Forum: F-16 News

Pakistan May Participate In Red Flag Exercise

Sep 19, 2008
John M. Doyle

The Defense Department is inviting the Pakistani Air Force (PAF) to participate in the Red Flag aerial combat training exercise next year at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada.

An Air Force spokesman told Aerospace DAILY there is “a possibility that the Pakistani Air Force will participate in a Red Flag in 2009.” Group Capt. Ahmer Shehzad, the air attaché at the Pakistani embassy, confirmed that the Pakistani Air Force (PAF) had been invited to Red Flag, but he said officials in Islamabad will decide whether to accept the invitation. India, Pakistan’s regional rival – the two countries have fought three wars since they both gained independence in 1947 – participated in Red Flag for the first time this past summer.

First indications of Pakistan’s participation came at a hearing before a House Foreign Affairs subcommittee earlier this week in which State and Defense Department witnesses tried to persuade skeptical lawmakers of the merits of reprogramming more than $250 million in military assistance funding to pay for upgrades to Pakistan’s aging fleet of F-16A/Bs (Aerospace DAILY, Sept. 17).

Bush administration officials insisted that the U.S.-funded upgrades to Pakistan’s 1980s F-16s will be used to counter al Qaeda terrorism – not Indian air superiority.

Air Force Maj. Gen. Burton M. Field, vice director of strategic plans and policy on the Pentagon’s Joint Staff, told committee members the upgrades will allow the PAF to conduct close air support and precision strikes at night – which it can’t do now.

Field said Pakistan’s participation in Red Flag would be preceded by “a series of progressive building block approaches over in their own country, getting them ready for that large scale program.”

source: http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/ ... 091908.xml

Hey varkvet, greek vipers (blk52+) must be entering us airspace today for red flag 09-1.

Hey varkvet, greek vipers (blk52+) must be entering us airspace today for red flag 09-1.

The D model 52 plus is awesome with CFT’s and 600 gal wing tanks.

Wish we had some.

Are the Dutch participating? Have they ever?

PAF’s F-16 jets leave for ‘Red Flag’ exercise in US
Sunday, July 11, 2010

KARACHI: Pakistan Air Force (PAF)’s squadron of F-16 aircraft have left with fighter pilots and technical crew for the US to participate in the forthcoming multinational exercises ‘Red Flag’ to commence from Thursday. As per an official handout, some of the leading air forces of the world, including the US Air Force, would take part in the manoeuvres. PAF’s F-16s would fly across the Atlantic Ocean to participate in the exercise to further hone the skills of its combat and technical crew. Red Flag is one of the most reputed air force exercises in the world and it has been periodically held in the US since 1975. staff report.

source: http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.as ... 010_pg12_2

I would like to see a WWF no holds barred Red Flag.

Pakistan,Turks, Greeks, and India … Then Billet them all at the Barcelona