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Aggressor squadron
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Aggressor squadron
An aggressor squadron or adversary squadron (in the US Navy and USMC) is a squadron that is trained to act as an opposing force in military wargames. Aggressor squadrons use enemy tactics, techniques, and procedures to give a realistic simulation of air combat (as opposed to training against one's own forces). Since it is impractical to use actual enemy aircraft and equipment, surrogate aircraft are used to emulate potential adversaries.
The first formal use of dissimilar aircraft for training was in 1969 by the United States Navy Fighter Weapons School (better known as "Topgun"), which used the A-4 Skyhawk to simulate the performance of the MiG-17. The success of formalized dissimilar air combat training (DACT) led to transition of Navy Instrument Training Squadrons equipped with the A-4 into Adversary Squadrons at each master jet base. The United States Air Force followed suit with their first aggressor squadrons at Nellis AFB equipped with the readily available T-38 Talon.[when?]
In the Second World War, the antagonists captured each other's aircraft and introduced them into a modest DACT role. The Germans created a unit known as "Touring Zirkus Rosarius" with captured P-51s, P-47s etc. that visited fighter bases and even let the senior pilots fly the adversary aircraft themselves. The RAF created No. 1426 Flight RAF with Luftwaffe captured fighters (Bf 109s and Fw 190s) that were fully tested and then taken to USAAF and RAF bases for familiarization training.
US aggressor squadrons fly small and low-wing loaded fighters that are used to represent those of the potential adversaries. Originally Douglas A-4s (US Navy) and Northrop F-5s (US Navy, Marines, and Air Force) were flown along with T-38 Talons that were immediately available and served as placeholders until new F-5E/F Tiger II aircraft were introduced.
These were eventually supplemented by early-model F/A-18As (US Navy), specially built F-16Ns (for the US Navy), and F-16A models (for the Air Force). At the end of 2005, the USAF started using the larger and faster F-15 Eagle as an aggressor aircraft alongside the F-16 at Nellis Air Force Base. However, the USAF began phasing out its F-15 aggressors towards the end of 2014. With the deactivation of the 65th Aggressor Squadron, the F-16C became the only dedicated aggressor type at Nellis AFB until 2022, when the 65th was reactivated with the F-35A Lightning II. Nellis Air Force Base planned to further upgrade its fleet with more F-35s and F-22s to replicate adversaries' capabilities, specifically the Chinese fifth-generation fighters.
Foreign aircraft have been used as aggressors in the United States, most notably the Israeli Kfir fighter, designated F-21 in its use as an adversary asset. Actual Soviet MiG-17s, MiG-21s, and MiG-23s have also been flown by the US Air Force as aggressors over the Nellis ranges, under the Constant Peg program. The US Army operates eleven Soviet or Russian aircraft for adversary training, including Mi-24s, Mi-8s, Mi-2s, and An-2s.
German MiG-29 aircraft were regular visitors to the United States before being sold to Poland and participated in valuable DACT training at Nellis AFB as well as NAS Key West in addition to providing details to overseas locations or hosting US squadrons in Germany. One MiG-29 was loaned to the US for evaluation providing insight in the threat technology.
The Navy and Marine Corps briefly operated 2 squadrons of F-21 Kfir adversaries at NAS Oceana (VF-43) and Marine Corps Air Station Yuma (VMFT-401). This started in 1985 up through the 1990's when the planes were taken out of aggressor service.
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Aggressor squadron
An aggressor squadron or adversary squadron (in the US Navy and USMC) is a squadron that is trained to act as an opposing force in military wargames. Aggressor squadrons use enemy tactics, techniques, and procedures to give a realistic simulation of air combat (as opposed to training against one's own forces). Since it is impractical to use actual enemy aircraft and equipment, surrogate aircraft are used to emulate potential adversaries.
The first formal use of dissimilar aircraft for training was in 1969 by the United States Navy Fighter Weapons School (better known as "Topgun"), which used the A-4 Skyhawk to simulate the performance of the MiG-17. The success of formalized dissimilar air combat training (DACT) led to transition of Navy Instrument Training Squadrons equipped with the A-4 into Adversary Squadrons at each master jet base. The United States Air Force followed suit with their first aggressor squadrons at Nellis AFB equipped with the readily available T-38 Talon.[when?]
In the Second World War, the antagonists captured each other's aircraft and introduced them into a modest DACT role. The Germans created a unit known as "Touring Zirkus Rosarius" with captured P-51s, P-47s etc. that visited fighter bases and even let the senior pilots fly the adversary aircraft themselves. The RAF created No. 1426 Flight RAF with Luftwaffe captured fighters (Bf 109s and Fw 190s) that were fully tested and then taken to USAAF and RAF bases for familiarization training.
US aggressor squadrons fly small and low-wing loaded fighters that are used to represent those of the potential adversaries. Originally Douglas A-4s (US Navy) and Northrop F-5s (US Navy, Marines, and Air Force) were flown along with T-38 Talons that were immediately available and served as placeholders until new F-5E/F Tiger II aircraft were introduced.
These were eventually supplemented by early-model F/A-18As (US Navy), specially built F-16Ns (for the US Navy), and F-16A models (for the Air Force). At the end of 2005, the USAF started using the larger and faster F-15 Eagle as an aggressor aircraft alongside the F-16 at Nellis Air Force Base. However, the USAF began phasing out its F-15 aggressors towards the end of 2014. With the deactivation of the 65th Aggressor Squadron, the F-16C became the only dedicated aggressor type at Nellis AFB until 2022, when the 65th was reactivated with the F-35A Lightning II. Nellis Air Force Base planned to further upgrade its fleet with more F-35s and F-22s to replicate adversaries' capabilities, specifically the Chinese fifth-generation fighters.
Foreign aircraft have been used as aggressors in the United States, most notably the Israeli Kfir fighter, designated F-21 in its use as an adversary asset. Actual Soviet MiG-17s, MiG-21s, and MiG-23s have also been flown by the US Air Force as aggressors over the Nellis ranges, under the Constant Peg program. The US Army operates eleven Soviet or Russian aircraft for adversary training, including Mi-24s, Mi-8s, Mi-2s, and An-2s.
German MiG-29 aircraft were regular visitors to the United States before being sold to Poland and participated in valuable DACT training at Nellis AFB as well as NAS Key West in addition to providing details to overseas locations or hosting US squadrons in Germany. One MiG-29 was loaned to the US for evaluation providing insight in the threat technology.
The Navy and Marine Corps briefly operated 2 squadrons of F-21 Kfir adversaries at NAS Oceana (VF-43) and Marine Corps Air Station Yuma (VMFT-401). This started in 1985 up through the 1990's when the planes were taken out of aggressor service.
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