Italian pilots raved about their first 'Red Flag' exercise with the US-made F-35
Usually operating in flights of four aircraft, the F-35s acted as “force enablers,” neutralizing several threats: on average about seven SAM systems and five Red Air assets were “killed” during each mission, according to the Italian Air Force. Moreover, the five aircraft deployed to Nellis AFB were able to launch 100% of the planned missions: two four-ship missions, each day.
“Being at the controls of an F-35, a fifth-generation aircraft, has always been a dream. I imagined that the machine had unique capabilities in combat and I had the confirmation from the first flight […] but participating in the Red Flag, one of the best exercises in the world, confirmed it to me beyond all expectations” Maj. Alessandro P. said.
“The results we have achieved in these two weeks are almost unbelievable: the statistics do not need comments.”
The F-35 was the most effective asset in neutralizing SAM systems and absolutely essential in the timely sharing of all the specific information needed for the success of the mission.
“We knew we had an operational advantage, due to the 5th generation technology, but we didn’t expect such a high “kill” ratio: in the 16 OCA missions (Offensive Counter Air) we flew,
we neutralized more than 100 SAM systems and never lost a plane,” commented Maj. Emanuele A.
“I was impressed by the capabilities demonstrated by the F-35 in a complex and realistic environment such as the Red Flag where there are real professionals who simulate the Red Air” added Maj. Giuseppe A. at the end of the exercise.
“During our missions we were among the first to enter the area of operations, far beyond the enemy lines, and the last to leave it, thanks to both the great persistence and the peculiar Low-Observability characteristics of our 5th generation aircraft. We were able to identify, transmit and neutralize ground and air threats very quickly, protecting the coalition’s assets in highly risky circumstances: the superior capabilities of the F-35 were often decisive. […] During the exercise, we achieved a high level of interoperability that allowed us, as a coalition, to tackle missions with a very high level of threat and complexity in which the F-35 was certainly essential to achieve its objectives.”
https://www.businessinsider.com/ita...st-red-flag-exercise-with-us-made-f-35-2019-4
