65th Aggressor Squadron
65th Aggressor Squadron
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![]() Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II 11-5020 and 11-5021 en route to their inaugural training mission | |
Active | 1942–1945; 1946–1958; 1969–1989; 2005–2014; 2022–present |
Country | ![]() |
Branch | ![]() |
Role | Fighter Aggressor |
Part of | Air Combat Command |
Garrison/HQ | French Croix de Guerre with Palm[1] |
Insignia | |
65th Aggressor Squadron emblem (approved 14 July 2008)[1] | ![]() |
65th Aggressor Squadron emblem (approved 16 July 1998) | ![]() |
65th Pursuit Squadron emblem (approved 18 December 1941)[2] | ![]() |
The 65th Aggressor Squadron is a
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
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/95/65th_Fighter_Squadron_P-40s.jpg/220px-65th_Fighter_Squadron_P-40s.jpg)
Was reassigned to the U.S. Army Middle East Force in Egypt, July 1942, becoming part of
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
Aggressor training
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4e/65th_Aggressor_Squadron_-_F-5E_Tiger_II.jpg/220px-65th_Aggressor_Squadron_-_F-5E_Tiger_II.jpg)
The squadron was re-equipped in October 1975 with
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
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6a/F-15E-80-0010-64as-nellis.jpg/220px-F-15E-80-0010-64as-nellis.jpg)
The squadron was reactivated in September 2005, flying
On 30 July 2008, one pilot was killed and another injured when their F-15 crashed into the ground during a training mission.[3]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a1/F-35_65th_Aggressor_Squadron_activation_ceremony.jpg/220px-F-35_65th_Aggressor_Squadron_activation_ceremony.jpg)
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.
Lineage
- Constituted as the 65th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) on 20 November 1940
- Activated on 15 January 1941
- Redesignated 65th Fighter Squadron on 15 May 1942
- Inactivated on 7 November 1945
- Activated on 15 August 1946
- Redesignated 65th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron on 20 January 1950
- Inactivated on 8 January 1958
- Redesignated 65th Fighter Weapons Squadron on 22 August 1969
- 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
- 57th Pursuit Group(later 57th Fighter Group), 15 January 1941 - 7 November 1945
- 57th Fighter Group (later Fighter-Interceptor Group), 15 August 1946
- 10th Air Division, 13 April 1953
- 328th Fighter Group, 1 November 1957 - 8 January 1958
- 57th Fighter Weapons Wing(later 57th Tactical Training Wing, 57th Fighter Weapons Wing), 15 October 1969 - 7 April 1989
- 57th Adversary Tactics Group, 15 September 2005 – 26 September 2014[1][4]
- 57th Operations Group, 9 June 2022 - present
Stations
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Aircraft
- Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, 1941–1943
- Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, 1943–1945
- Beechcraft C-45 Expeditor, 1946–1947
- North American P-51 Mustang, 1946–1948
- Lockheed F-80 Shooting Star, 1948–1951
- Douglas C-47 Skytrain, 1948
- North American AT-6 Texan(later T-6), 1946, 1948
- Douglas B-26 Invader, 1949
- Lockheed T-33 T-Bird, 1949–1956
- Lockheed F-94 Starfire, 1951–1954
- Northrop F-89 Scorpion, 1953–1957
- North American F-100 Super Sabre, 1969
- LTV A-7D Corsair II, 1972–1975
- Northrop F-5E Tiger II, 1975–1989
- McDonnell F-15C Eagle, 2005–2014
- Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II, 2022–present
References
- Notes
- ^ a b c d Robertson, Patsy (17 July 2009). "65 Aggressor Squadron (ACC)". Retrieved 29 July 2022.
- ^ Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 246-247
- ^ "F-15 crashes in Nevada desert; 1 pilot dead". NBC News. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
- ^ a b c "Nellis aggressor squadron inactivated". af.mil. Retrieved 29 September 2014.
- ^ "Las Vegas News | Breaking News & Headlines".
- ^ 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.
- ^ "65th Aggressor Squadron reactivates at Nellis with aggressor force of F-35s". U.S. Air Force. 9 June 2022.
- ^ Everstine, Brian (17 May 2022). "Contracted Adversary Air Training 'Inadequate' For High-End Flight". Aviation Week.
Bibliography
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
- Cornett, Lloyd H; Johnson, Mildred W (1980). A Handbook of Aerospace Defense Organization, 1946 - 1980 (PDF). Peterson AFB, CO: Office of History, Aerospace Defense Center. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 November 2006. Retrieved 23 March 2012.
- Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961]. Air Force Combat Units of World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. LCCN 61060979.
- Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. OCLC 72556.
- Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947-1977. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9.
- "ADCOM's Fighter Interceptor Squadrons". The Interceptor. 21 (1). Aerospace Defense Command: 5–11, 26–31, 40–45, 54–59. January 1979.