US-UK Air Force Joint Exercise Simulates Confrontation with Chinese Fighter Jets, Expert Analysis

【Global Times Report, Reporter Guo Yuandan】“At 22,000 feet above the Nevada desert, a war exercise with China is underway.” The British Daily Telegraph opened its report on the annual exercise codenamed “Red Flag” involving the U.S. and allied air forces on the 9th with this dramatic statement. The report noted that for the first time in the 51-year history of this exercise, the hypothetical enemy has used fifth-generation fighter jets, which “clearly points to the threat posed by China’s J-20 and J-35 fighter jets.” Military experts interviewed by the Global Times stated that it is not surprising that the U.S. has always chosen the world’s strongest countries as hypothetical enemies in the “Red Flag” exercises.

The U.S. Air Force's “Red Flag” exercise was established in 1975 and has undergone 51 years of development and evolution, with participation from the military forces of the U.S., the U.K., and Australia. According to reports, this year’s “Red Flag” exercise is being held at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, with participating forces including over 100 aircraft and 3,000 military personnel, including the U.S. Marine Corps’ F-35B Lightning fighter jets, the U.K.’s Typhoon fighters, and Voyager tankers.

The report stated that the U.S. and U.K. air forces were divided into two teams during an aerial exercise, with the “Blue Force” representing the allies and the “Red Force” opposing them, the latter composed of trained pilots capable of adapting to the tactics and capabilities of potential adversaries. The U.S. Marine Corps’ F-35B jets were incorporated into the Red Team for the first time and were modified to simulate the tactical maneuvers of China’s J-35 fighter jets. The report also mentioned that previous training targets for pilots may have been to simulate the elimination of armed militants in Afghanistan or Iraq, while the 2026 simulated exercise is entirely aimed at preparing to combat “high-tech capable” adversaries.

“Public reports indicate that China’s J-20 and J-35 have achieved all-weather combat capabilities, which has compelled the U.S. and other Western countries to take notice,” military expert Song Zhongping analyzed in an interview with the Global Times on the 10th. He stated that currently, only the U.S. and China can simultaneously deploy two types of stealth fighters globally, and since the U.S. has always chosen the world’s strongest countries as hypothetical enemies in the “Red Flag” exercises, it is not surprising that China was selected as an opponent.

The report used many details to depict the victory of the Blue Force. For example, the fighter escort team responsible for protecting the Voyager tanker shot down an “enemy aircraft” suspected to be a fifth-generation F-35B fighter. The report also mentioned that after the “Red Flag” exercise, a larger-scale “Bamboo Eagle” exercise will soon be held in the eastern Pacific.

Song Zhongping told reporters that the red-blue confrontation exercises, especially the “Red Flag” exercises, are actually very difficult to achieve complete objectivity and fairness, as there are subjective factors in determining wins and losses, which are also influenced by political needs. For instance, if one wants to highlight the strength of an opponent and create a so-called “opponent threat theory,” they can allow the opposing side to win. “India has also participated in the ‘Red Flag’ exercises, where its Su-30 aircraft repeatedly defeated U.S. F-15 fighters during the exercises. Some analyses suggest that the U.S. may have intentionally allowed this to test the performance, technology, and tactical level of India’s Su-30 aircraft,” Song Zhongping stated, emphasizing that focusing solely on individual aircraft performance in actual combat is not meaningful; the key to determining victory or defeat lies in the operational capabilities of both sides’ systems.