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Is the US conducting air drills over Nevada that simulate combat operations against China?

By Austin Tannenbaum
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YES

The U.S. conducted joint air drills with Britain and Australia on Feb. 8 based in the Nevada desert and beyond.

The aim was to simulate combat operations against Chinese fighter jets and air defenses, according to Reuters, which was aboard a British tanker aircraft that refueled U.S. and British fighter jets.

These “red flag” drills are not uncommon: They are held at Nevada’s Nellis Air Force Base three times a year.

Explaining the China-specific focus of this drill, Air Force Col. Jared J. Hutchinson said, “We think that if we're ready for China, we're ready for anybody.”

The drills practiced operating across long distances such as the Pacific to bring forces to a recently invaded area.

The U.S. military views China as its top strategic priority and is bracing for a possible Chinese invasion of Taiwan, which U.S. intelligence says the Chinese military aims to be prepared for by 2027.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Reuters U.S., UK and Australia carry out China-focused air drills
Air Force Link Red Flag-Nellis
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The Nevada Independent
The Nevada Independent is a nonpartisan, nonprofit news and opinion website founded in 2017 by veteran political journalist and commentator Jon Ralston. The site and its supporting channels are focused on ethical, unbiased and transparent journalism. In general, we aim to gather and disseminate important public information and increase civic engagement. We are supported by corporate donations, memberships, event ticket sales and sponsorships and foundation grants. We disclose all our members and donors. Donors have no influence over our content, ever. The Nevada Independent is the dba for Nevada News Bureau, Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit founded in 2010 by Elizabeth Thompson, who now serves as one of The Nevada Independent's managing directors and its Editor.
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Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.