Beyond the challenges Red Flag presents to the individual capabilities of participants, they will tell you that a
major benefit of such large force coalition based exercises is the experience gained and the relationships built
by working directly with partners they may join on future operations. Wing Commander (WC) Darren Goldie
of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), the Commanding Officer of #37 Squadron flying C‐130J Hercules at
Red Flag 15‐1, commented that "the RAAF is a very technically advanced air force but a small air force so gen‐
erally we're going to participate in multinational operations as part of a coalition so Red Flag is a very impor‐
tant step in us understanding how to operate as a coalition." In times of crisis, whether it be disaster relief,
humanitarian assistance or combat operations, knowing how to work together prior to being called to act al‐
lows forces to hit the ground running and not be bogged down figuring out how to work together. WC Goldie
continued the point to say "from an Australian perspective the integration with a coalition force often hap‐
pens on operations for the first time so it's critical that we're prepared to participate in operations and mutu‐
ally speak the same tactical language and apply the same tactics, techniques and procedures as our colleagues
and partners." A testament to the value the RAAF sees in such experience is provided by the fact that the
RAAF has been a consistent participant at Red Flag for 30 of its 40 years.
The Royal Air Force (RAF) believes in the benefits of attending as well. Flight Lieutenant Andrew North, a