Exercise Red Flag (also Red Flag – Nellis) is a two-week advanced aerial combat training exercise held several times a year by the United States Air Force (USAF). It aims to offer realistic air-combat training for military pilots and other flight crew members from the United States and allied countries.

Each year, three to six Red Flag exercises are held at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, while up to four more, dubbed Red Flag – Alaska, are held at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska. (Source: Wikipedia)

Nellis Air Force Base ("Nellis" colloq.) is a United States Air Force installation in southern Nevada. Nellis hosts air combat exercises such as Exercise Red Flag and close air support exercises such as Green Flag-West flown in "Military Operations Area (MOA) airspace", associated with the nearby Nevada Test and Training Range (NTTR). The base also has the Combined Air and Space Operations Center-Nellis.

Red Flag Nellis is a very popular event for spotters and is well known for being easy to spot at as long as you know where to go. Nellis Air Force Base is located primarily along North Las Vegas Boulevard which, depending on where you are situated along it, provides fantastic views of aircraft departing and recovering during the exercise.

While recovering, aircraft usually come in one flight after the other with no more than a few minutes separating the arrival of each flight. The event is an absolute must for any military aviation enthusiast and provides fantastic views of military aircraft both foreign and USAF operated.

Red Flag 25-2's participants were the USAF, US Navy, Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC), United Arab Emirates, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia.

F-16s proved to be the most common aircraft at the event with both the UAE and Turkey bringing their aircraft as well as the USAF and AFRC seen flying F-16s as well.