Red Tails hone skills to keep F-35s combat-ready during Tuskegee Thunder

Airmen from the 187th Fighter Wing spent Aug. 12–14 testing their ability to launch and sustain F-35A Lightning II combat sorties under contested conditions during Operation Tuskegee Thunder, an exercise aligned with the wing’s Combat Readiness Inspection. The three-day event placed the Red Tails in a simulated Indo-Pacific scenario, pairing offensive and defensive counter-air missions with disruption meant to stress every facet of operations.

The inspection marked a key step in the unit’s transition to the F-35, measuring how well the wing can generate combat airpower as part of the Total Force. Scenarios layered in simulated attacks, degraded communications, chemical hazards, unmanned aircraft systems and casualties. Base-wide alerts over the giant voice system and injects replicating live-fire events forced teams to adapt while keeping aircraft turning.

“The F-35 is the most capable fighter aircraft in the world, but readiness is ultimately measured by our Airmen’s ability to fight and sustain operations in the most challenging conditions,” Caldwell said. “Operation Tuskegee Thunder provided our Airmen the opportunity to hone their skills, refine tactics, techniques and procedures and develop the confidence to operate anywhere at any time.”

Pilots and operations planners built and flew F-35 missions while maintainers generated and serviced jets to keep them in the air. Across the installation, Airmen protected people and infrastructure, shifted among protective postures, and managed simulated casualties. As primary communications degraded, units moved to alternate, contingency and emergency methods to preserve command and control. Security forces countered gate runners, and teams responded to mass-casualty and ground-attack scenarios designed to keep pressure on the mission. Leaders said the focus was not only on reacting to attacks but on continuing to execute sorties despite them.

“Operating a fifth-generation fighter in a contested environment requires the entire wing to be part of the fight,” said Lt. Col. Martin “Lefty” Smith, 187th Fighter Wing F-35 pilot and plans and programs lead. “The challenge isn’t simply launching aircraft. It’s maintaining command and control, protecting and sustaining the force, adapting when the environment changes and continuing to generate combat airpower. Tuskegee Thunder gives our Airmen the opportunity to work through those problems here so we’re prepared to execute when it matters.”

Tuskegee Thunder capped several years of preparation tied to the Red Tails’ move from the F-16 Fighting Falcon to the F-35A Lightning II. The wing received its first F-35As at Dannelly Field in December 2023 and has since flown large-force exercises, conducted night training and practiced operating from distributed locations. In 2025, the unit supported Resolute Force Pacific, deploying personnel and equipment for Indo-Pacific distributed operations. Early this year during Sentry South 26-2, F-35s continued to fly from Dannelly Field while a small maintenance element sustained operations at a forward site.

For Smith, the progression of events—and this inspection—helps Airmen solve problems in training before they face them in combat.

“We know a real fight isn’t going to go exactly the way we planned it,” Smith said. “People get tired, communications don’t always work and the situation changes. We have to be able to adjust, make good decisions and keep getting airplanes airborne. That’s what training like this is for.”

The exercise brought together every specialty required to keep fifth-generation airpower flowing: maintainers generating sorties, security forces defending the base, logisticians moving people and materiel, communications specialists keeping information moving, and medical personnel treating simulated casualties. Army partners supported medical evacuations, and Red Tails operated from multiple sites to rehearse dispersed operations that demand tight coordination across the wing.

Caldwell said the integration on display is what converts an advanced fighter into usable combat capability.

“The 187th Fighter Wing maintains a high level of readiness, so we are prepared to respond when our nation calls,” Caldwell said. “This inspection demonstrated that our wing is ready to face any challenge that we may encounter during real-world operations.”