European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 10, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                It 10ytanphot. 17nation Hay gag rain dogfight with wo9so"n Muht a combat of it.  ultimate War game by Robert Macy associated press in what is considered the ultimate computerized War game combat pilots fro around the world attack airfields that resemble soviet bloc targets and engage supersonic Jet that rep Cate soviet miss. Operation red Flag a six week Long operation conducted four times a year out of Nellte fab in Nevada teaches pilots How to survive and prevail in modern warfare. The current exercise which runs through feb. 15, features 21 types of aircraft from All four . Military branches in addition to the Canadian air Force. More than 300 aircraft Are expected to Fry some 5,000 missions. For 10 years thousands of american pilots and hundreds of their counterparts from 16 for Lenity foreign countries have dodged simulated soviet defense systems and engaged in dogfights with red aggressors in the War Over 3,800 Square mites of the Nevada desert. Forty one pilots have died in red Flag operations testimony to the intensity of the simulated combat operations. Had Flag Iatha highest rung next to  said col. John Madden a former combat Pilot who directs the $19 million annual program. It s the closest thing to combat i be Ever seen in three Tours of duty. In Southeast Asia Madden registered three min Kite and one enemy plane damaged ranking him no. 3 among americans in min kills. The simulated War games began following heavy losses of . Plots in Vietnam. In the first red Flag exercises a decade ago nine types of aircraft participated with 55 planes flying 1.300 sorties. A typical red Flag operation features strike aircraft sweeping Between Mountain peaks to Knock out enemy defences such As surface to air missiles. The defences have video cameras to film the Pilot s attack and determine whether he was Able reach the target Knock it out and escape Falve. This allows us to see ourselves in the eyes of the enemy gunner Madden explained. It s All there to see on the videotape. This is the Only Range in the world where pilots can go and see the vast variety of soviet threats. We present a direct replica of what a Pilot would face in combat. Intelligence tells us what they know about soviet defences and we try to replicate  Ford aerospace has a $16 million contract to set untie toughest defences possible on than Iii. Ruto configurations similar to Mig-2 is and Mig-23s, engage in dogfights with f-16s and other Friendly forces. The red aggressors specially trained american pilots who Fly and fight like their soviet counterparts attack Blue Friendly forces and try to prevent their penetration into the target area. According to the game s scenario 40,000 soviet troops have attacked Friendly nation. We want our pilots fighting someone As similar to a soviet Pilot As you could get Madden said. We have 40 aggressor aircraft and pilots and they la outnumber the Blue air 2-to-1 or 3-to-1. That s because the soviets have More fighters than we  the Range runs North from Las vegas for 1 50 Miles intensity of the defences increases with each Day of a red Flag operation knocking out the missile Sites and hunkered positions is a major goal. Reconnaissance aircraft such As Azacs airborne warning and control system Are used to help choreograph the attack and set defensive systems. Other aircraft provide electronic jamming and countermeasures. Giant transports provide Airlift support. Including Parachute drops to Friendly forces helicopters sweep across the desert on search and Rescue missions. Gwitt b-52� whip Croaa the Range hugging the desert at 200-foot altitudes looking for targets such As airfields and vehicle convoys. Kc-135 tankers Circle the East and West sides of the vast Range refuelling planes As they would under combat conditions. The threats Don t originate from the desert floor alone. In each exercise 40 f-5e jets with 100 aircraft Fly through the target area within a five minute period. Tha ability to replay tha Batt Taa will leap Forward in 136 aircraft Over the entire Range being fed data from pods carried on each plane s wingtip. Alar a it will give us the big picture of what went on out  capt. Hal Westbrook explained. The full Battle scenario is available on three dimensional screens jiving a horizontal look a vertical View and an overhead gods Eye View Westbrook said. The screens show the airspeed of each plane disposition Altitude and threats launched against it Westbrook pointed to a Blue f-16 and a red is gooh1 "9 each other at a Stosl nil speech of a second screen showed the View from the Blue plane s cockpit. With the aggressor in his sight storm Blue plane fired. An outline of a coffin flashed across the target indicating an enemy kill. Monday february 10, 1986 the stars and stripes Page 13