COLOMBIAN KFIR FIGHTERS TAKE PART IN RED FLAG 18-3

Colombian Kfir fighters take part in Red Flag 18-3.

Colombia will send its Kfir fighter jets to the United States to participate in the exercise Red Flag 18-3 that will take place in Nellis AFB from July 13 to August 3. This will mark Colombia's second participation in the Red Flag after 2012.

The Fuerza Aérea Colombiana (Colombian Air Force) has been training for over a year to take part in the worl premiere air combat exercise. The deployment will be composed of six Kfir fighter jets belonging to the Combat Squadron No. 111, a KC-767 tanker aircraft belonging to the Transport Squadron No. 811 and 130 officers.

The aircraft will depart from the Air Combat Command No. 3, based in Malambo, Atlántico, on July 2 and will travel more than 3,250 kilometers from Colombia to North American. During the route, they will make a stopover in Tucson, Arizona, before to proceed to Nellis AFB, Las Vegas. According to FAC media release, the Red Flag 18-3 will include aircraft from US, Australia, UK, the Netherlands and Colombia, as well as Brazil and Greece as observers.

During the exercise, the FAC Kfir fighters will fly simulated air combat and air defense missions, together with F-16, F-18, EA-18, E-3, MQ-9, HH-60, KC-135, C-130, and CV-22 aircraft.

FAC has recently upgrated the Kfir jets to the latest C-60 standard offered by Israel Aerospace Industries, they are now able to carry an expanded range of weapons and sensors. According to IAI, the new avionics suite is similar to the one installed in the F-16 Block 52.

Written by Matteo Sanzani
Source, Image: Colombian AF