U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. William P.Coleman A 65th Aggressor Squadron pilot, flies an F-15 Eagle with an updated “Splinter” paint scheme Oct. 20, 2011, at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. The updated Russian paint scheme promotes realistic threat replication when participating in simulated air to air combat.
Mission: To prepare the combat air forces, joint and allied aircrews for tomorrow’s victories with challenging and realistic threat replication, training, academics and feedback.
Personnel and Readiness: Today’s Aggressor tasking once again include Weapons Instructor Course support, priority test mission adversaries, and road shows to operational units. The expanded presence of today’s USAF Aggressors solidifies their continued role of preparing our forces for unquestionable victory in future conflicts.
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. The air-to-air kill ratio had fallen from 10 to 1 in the Korean War to almost 1 to 1 at a low point of the Vietnam War. Reversing this trend highlighted the need for a professional adversary force conducting a program of intense dissimilar air combat training. 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 12 years as the professional adversaries for Red Flag, Air Force demands on the Aggressors began to exceed the reduced charter. Their sister squadron, the 64th Aggressor Squadron was reactivated in 2003. Due to expansion and increased operations, the 65th Aggressor Squadron was reactivated on Sept. 15, 2005. The principal testament to the importance of the Aggressor program is the consistent dominance of our Air Force during recent conflicts.
