Red Flag air combat training back at Nellis

Increased noise from military jets will be heard through Feb. 13 over the north end of the Las Vegas Valley as Nellis Air Force Base hosts a Red Flag air combat training exercise, base officials said.

The exercise, which began Monday, is being conducted over the 2.9-million-acre Nevada Test and Training Range, which includes 15,000 square miles of air space designated for military aircraft.

More than 125 aircraft are scheduled to depart Nellis twice a day and remain in flight for up to five hours before returning to the base.

Besides U.S. fighter jets, bombers, reconnaissance planes, air-refueling tankers and air traffic control aircraft from 21 Air Force and Marine Corps squadrons, this Red Flag includes aircraft from the Royal Australian Air Force and the Royal Air Force of the United Kingdom.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of Red Flag exercises. Since 1975, the exercises have trained more than 440,000 military personnel, including more than 145,000 air crew members flying more than 385,000 sorties, logging more than 660,000 hours of flying time, according to Nellis officials.