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Grand Forks tankers set for stealthy Red Flag

  • Published
  • By Capt. Mike Chillstrom
  • 319th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
GRAND FORKS AFB, ND --  Two KC-135 Stratotankers, four air crews and a large supporting cast from the 319th Air Refueling Wing are primed to be the lead tanker unit at the upcoming Red Flag exercise at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., in February.

As the lead tanker unit, the wing is the focal point for all Red Flag tanker issues. Red Flag exercises are designed to train U.S. forces and American allies in realistic combat scenarios. This Red Flag is unique because it features England's Royal air force, the Royal Australian air force and all three American stealth assets: the F-22A Raptor, F-117 Nighthawk and B-2 Spirit.

For the tanker crews, Red Flag is a chance to integrate with Air Combat Command units and train together for war.

"Red Flag prepares the entire force for what we're doing real-world," said Maj. Pat Day, Red Flag tanker operations detachment commander. "It's practicing working in small areas with large numbers of aircraft, which is happening all the time [in the Global War on Terror]. We're also practicing the tactics we often have to use when we're deployed."

The aerial refueling aspect of Red Flag will be similar to day-to-day training in North Dakota, although it will include more real-world elements.

"We practice what to do should an enemy get through our defenses and head toward a tanker," Major Day said. "At home station, we always have to simulate it and pretend, 'Here comes the bad guy.' At Red Flag, we'll actually have red forces [enemies] trying to get through, so it's more realistic training."

In all, the base will send roughly 65-75 personnel to Nellis AFB, including tanker operations leaders, planners, data entry specialists, life support, intel, public affairs and a maintenance team of roughly 36 people.

The air crews are a mixture of experienced instructor pilots and flyers with little or no Red Flag experience.

"We're doing some tactical aspects like Global Positioning System jamming to see what will happen to our systems when this happens, so we felt there was greater training value by sending some of our more experienced people, like instructor pilots," Major Day said. "From there, we tried to spread the wealth so we're not sending the same guys over and over again."

On the maintenance side, the Airmen will be tested in a fast-paced environment. Their mission will be to prep, launch, recover and perform relatively major maintenance, if needed, to keep the tankers flying throughout the exercise.

"We will be operating on a very busy ramp filled almost to capacity with many other squadrons from all over the Air Force," Capt. Sam Overholt, 319th Maintenance Squadron. "Space will be at a premium along with certain shared resources and other assets so there are challenges there, but nothing we can't handle."

Despite the challenges of the Red Flag environment, the maintainers are eager to prove their abilities.

"Red Flag is unique because it provides the best opportunity for our crews to get the most realistic training possible this side of a combat zone. For our operators, Red Flag is a very serious time, and that excitement is shared by maintenance. We have a top notch maintenance team, and I have every confidence that we will meet and conquer any challenge encountered."

Although much of the exercise will focus on fighter aircraft tactics and maneuvers, this particular Red Flag will also test a new command and control communication system aboard tanker assets.

KC-135 crews from Fairchild AFB, Wash., will determine how well Roll-On Beyond-Line-of-Sight Enhancement, dubbed ROBE, transforms tankers into critical communication nodes. Using ROBE, tankers will help relay crucial information wherever it's needed, eliminating the shortfalls of traditional, line-of-sight communications.

According to Major Day, Red Flag highlights how the entire base is responsible for the success of the aerial refueling mission.

"Everybody on base contributes to the bigger picture. As a wing, our mission contributes to the bigger picture," he said. "You take away the tankers and things will come to a screeching halt. We're the enabler. We help the tip of the spear get to the fight."