TACOMA—A squadron of military fighter jets on Tuesday soared over Tacoma, the second group of foreign aircraft this year to fly through Joint Base Lewis-McChord on its way to a training exercise in Alaska.
The jets flew into the Tacoma area over Memorial Day weekend, Joe Kubistek, spokesperson for JBLM’s 62nd Airlift Wing said Friday. The Indian Air Force and the Republic of Singapore Air Force are participating in the training, but Kubistek could not confirm which foreign military stopped at the base this week.
More than 100 aircraft from three nations, including the United States, are participating in the exercise, called Red Flag-Alaska, from May 30 to June 14, according to the U.S. Air Force. It’s meant to replicate the stresses that warfighters would face in combat deployments and ensure that American forces can integrate with allies in future conflicts.
Kubistek said it’s not uncommon for military aircraft traveling across the United States to stop through JBLM to refuel and rest before pressing on.
This is the second iteration of Red Flag-Alaska this year. Tacomans might have heard the roar of Italian Air Force Eurofighter Typhoons tearing through the sky in early April before the first run of the training exercise. U.S. Air Force Col. Paul Townsend and Italian Air Force Col. Vito Cracas exchanged gifts at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska before it got underway.
More than 1,000 people on average and up to 60 aircraft deploy to Eielson Air Force Base, southeast of Fairbanks, Alaska, for each Red Flag exercise, according to the base. An additional 500 people and 40 aircraft deploy to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage.
Participants are organized into “Red” offensive forces, “Blue” coalition forces and “White” forces that represent a neutral controlling agency, according to Eielson Air Force Base. Red forces are made up of air-to-air fighters, ground-control intercept and surface air defense to simulate threats posed by potentially hostile nations. Blue forces include U.S. and allied tactical and support units. The Red and Blue forces meet in a simulated hostile training environment, so the job of controlling the mock war and ensuring safety falls to the White forces.
As many as 70 jet fighters can be operating in the same airspace at the height of the exercise, according to the base.
The training moved to Alaska in 1992 from Clark Air Base in the Philippines following the June 15, 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo. At the time the exercise was known as Cope Thunder. It was renamed to Red Flag-Alaska in 2006.
A third iteration of Red Flag-Alaska is scheduled for Aug. 15-30. It’s unclear if that would bring more foreign aircraft through Pierce County skies.
