TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Tyndall Air Force Base wrapped-up Checkered Flag 23-1 exercise today, after two weeks of rigorous flying operations.
Checkered Flag is a large-scale aerial exercise designed to integrate fourth and fifth- generation airframes to enhance the mobility, deployment, & employment capabilities of military aviators and maintainers. The exercise included airpower assets from Air Force, Navy and Royal Australian Air Force units.
Aircraft participating in Checkered Flag 23-1 were also involved with Weapons System Evaluation Program-East, the designated name for the U.S. Air Force’s air-to-air Weapons System Evaluation Program under the 53rd Weapons Evaluation Group. The combination of both exercises saves resources and provides a unique training battlefield for a variety of aircraft and support personnel from different services and Air Force units. Participating aircraft and units at Tyndall included:
F-22 Raptor - 94th Fighter Squadron, 1st Fighter Wing, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, VA
F-35A Lightning II - 421st Fighter Squadron, 388th Fighter Wing, Hill Air Force Base, UT
F-15E Strike Eagle - 391st Fighter Squadron, 366th Fighter Wing, Mountain Home Air Force Base, ID
F-16 Fighting Falcon - 125th Fighter Squadron, 138th Fighter Wing, Tulsa ANG Base, OK
F/A-18E Super Hornet - Carrier Air Wing 11, Naval Air Station Lemoore, CA
E-3 Sentry - 960th Airborne Air Control Squadron, 552d Air Control Wing, Tinker AFB, OK
E-7A Wedgetail - Royal Australian Air Force Base Williamstown, NSW, Australia
In total, Tyndall supported more than 50 aircraft and 1000 Airmen that participated in the exercise locally.
Journalists interested in follow up interviews should contact 325th Fighter Wing Public Affairs at (850) 283-3333 or 325FW.PA.PublicAffairs@us.af.mil. For Checkered Flag b-roll and photos click here: https://www.dvidshub.net/feature/CheckeredFlag.