U.S. Air Force Tests F-22 and F-35 Stealth Fighter Combat Tactics for Future High-End Warfare.

The U.S. Air Force is intensifying preparations for high-end air warfare by integrating F-22 Raptors, F-35A Lightning II fighters, F-16s, Navy F/A-18 Super Hornets, EA-18G Growlers, and E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft into one of America’s largest live-force combat exercises at Tyndall Air Force Base. Conducted during Checkered Flag 26-2, the exercise focused on testing how stealth fighters, electronic attack aircraft, and airborne command platforms can operate as a single combat network in a heavily contested battlespace where survivability and real-time targeting coordination could decide the outcome of future conflicts.

The large-scale drill trained U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy crews to build faster kill chains by linking sensor fusion, electronic warfare, and airborne battle management across multiple aircraft types. The exercise highlights the Pentagon’s growing emphasis on networked air combat operations designed to maintain air superiority and combat effectiveness under intense electronic and missile threats.

Related Topic: US moves F-22 stealth fighters closer to China for faster combat response near Taiwan

U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning II from the 422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, departs Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, during Checkered Flag 26-2 on May 4, 2026, as part of a large-scale joint air combat exercise focused on high-end warfare integration and live-fire training. (Picture source: U.S. Department of War/Defense)

Organized by the U.S. Air Force’s 325th Fighter Wing in partnership with the 53rd Wing’s Weapons System Evaluation Program (WSEP East), the exercise concluded on May 14 after several weeks of integrated live-fire air combat training over the Gulf Range Complex. The event combined realistic aerial combat scenarios with live missile launches against maneuvering drone targets, enabling combat aviators and maintainers to rehearse the operational demands of large-scale peer conflict while validating the effectiveness of modern air combat networks under combat-like conditions.

The integration of fifth-generation stealth fighter aircraft with legacy fourth-generation combat aircraft reflected how the Pentagon intends to fight future wars against technologically advanced opponents such as China. Rather than relying solely on stealth assets, the exercise demonstrated how multiple aircraft types can operate as a unified combat force connected through shared targeting data, airborne battle management, and electronic warfare support. The F-22 Raptor contributed long-range air superiority and stealth penetration capabilities, while the F-35A Lightning II expanded the battlespace through sensor fusion and distributed targeting functions that fed information across the joint force.

Fourth-generation aircraft remained critical to the exercise’s operational structure. F-16 Fighting Falcons provided multirole combat mass and tactical flexibility, while Navy F/A-18 Super Hornets delivered carrier-based strike and escort functions representative of Pacific maritime combat operations. The EA-18G Growler added a vital electronic warfare layer by simulating suppression of enemy air defenses and electromagnetic attack missions intended to disrupt hostile radar systems, communications nodes, and missile engagement networks. This combination reflects how future U.S. air campaigns are expected to rely on integrated force packages rather than isolated fighter operations.

One of the most operationally significant components of Checkered Flag 26-2 was the role played by the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye. The carrier-capable airborne early warning and command-and-control aircraft served as a central node in the exercise’s combat network, coordinating aircraft movements, identifying airborne threats, and distributing targeting information to participating units. Equipped with the AN/APY-9 radar and advanced battle management systems, the E-2D can detect and track threats at extended ranges while managing multiple simultaneous engagements across contested airspace.

The E-2D’s role during the exercise highlighted the growing importance of airborne command-and-control aircraft in modern kill-chain operations. In a future conflict against China, where long-range missiles, electronic warfare systems, and anti-access/area-denial networks could degrade satellite communications and ground-based command infrastructure, survivable airborne coordination assets become essential for maintaining operational tempo. By connecting stealth fighters, electronic warfare aircraft, and strike assets into a shared tactical picture, the Hawkeye enables faster targeting decisions and coordinated engagements across dispersed combat formations.

According to participating personnel, the Gulf Range Complex remains one of the few locations where U.S. forces can execute full live weapons mission profiles against live aerial targets while collecting real-time operational data. The exercise allowed aircrews to employ missiles at the outer limits of engagement envelopes under realistic combat conditions, providing valuable information on weapons performance, sensor tracking, pilot decision-making, and multi-aircraft coordination. Such live-fire training becomes increasingly important as the Pentagon shifts its focus toward contested operations in the Pacific theater, where long-range engagements and compressed decision timelines will dominate future air combat.

The scale and complexity of Checkered Flag also reflect broader changes inside the U.S. military’s approach to force readiness. Future air warfare against near-peer adversaries is expected to involve simultaneous operations across air, sea, cyber, and electromagnetic domains, requiring aircraft from multiple services to operate as a fully integrated combat network. Exercises like Checkered Flag therefore function not simply as pilot training events, but as large-scale operational laboratories where the U.S. military tests how airborne sensors, stealth aircraft, electronic warfare assets, and command-and-control systems function together inside highly contested environments.

Tyndall Air Force Base is simultaneously upgrading infrastructure and security systems to support increasingly classified combat training and next-generation operational concepts. The 325th Fighter Wing continues evolving Checkered Flag to incorporate lessons from operational testing, advanced threat simulations, and emerging Pacific theater requirements. This ongoing modernization effort directly supports the Pentagon’s preparation for future large-scale conflict scenarios in which air dominance may depend less on individual aircraft performance and more on the ability to connect sensors, shooters, and commanders across the battlespace faster than an adversary can react.

As the United States accelerates preparations for possible conflict in the Indo-Pacific region, exercises such as Checkered Flag 26-2 provide insight into how future American air campaigns may be fought. The integration of stealth fighter aircraft, electronic attack assets, airborne command-and-control systems, and live-fire combat training demonstrates a growing emphasis on distributed warfare, resilient kill chains, and multi-domain coordination, specifically designed for operations against highly capable adversaries equipped with advanced missiles, integrated air defenses, and sophisticated electronic warfare capabilities.

Written by Alain Servaes – Chief Editor, Army Recognition Group
Alain Servaes is a former infantry non-commissioned officer and the founder of Army Recognition. With over 20 years in defense journalism, he provides expert analysis on military equipment, NATO operations, and the global defense industry.