During two weeks of intense training, a large combined force composed of 119 participating aircraft and 2,700 personnel from five nations practised complex combat operations during exercise "Red Flag 13-2" held at Nellis Airforce Base, Las Vegas, United States.
One of those nations was Sweden. The other nations participating with the US Air force assets was the Netherlands, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates. Sweden had attended the red flag events twice before. This time the Swedish pilots and the eight Gripen C were qualified to receive fuel from hose-and-drogue-equipped KC-135s, McDonnell Douglas KC-10s and Lockheed KC-130 tankers, using the Gripen's in-flight refuelling probe. This years exercise allowed the gripens to use tankers during this red flag event and also the first time the Swedish aircraft had deployed to and from the USA with air-to-air refuelling support, in the form of two USAF KC-10s. This meant the number of required and planned stops could be reduced from six or seven landings used on earlier deployments, to only three. It was also the first time the Gripen C MSN19 Block 2-standard aircraft could be really tested with the introduction of night-vision goggles and new air-to-ground and air-to-air engagements weapons. Introducing the GPS-guided Enhanced Paveway II has given the Gripen an all-weather precision engagement capability against ground targets, while its Diehl BGT Defence IRIS-T infrared-guided air-to-air missile improved its self-protection capability during close-in engagement.
Although this footage was taken in 2013, the picture and sound quality are very good and the content should still be of great interest as it captures a time of deepening co-operation with NATO partners and near neighbours. It was a time of technological progression with the Gripen C, which was now Link 16-capable allowing it to exchange their tactical picture in near-real time to other aircraft and other link 16 assets.
Original video U.S Military
Additional editing and graphics by @OFFTRACKPLACES
