JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii -- Red Flag-Alaska 18-2, a Pacific Air Forces-sponsored field training exercise designed to provide realistic training in a simulated combat environment is scheduled to begin June 7 with primary flight operations over the Joint Pacific Alaska Range Complex scheduled through June 22.

U.S. Air Force, Army and Navy aviation, ground forces and support elements will join their counterparts from the Japanese Air Self Defense Force (JASDF), Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) and British Army during this iteration of the exercise, enabling all involved to exchange tactics, techniques and procedures while improving interoperability.

The majority of aircraft, scheduled to participate in this year’s exercise include: A-10s, F-16s, F/A 18Es, KC-135Rs, HH-60s, C-130Js and E-3s, and will primarily be based at and fly from Eielson Air Force Base and Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska.

Red Flag-Alaska exercises provide unique opportunities to integrate various forces in a realistic threat environment and dates back to 1975 when it was held at Clark Air Base in the Philippines and called exercise COPE THUNDER. This iteration marks the second of the calendar year.