65th Aggressor Squadron

Last updated

65th Aggressor Squadron
ACC Shield.svg
65th AGR F-35A.jpg
Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II 11-5020 and 11-5021 en route to their inaugural training mission
Active1942–1945; 1946–1958; 1969–1989; 2005–2014; 2022–present
CountryFlag of the United States (23px).png  United States
BranchFlag of the United States Air Force.svg  United States Air Force
Role Fighter Aggressor
Part of Air Combat Command
Garrison/HQ Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada
Engagements European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Streamer.jpg
World War IIEAME Theater
Decorations Streamer PUC Army.PNG
Distinguished Unit Citation (3x)
US Air Force Outstanding Unit Award - Stremer.jpg
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award (3x)
Streamer FCDG WWII.png
French Croix de Guerre with Palm [1]
Insignia
65th Aggressor Squadron emblem (approved 14 July 2008) [1] 65th Aggressor Squadron.png
65th Aggressor Squadron emblem (approved 16 July 1998) 65th Aggressor Squadron.jpg
65th Pursuit Squadron emblem (approved 18 December 1941) [2] 65 Pursuit Sq emblem.png

The 65th Aggressor Squadron is a United States Air Force unit currently operating the F-35A Lightning II. It is assigned to the 57th Operations Group at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada.

Contents

Overview

The 65th Aggressor Squadron currently flies the F-35A, operating as a high-end adversary air to better simulate stealth fighters being inducted in competing nations. As part of the 57th Operations Group, the squadron simulates peer and near-peer stealth threat tactics for Red Flag exercises and provides support for the USAF Weapons School syllabus.

History

World War II

Formed as a P-40 Warhawk pursuit squadron in January 1941 as part of the Army Air Corps Northeast Defense Sector (later I Fighter Command) at Mitchel Field, New York. Trained in New England and provided air defense of the northeast after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

P-40 Warhawk fighters of the 65th Fighter Squadron in North Africa, 1943. 65th Fighter Squadron P-40s.jpg
P-40 Warhawk fighters of the 65th Fighter Squadron in North Africa, 1943.

Was reassigned to the U.S. Army Middle East Force in Egypt, July 1942, becoming part of IX Fighter Command. Took part in the British Western Desert campaign, engaged in combat during the Battle of El Alamein [ citation needed ] and, as part of Ninth Air Force, supported the Commonwealth Eighth Army's drive across Egypt and Libya, escorting bombers and flying strafing and dive-bombing missions against airfields, communications, and troop concentrations until Axis defeat in Tunisia in May 1943. The unit participated in the reduction of Pantelleria (May–June 1943) and the conquest of Sicily (July–August 1943).

The squadron supported the British Eighth Army's landing at Termoli and subsequent operations in Italy, being reassigned to Twelfth Air Force in August 1943. It flew dive-bombing, strafing, patrol, and escort missions.

In 1944, converted to Republic P-47 Thunderbolt aircraft and flew interdiction operations in Italy. They moved to Corsica on 30 March 1944 to operate as a separate task force. It flew interdiction missions against railroads, communication targets, and motor vehicles behind enemy lines, providing a minimum of 48 fighter-bomber sorties per day.

Participated in the French campaign against Elba in June 1944 and in the invasion of Southern France in August. It engaged in interdiction and support operations in northern Italy from September 1944 to May 1945.

The 65th flew its last combat mission on 2 May 1945. Remained in northern Italy after the end of the European War, demobilizing throughout the summer of 1945. It was reassigned to the United States in August 1945 without personnel or equipment and was inactivated at the end of August.

Cold War

Reactivated in August 1946 as part of Eleventh Air Force (later Alaskan Air Command) as part of the air defense forces in the northwest Pacific. Squadron began training new P-51 pilots at Ladd Field, Alaska. Later, it was equipped with F-80Bs in March–April 1948, F-80Cs in October–December 1948, F-94Bs in the summer of 1951, and F-89Cs in September 1953. With these aircraft, the squadron provided fighter aircraft defense in support of the Alaska Area until late in the 1950s.

In October 1969, the 65th Fighter Weapons Squadron took over the F-100D/F Super Sabre aircraft, personnel, and facilities of the 4536th Fighter Weapons Squadron at Nellis Air Force Base. F-100s tail coded "WB", only to become non-operational early in 1970. On reactivation was equipped with A-7D Corsair II ground attack aircraft, operating from Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, and Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. Conducted fighter weapons training with the A-7D until June 1975, when aircraft was sent to Air National Guard units.

Aggressor training

65th Aggressor Squadron F-5E Tiger II "Aggressors" aircraft, about 1980 65th Aggressor Squadron - F-5E Tiger II.jpg
65th Aggressor Squadron F-5E Tiger II "Aggressors" aircraft, about 1980

The squadron was re-equipped in October 1975 with F-5E Tiger IIs, the aircraft having been originally destined for delivery to South Vietnam until that nation collapsed earlier that year and the aircraft subsequently becoming available. Since the F-5E had approximately the size and performance characteristics of a Soviet MiG-21, it was used throughout the US and overseas to teach adversarial tactics and provide dissimilar air combat training to US Air Force flying units, eventually becoming the 65th Aggressor Squadron. The squadron's F-5s carried no tail codes, although they did carry the Nellis black/yellow checkertail stripe and a Tactical Air Command emblem on the tail. The aircraft were painted in Soviet Air Forces motif with subdued USAF markings, with the last two digits of the F-5's tail number painted in the then-Soviet style in red on the front fuselage, highlighted in white.

Deployed throughout US and overseas to teach adversarial tactics and provide dissimilar air combat training to US Air Force flying units. Re-designated 65th Tactical Fighter Aggressor Squadron on 30 December 1981. Added subdued "WA" tail code in early 1987. Redesignated again as 64th Aggressor Squadron on 4 January 1983.

Operated until 1989 when the F-5s began having structural problems with the airframes. As the Cold War ended and military budgets adjusted, the unit flew their last aggressor flight in the F-5 on 7 April 1989.

Return to aggressor training

F-15C Eagle 80-0010 of the 65th Aggressor Squadron in 2008 F-15E-80-0010-64as-nellis.jpg
F-15C Eagle 80-0010 of the 65th Aggressor Squadron in 2008

The squadron was reactivated in September 2005, flying F-15Cs and F-15Ds as the 65th Aggressor Squadron with 24 aircraft assigned. The aircraft were painted in camouflage schemes identical to those observed on Russian-manufactured Sukhoi Su-27 fighters and operated in conjunction with the 64th Aggressor Squadron, which performs a similar task using F-16 Fighting Falcons. The 65th annually participated in the USAF Red Flag and Canadian Forces Maple Flag exercises, provided USAF Weapons School syllabus support, priority test mission support, and "road shows" that visited various units throughout the US to support Air Combat Command (ACC) and ACC-gained Air Force Reserve Command and Air National Guard units for training.

On 30 July 2008, one pilot was killed and another injured when their F-15 crashed into the ground during a training mission. [3]

F-35 Lightning II 11-5021 at the squadron's reactivation ceremony in 2022 F-35 65th Aggressor Squadron activation ceremony.jpg
F-35 Lightning II 11-5021 at the squadron's reactivation ceremony in 2022

The Air Force inactivated the unit on 26 September 2014 due to Fiscal Year 2015 budget constraints imposed upon the Air Force that zero-lined the squadron's budget. [4] [5] Its fleet was maintained by Flanker Aircraft Maintenance Unit, a section of the 757th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron. On 9 May 2019 US Air Force announced it planned to reactivate the 65th Aggressor Squadron with new aircraft, F-35A Lightning II. [6] The squadron was formally reactivated on 9 June 2022. [7] 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. [8]

Lineage

Activated on 15 January 1941
Redesignated 65th Fighter Squadron on 15 May 1942
Inactivated on 7 November 1945
Redesignated 65th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron on 20 January 1950
Inactivated on 8 January 1958
Activated on 15 October 1969
Redesignated: 65th Tactical Fighter Training Aggressor Squadron on 30 December 1981
Redesignated: 65th Aggressor Squadron on 1 April 1983
Inactivated on 7 April 1989

Assignments

Stations

Aircraft

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">64th Aggressor Squadron</span> US Air Force squadron

The 64th Aggressor Squadron is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 57th Adversary Tactics Group at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">414th Combat Training Squadron</span> Military unit

The 414th Combat Training Squadron is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the 57th Wing, 57th Operations Group at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. The 414th is a non-flying organization charged with hosting Red Flag exercises, Air Combat Command's largest Large Force Exercise (LFE).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">18th Fighter Interceptor Squadron</span> Military unit

The 18th Fighter Interceptor Squadron is a subordinate unit of the 354th Fighter Wing based at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska, and flies the Block 30 General Dynamics F-16C/D aircraft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">53rd Wing</span> Military unit

The 53rd Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force based at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. The wing reports to the United States Air Force Warfare Center at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, which in turn reports to Headquarters Air Combat Command.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">57th Wing</span> US Air Force training formation

The 57th Wing is an operational unit of the United States Air Force (USAF) Warfare Center, stationed at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">60th Fighter Squadron</span> Military unit

The 60th Fighter Squadron is a United States Air Force unit that is part of the 33d Fighter Wing at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida; It is tasked with training pilots on the Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">61st Fighter Squadron</span> US Air Force unit

The 61st Fighter Squadron is an active United States Air Force unit, assigned to the 56th Operations Group, at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. It operates the F-35 Lightning II aircraft, conducting Pilot training.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">62nd Fighter Squadron</span> US Air Force unit

The 62d Fighter Squadron is part of the United States Air Force 56th Operations Group at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. It operates the Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II aircraft conducting advanced fighter training.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">63rd Fighter Squadron</span> US Air Force unit

The 63d Fighter Squadron is an active United States Air Force unit, assigned to the 56th Operations Group, at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. It operates the F-35A aircraft, and conducts advanced fighter training since its reactivation in 2016. When this Squadron was reactivated in 1975, their mission was to train pilots and weapons systems officers for the McDonnell F-4E Phantom II, and they switched to the F-4D in 1978.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">422d Test and Evaluation Squadron</span> US Air Force unit

The 422d Test and Evaluation Squadron is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 53d Test and Evaluation Group, stationed at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. The squadron performs operational testing of all fighter aircraft and munitions entering and in operational use by Air Combat Command.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">31st Combat Training Squadron</span> US Air Force unit

The 31st Combat Training Squadron is an active United States Air Force unit. It is currently assigned to the Nevada Test and Training Range at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">59th Test and Evaluation Squadron</span> Military unit

The 59th Test and Evaluation Squadron is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the Air Combat Command 53d Wing, 53d Test Management Group at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">431st Test and Evaluation Squadron</span> Military unit

The 431st Test and Evaluation Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Tactical Air Command 57th Fighter Wing stationed at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. It was inactivated on 30 June 1992.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">57th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron</span> Military unit

The 57th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, also known as "The Black Knights of Keflavik", was a previously inactive United States Air Force unit that was reactivated on 2 July 2024. The 57 FIS was previously stationed at Naval Air Station Keflavik, Iceland and was inactivated on 1 March 1995. The squadron was reactivated as the 57th Fighter Squadron at Ebbing Air National Guard Base, Arkansas, on 2 July 2024 as an F-35A Lightning II training unit focused on NATO and Allied pilots. Although located on an Arkansas Air National Guard installation at a joint civil-military airport, the 57 FS is an active duty USAF command that functions as a geographically separated unit (GSU) of the Air Education and Training Command's (AETC) 33rd Fighter Wing at Eglin AFB, Florida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">433rd Weapons Squadron</span> Military unit

The 433rd Weapons Squadron is a United States Air Force unit, assigned to the USAF Weapons School at Nellis AFB, Nevada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">16th Weapons Squadron</span> Military unit

The 16th Weapons Squadron is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the USAF Weapons School, based at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">53rd Test and Evaluation Group</span> Military unit

The 53rd Test and Evaluation Group is a group of the United States Air Force. It is a part of the 53rd Wing, and is headquartered at Nellis AFB, Nevada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">57th Operations Group</span> US Air Force unit

The 57th Operations Group is the operational component of the 57th Wing, assigned to the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command. The group is stationed at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">26th Weapons Squadron</span> Military unit

The 26th Weapons Squadron is a United States Air Force unit, assigned to the USAF Weapons School at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada

<span class="mw-page-title-main">66th Weapons Squadron</span> Military unit

The United States Air Force's 66th Weapons Squadron is a United States Air Force Weapons School Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II instructional flying unit, at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada.

References


Notes
  1. 1 2 3 4 Robertson, Patsy (17 July 2009). "65 Aggressor Squadron (ACC)" . Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  2. Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 246-247
  3. "F-15 crashes in Nevada desert; 1 pilot dead". NBC News. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
  4. 1 2 3 "Nellis aggressor squadron inactivated". af.mil. Retrieved 29 September 2014.
  5. "Las Vegas News | Breaking News & Headlines".
  6. Cenciotti, David (10 May 2019). "U.S. Air Force To Reactivate 65th Aggressor Squadron At Nellis AFB With 11 F-35A Lightning II". The Aviationist. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
  7. "65th Aggressor Squadron reactivates at Nellis with aggressor force of F-35s". U.S. Air Force. 9 June 2022.
  8. Everstine, Brian (17 May 2022). "Contracted Adversary Air Training 'Inadequate' For High-End Flight". Aviation Week.

Bibliography

PD-icon.svg This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency