Photo By Senior Airman Owen Davies | Royal Air Force service members operate an Airbus A400M Atlas aircraft assigned to No....... read more read more
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U.S. joint service members and Air Force units from three allied nations trained to rapidly project integrated combat power in a contested environment during a joint forcible entry operation in support of RED FLAG-Alaska 26-2, June 3.
The JFEO is a critical event during any RED FLAG-Alaska exercise, combining joint and coalition forces into a realistic combat scenario designed to enhance readiness, lethality and integrated operations.
"To be able to come up here, integrate into a combat air force asset like that is awesome, and a great [training] for our crews and our planners," said Royal New Zealand Air Force Maj. Adam Palmer, No. 40 Squadron leader. "Having air threats and ground threats that we need to mitigate as a crew to be able to achieve our objective is again great training for us.”
The event included U.S. Airmen assigned to the 374th Airlift Wing, Yokota Air Base, Japan, Airmen and Soldiers from the 517th Airlift Squadron and 11th Airborne Division, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, as well as service members from the Royal Air Force, Royal Canadian Air Force and Royal New Zealand Air Force.
They assembled a multinational airlift package of approximately 35 aircraft, including C-130J Super Hercules, A400M Atlas and C-17 Globemaster III aircraft, each executing a wide array of objectives during the JFEO.
Participants synchronized planning, communications and execution while refining tactics, techniques and procedures alongside coalition partners, preparing for a complex environment of simulated air and ground threats.
Aircrews executed low-altitude maneuvers, visual low-level routes and evasion and defense techniques while integrating major weapons systems, replicating the challenge and response to potential threats when operating in contested environments.
Royal Air Force aircrews conducted simulated cargo airdrops during the operation, practicing rapid delivery of critical supplies and equipment to support follow-on forces.
The 517th AS & 36th Airlift Squadron transported 452 personnel from the 11th Airborne, concluding the operation with more than 300 paratroops conducting airborne operations at Donnelly Drop Zone near Delta Junction, simulating airfield seizure and enabling follow-on personnel, equipment and vehicle operations.
"Operating as a single, cohesive airlift package with our allies proves that our coalition forces are not just interoperable, but interchangeable," said U.S. Air Force Capt. Tyler Jones, 36th AS pilot and 374th AW mission commander for RF-A 26-2. "Integrating all of these players to deliver personnel and equipment from the 11th Airborne Division in a dynamic environment is an invaluable experience that ensures we're ready to project decisive coalition power together on day one of any crisis."
Directed by Pacific Air Forces and executed by JBER and Eielson Air Force Base, RED FLAG-Alaska 26-2 provides realistic combat training that sharpens warfighting skills and strengthens interoperability among U.S. and partner-nation forces.
By integrating allied air and ground forces in complex operational scenarios, the exercise reinforces a shared commitment to regional security and stability while ensuring participating nations remain prepared to respond to challenges across the Indo-Pacific as a unified force.
| Date Taken: | 12.31.1969 |
| Date Posted: | 06.10.2026 19:28 |
| Story ID: | 567296 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, ALASKA, US |
| Web Views: | 68 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Multinational training event enhances joint, coalition readiness during RED FLAG-Alaska 26-2, by SrA Cayla Hunt, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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