Marines and F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters from Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 121, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, are scheduled to participate for the first time in Red Flag, July 11-29.

A media day is scheduled to take place July 19. The media day will provide an exclusive, inside look at Red Flag.

Red Flag is a realistic combat-training exercise involving the air, space and cyber forces of the United States and its allies. It is an opportunity for VMFA-121 to participate in a large-force, joint exercise and focus on interoperability and integration of the F-35B with a broad spectrum of Department of
Defense assets.

The exercise is hosted north of Las Vegas on the Nevada Test and Training Range. With 1,900 possible targets, realistic threat systems and an opposing enemy force that cannot be replicated
anywhere else in the world, Nellis Air Force Base and the NTTR are the home of a simulated battlefield, providing combat air forces with the ability to train to fight together in a peacetime
environment, and to survive and win together.

More than 115 aircraft are scheduled to depart Nellis AFB twice a day. The exercise is scheduled to include U.S. forces with aircraft from more than 20 squadrons.

Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 121 is the first F-35 squadron in the DOD to declare Initial Operational Capability, becoming the first F-35 squadron ready for worldwide combat deployment. It
was also be the first Marine Corps F-35 squadron.

Interested media must RSVP by 4 p.m. Thursday. Interested media may RSVP to miramarmedia@usmc.mil or at (858) 577-6000.

All media will be required to meet at the Nellis AFB Area 2 Gate at 10:30 a.m. where they will be met by a uniformed public affairs officer.

For additional information, please call the Public Affairs Office at (858) 577-6000 or follow our Twitter feed @MCASMiramarCA.

For MCAS Miramar and 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing press releases, please visit our Press Release Page.

-USMC-