ST. GEORGE, Utah, Jan. 15, 2024 (Gephardt Daily) — Starting Monday, southern Nevada and Utah residents can expect more roar from above as the U.S. Air Force conducts 11 days of training missions.
Roughly 100 aircraft will launch twice daily, including night flights, which could remain in the sky for up to five hours, Nellis Air Force Base said in announcing the air exercise, lead by Utah’s Hill Air Force Base fighter jets.
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office in Utah shared the announcement on social media, advising residents they’re in for some noise.
“Let the sounds of freedom ring! We’ll probably get some of this here too,” according to the sheriff’s office. Nellis, just north of Las Vegas, lies roughly 100 miles straight west of Washington County.
During Red Flag 24-1, Nellis will welcome close to 2,000 participants from the USAF, joint services, allies and partners, said Nellis.
“The 388th Fighter Wing from Hill AFB, Utah, will take command as the lead wing over the participating aircraft, including the F-35 Lightning II, F-22 Raptor, B-2 Spirit, and the Royal Air Force Typhoon!
Nellis has hosted Red Flag exercises since 1975 to provide aircrews the experience of multiple, intensive air combat sorties in the safety of a training environment.
There are three iterations of Red Flag annually: one U.S. only, one open to FVEY (Five Eyes) participants and another that welcomes an expanded roster of international allies and partners.
The training occurs at Nellis AFB on the Nevada Test and Training Range, the U.S. Air Force’s premier military training area with more than 12,000 square miles of airspace and 2.9 million acres of land.
