Top Gear: F-35s at Checkered Flag

American F-35As and F-35Cs joined forces during Checkered Flag 24-2, one of the Department of Defense’s largest air-to-air exercises.

At Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida, airmen and Marines trained alongside soldiers and sailors to deliver “decisive combat airpower with rapid response.”

Squad Goals

"So now we’re learning how the Air Force does business and in return, they get to learn how we do business,” said Staff Sgt. Joshua Cofield, a maintenance control chief with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 311. “This way, if we’re ever in a location where there are F-35s, or Air Force, or Navy, we can all be on the same page and share equipment, tools, qualifications and experiences like that.”

Cleared Hot

Some aircraft participating in Checkered Flag also joined Weapons System Evaluation Program East, the Air Force’s joint program to evaluate air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons employment. 

“This is the first time our pilots are actually going to see a missile come off of their aircraft,” said Capt. Alex Nielsen, an F-35 pilot with Vermont’s 134th Fighter Squadron. “We’re here so they get that real-world experience, building confidence so that the first time they (fire their weapons) isn’t in a combat situation.”

These joint, high-end exercises highlight a key advantage for NATO: the ability to move advanced 5th Generation airpower assets forward quickly to support and defend allies.