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PRESS RELEASE: Red Flag Alaska 26 prepares to kick off

09 April 2026

From Pacific Air Forces Public Affairs

JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii — Red Flag-Alaska 26-1, a Pacific Air Forces sponsored exercise designed to provide realistic training in a simulated combat environment, is scheduled to begin on April 16th, with primary flight operations over the Joint Pacific Alaska Range Complex and is scheduled to run through May 1st.
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U.S. Air Force Capt. John Bove, 95th Fighter Squadron pilot, and a U.S. Air Force Airman assigned to the 95th Fighter Generation Squadron, perform pre-flight checks on a F-35A Lightning II during Red Flag-Alaska 25-3 at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, July 24, 2025. In addition to aircrew, RF-A provides training for deployed maintenance and support personnel to sustain large-force deployed air operations. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Alexzandra Gracey)
U.S. Air Force Capt. John Bove, 95th Fighter Squadron pilot, and a U.S. Air Force Airman assigned to the 95th Fighter Generation Squadron, perform pre-flight checks on a F-35A Lightning II during Red Flag-Alaska 25-3 at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, July 24, 2025. In addition to aircrew, RF-A provides training for deployed maintenance and support personnel to sustain large-force deployed air operations. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Alexzandra Gracey)
A F-35A Lightning II assigned to the 95th Fighter Squadron takes flight during Red Flag-Alaska 25-3 at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, July 24, 2025.
A F-35A Lightning II assigned to the 95th Fighter Squadron takes flight during Red Flag-Alaska 25-3 at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, July 24, 2025. RF-A simulates the complexities of potential scenarios, providing unique opportunities to integrate various forces into joint, coalition, and multilateral training from simulated forward operating bases, enhancing the ability to respond effectively to contingencies. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Alexzandra Gracey)
A U.S. Air Force Airman assigned to the 95th Fighter Generation Squadron marshals a F-35A Lightning II during Red Flag-Alaska 25-3 at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, July 25, 2025. In addition to aircrew, RF-A provides training for deployed maintenance and support personnel to sustain large-force deployed air operations. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Alexzandra Gracey)
A U.S. Air Force Airman assigned to the 95th Fighter Generation Squadron marshals a F-35A Lightning II during Red Flag-Alaska 25-3 at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, July 25, 2025. In addition to aircrew, RF-A provides training for deployed maintenance and support personnel to sustain large-force deployed air operations. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Alexzandra Gracey)

U.S. Air Force service members will fly, maintain and support aircraft from several units during this iteration of the exercise enabling them to hone tactics, techniques and procedures while improving interoperability with fellow Airmen.  Most aircraft will be based at, and fly from, Eielson Air Force Base and Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska.

Red Flag-Alaska training spans from individual skills to complex, large-scale joint engagements. The exercises can be adapted to integrate various forces into a realistic threat environment using the approximate 120,000 square miles of airspace in the Joint Pacific Alaska Range Complex, which is the largest combat training range in the world.

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