Rescue personnel transload onto an HC-130J Combat King II during a mission as part of Red Flag-Rescue 18-2 near Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., on May 8, 2018. Red Flag-Rescue gives joint service personnel an opportunity to build fundamental combat search and rescue skills to fight in and out of contested environments.
U.S. personnel recovery and Combat Air Force assets throughout the country convened at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., for the first execution of Red Flag-Rescue May 5-19, 2018.
Red Flag-Rescue, previously known as Angel Thunder, is a joint-force exercise that provides realistic combat training in a contested, degraded and operationally limited CSAR environment.
“The purpose of the name change is to solidify that this is a Combat Air Force, Flag-level exercise for Dynamic Targeting focused on isolated personnel or survivors,” said Lt. Col. Christopher Cunningham, Detachment 1, 414th Combat Training Squadron commander.
A pararescueman proves medical care to a survivor while flying on an HC-130J Combat King II during a medical transport mission as part of Red Flag-Rescue 18-2 near Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., May 8, 2018.
Red Flag-Rescue is the only exercise focused on all five tasks of personnel recovery that is accredited by the Joint National Training Capability, a Department of Defense initiative that ensures combat forces have gained experience operating jointly before deploying to theater.
“Red Flag-Nellis was originally created to give fighter pilots their first 10 combat missions in a large force exercise before deployment to contingency operations,” Cunningham said. “Red Flag-Rescue adopts this heritage as a subset of RF-N by providing joint forces their first 10 CSAR missions in a large force exercise. Contested CSAR operations can only be conducted by a full complement of forces capable of fighting into and out of the survivor’s location.”
More than 20 units from the U.S. Air Force, Army, Marine Corps and Navy collaborated for the two week exercise.
An HC-130P/N King pilot, assigned to the 39th Rescue Squadron, controls the aircraft during low-level training as part of Red Flag-Rescue 18-2 near Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., May 9, 2018.
An HC-130P/N King pilot, assigned to the 39th Rescue Squadron, flies the aircraft during low-level training as part of Red Flag-Rescue 18-2 near Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., May 9, 2018.
An HC-130P/N King loadmaster, assigned to the 39th Rescue Squadron, looks out of the window during low-level training as part of Red Flag-Rescue 18-2 near Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., on May 9, 2018.
A U.S. Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey crew chief, performs preflight checks on the aircraft to begin a combat search and rescue scenario as part of Red Flag-Rescue 18-2 near Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., on May 12, 2018.
A U.S. Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey lands in the designated area to pick up U.S. Air Force pararescuemen during a simulated combat search and rescue mission in support of exercise Red Flag-Rescue 18-2 at Playas Training Center, N.M., May 10, 2018.
U.S. Air Force pararescuemen establish a plan for conducting a successful combat search and rescue mission as part of Red Flag-Rescue 18-2 at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., on May 12, 2018.
A U.S. Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II flies behind an MV-22 Osprey during a combat rescue scenario as part of Red Flag-Rescue 18-2 near Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., on May 12, 2018.
A U.S. Air Force pararescueman yells to pass on vital information to MV-22 Osprey aircrew during a combat rescue scenario as part of Red Flag-Rescue 18-2 near Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., on May 12, 2018.
A U.S. Marine Corps UH-1 Huey helicopter waits for a coyote to pass during take off at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, May 17, 2018.