Red Tails train to keep F-35s in the fight during Tuskegee Thunder

DANNELLY FIELD, Ala.-- Airmen assigned to the 187th Fighter Wing trained to generate and sustain F-35A Lightning II combat airpower under pressure during Operation Tuskegee Thunder, Aug. 12-14, 2026.

The exercise, conducted in conjunction with the wing's Combat Readiness Inspection, placed the Red Tails in a simulated Indo-Pacific operating environment. Airmen executed offensive and defensive counter-air missions while dealing with threats meant to disrupt operations.

The CRI represents a major milestone in the wing's transition to the F-35 mission. It evaluates the 187th's ability to generate and sustain combat airpower under combat conditions and its readiness to provide F-35 capability as part of the Total Force in support of joint operations.

Simulated attacks, degraded communications, chemical threats, unmanned aircraft systems and casualties forced Airmen to adjust throughout the exercise. They had to protect the force while finding ways to keep the mission going while the giant voice notification system announced situation changes and simulated live fire tests were injected throughout.

For Col. John D. Caldwell, 187th Fighter Wing commander, Tuskegee Thunder was about more than what the F-35 could do. It tested whether the wing could keep producing combat power when conditions got harder.

"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 personnel planned and executed F-35 missions while maintainers generated aircraft and kept them ready to fly. Across the installation, Airmen worked to protect people, equipment and the systems needed to keep aircraft in the air.

Responding to an attack was only part of the problem. The mission still had to happen. This included pilots crewing jets and other extreme measures as the wing pushed through obstacles to achieve mission success.

Airmen changed protective postures, responded to simulated threats and casualties and adjusted as communications degraded. When primary communication methods became unavailable, units shifted to alternate, contingency and emergency methods to maintain command and control while operations continued. Red Tails confronted gate runners, responded to mass casualties and ground attacks, preparing for whatever they may be called upon to face.

"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."

The exercise was the latest in several years of training tied to the Red Tails' transition to the F-35, and arguably the most important milestone to date. This tested the combat readiness of the wing.

The 187th received its first F-35As at Dannelly Field in December 2023, beginning the wing's transition from the F-16 Fighting Falcon to the F-35A Lightning II. Getting the jets was one piece of that transition. The wing also had to train its people and develop the processes needed to employ and sustain them.

Since then, Red Tails have flown in large-force exercises, trained at night and practiced operating across distributed locations.

In 2025, the wing supported Resolute Force Pacific, moving personnel and equipment in support of distributed operations across the Indo-Pacific. The wing built on that experience during Sentry South 26-2 in early 2026, when F-35s continued operating from Dannelly Field while a small maintenance team worked from a forward location.

For Smith, those exercises and Tuskegee Thunder give Airmen a chance to work through problems before they're asked to do it for real.

"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."

Tuskegee Thunder brought much of that training together at the wing level.

Maintainers generated aircraft. Security forces Airmen protected the installation. Logisticians moved people and equipment. Communications Airmen kept information moving. Medical personnel responded to simulated casualties. Army partners teamed up for medical evacuations. Red Tails operated from various operating sites. Different jobs supported the same F-35 mission.

The fighter on the flight line is the most visible part of that mission, but keeping it ready to fly depends on Airmen well beyond the cockpit.

Caldwell said that connection across the wing is what turns the F-35 from an advanced aircraft into combat capability the nation can use.

"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.”

As an Alabama Air National Guard F-35 unit, the 187th trains to provide combat-ready Airmen and aircraft as part of the Total Force. Tuskegee Thunder put those Airmen together under conditions meant to reflect some of the problems they could face during combat operations.

For the Red Tails, the exercise was another opportunity to train the entire wing to do what the Air Force asks of it: generate combat airpower and keep it going when conditions get harder.

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