(Current as of June 2012) The mission of the 64th Aggressor Squadron is to prepare the combat air forces, joint and allied aircrews for tomorrow’s victories with challenging and realistic threat replication, training, academics and feedback. The squadron operates 20 F-16C aircraft, providing a realistic, threat-representative, contested environment for US and coalition combat units to train against.
History: The Aggressor program began in the fall of 1972 with the activation of the 64th Aggressor Squadron. This program started as a direct result of the high air combat loss rate experienced in the Vietnam War. A professional adversary force conducting a program of intense dissimilar air combat training was identified as the best means to reverse this result. This new training replaced pilots flying the same type aircraft in mock combat at their home bases with Aggressor pilots and controllers flying and employing tactics that emulated the former Soviet Union and other potential adversaries.
Over the years the Aggressor Squadrons have flown the T-38, F-5, and currently F-16 aircraft. As a result of defense budget cuts, the last Aggressor squadron was deactivated in October 1990 and re-formed as the Adversary Tactics Division under the 414th Combat Training Squadron, or Red Flag.
After twelve years as the professional adversaries for Red Flag, demands began to exceed the reduced Aggressor charter. The 64th Aggressor Squadron was reactivated on Oct. 3, 2003. The principal testament to the value of the Aggressor program is the consistent dominance of our Air Force during recent conflicts.
