Check out these cool photos of U.S. F-22 Raptors refueling over Nevada during Red Flag

February 12, 2016 Military Aviation
David Cenciotti
An F-22 Raptor pilot from Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., signals goodbye and continues his training mission after receiving fuel from a KC-135 Stratotanker. The 95th Fighter Squadron is the lead unit during Red Flag 16-1, they deployed 12 F-22 Raptors and 200 personnel to participate. (U.S. Air Force still frame by Master Sgt. Burt Traynor/Released)

Red Flag 16-1 is underway and here are some cool images.

The images in this post show two F-22 Raptors assigned to the 95th Fighter Squadron, from Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, refueling from a KC-135 Stratotanker over the Nevada Test and Training Range (NTTR) on Feb. 4, 2016, during an Exercise Red Flag 16-1 training sortie.

An F-22 Raptor assigned to the 95th Fighter Squadron, Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., flies a training sortie over the Nevada Test and Training Range Feb. 4, 2016, during Exercise Red Flag 16-1. The full spectrum training Red Flag provides is designed to incorporate multi-domains of warfare to include command and control, real-time intelligence, analysis and exploitation, and electronic warfare. (U.S. Air Force still frame by Master Sgt. Burt Traynor/Released)

Along with approximately 30 other aircraft, the Raptors are participating in the advanced training program administered by the United States Warfare Center and executed through the 414th Combat Training Squadron, that is considered the world’s most realistic: Red Flags include both day and night missions that give aircrew an opportunity to experience advanced, relevant, and realistic combat-like situations in a controlled environment with the purpose to improve their ability to complete complex missions.

Red Flag 16-1: Raptor duo

The NTTR is “the largest contiguous air and ground space available for peace time military operations in the free world, offering 5,000 square miles of air space and more than 1,200 targets and threat simulators.”

An F-22 Raptor assigned to the 95th Fighter Squadron, Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., connects to the boom of a KC-135 Stratotanker to refuel during Exercise Red Flag 16-1 Feb. 4, 2016. F-22 Raptors, along with approximately 30 other airframes, are participating in the advanced training program administered by the United States Warfare Center and executed through the 414th Combat Training Squadron, both located at Nellis AFB. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Burt Traynor/Released)

Red Flag 16-1-back to the mission

Image credit: U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Burt Traynor/Released

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David Cenciotti is a journalist based in Rome, Italy. He is the Founder and Editor of “The Aviationist”, one of the world’s most famous and read military aviation blogs. Since 1996, he has written for major worldwide magazines, including Air Forces Monthly, Combat Aircraft, and many others, covering aviation, defense, war, industry, intelligence, crime and cyberwar. He has reported from the U.S., Europe, Australia and Syria, and flown several combat planes with different air forces. He is a former 2nd Lt. of the Italian Air Force, a private pilot and a graduate in Computer Engineering. He has written five books and contributed to many more ones.

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8 Comments

  3. Killing the production line of this fighter was a big mistake, they will regret it sooner or later

          • Oh the famous F-X..in the pipeline, of course…rotfl…it doesn’t even remotely exist…and you don’t even have the money to buy the planned number of F-35s in a year…

            • is that your “professional” opinion? Perhaps you should look at how many F-35s have rolled out of the factory last year and how much are going to roll out this year.

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