintenance on an SU-30 Fighter following a Red Flag mission at Nellis Air Force Base on Aug. 13 by USAF Airman 1st Class Ryan Whitney.)

Link