64th Aggressor Squadron | |
|---|---|
 F-16s of the 64th Aggressor Squadron in 2006 | |
| Active | 1941–1945; 1946–1969; 1972–1990; 2003–present |
| Country |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Air Force |
| Role | Fighter Aggressor |
| Part of | Air Combat Command |
| Garrison/HQ | Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada |
| Nickname(s) | Gomers[1] |
| Engagements |  World War II –EAME Theater |
| Decorations |  Distinguished Unit Citation (3x)  Air Force Outstanding Unit Award (5x)  French Croix de Guerre with Palm[2] |
| Insignia | |
| 64th Aggressor Squadron emblem(approved 13 September 2007)[2] |  |
| Patch with 64th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron emblem(approved 7 July 1956)[3] |  |
The64th Aggressor Squadron is aUnited States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the57th Adversary Tactics Group atNellis Air Force Base, Nevada.
The 64th AGRS is assigned 24F-16C Fighting Falcon aircraft, painted in camouflage schemes identical to those observed on Russian-manufactured aircraft providingAir Combat Maneuvering training to USAF and other aviation forces in conjunction withRed Flag exercises. The unit operates in conjunction with the65th Aggressor Squadron, usingF-15C Eagles which had been disbanded on 26 September 2014 due to budget constraints but reactivated on 9 May 2019. The purpose of the squadron is to teach adversarial tactics and provide dissimilar air combat training to US Air Force flying units.
The squadron was first formed as aP-40 Warhawk pursuit squadron in January 1941 as part of the Army Air Corps Northeast Defense Sector (laterI Fighter Command) atMitchel Field, New York. It trained in New England and provided air defense of the northeast after the Japanese attack onPearl Harbor.
It was reassigned to the U.S. Army Middle East Force in Egypt, July 1942, becoming part ofIX Fighter Command. It took part in the BritishWestern Desert Campaign, engaged in combat during theBattle of El Alamein[citation needed] and, as part ofNinth Air Force, supported the CommonwealthEighth Army's drive acrossEgypt andLibya, escortingbombers and flyingstrafing anddive-bombing missions againstairfields, communications, and troop concentrations untilAxis defeat inTunisia in May 1943. The unit participated in the reduction ofPantelleria (May–June 1943) and the conquest ofSicily (July–August 1943).
The squadron supported the British Eighth Army's landing atTermoli 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, the squadron converted toP-47 Thunderbolt aircraft and flew interdiction operations in Italy. It moved toCorsica on 30 March 1944 to operate as a separatetask force, and flew interdiction missions against railroads, communication targets, andmotor vehicles behind enemy lines, providing a minimum of 48 fighter-bomber sorties per day.
The squadron participated in the French campaign againstElba in June 1944 and in theinvasion of Southern France in August. It engaged in interdiction and support operations in northern Italy from September 1944 to May 1945.
The 64th flew its last combat mission on 2 May 1945. It 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.
Reactivated in August 1946 as part ofEleventh Air Force (LaterAlaskan Air Command) as part of the air defense forces in the northwest Pacific. It provided air defense initially in theAleutian Islands, then moved to Nome in early 1947 and toElmendorf Air Force Base in the fall of 1947. Initially flew P-51 Mustangs, then became equipped with F-80 Shooting Star jet aircraft in 1948. Reassigned to Alaskan Air Command10th Air Division and became a permanent part of the Alaskan Defense Forces throughout the 1950s, upgrading to the F-94 and F-89 dedicated interceptors.
Was reassigned toMcChord Field, Washington in 1957, upgraded to F-102A Delta Dagger as part of the 25th Air Division, 325th Fighter Group. Provided air defense of the Seattle area and the Pacific Northwest until 1966.
Was deployed by Air Defense Command toClark Air Base, Philippines in 1966 as part ofPacific Air Forces to provide air defense ofLuzon and northernPhilippines. Flew F-102s from Clark, and rotated flights to bases inSouth Vietnam (includingDa Nang Air Base) andThailand to provide air defense against the unlikely event thatNorth Vietnamese aircraft would attack, July 1966 – December 1969. Deployed temporarily toSouth Korea during thePueblo crisis in January–June 1968. Inactivated in 1969 as part of the retirement of the F-102.
Activated within the 57th Fighter Weapons Wing on 15 October 1972. Initially equipped with T-38A Talons, upgraded in April 1976 with NorthropF-5E Tiger II export fighters having been originally destined for delivery toSouth Vietnam and became available when the South collapsed. Since the F-5E had approximately the size and performance characteristics of a SovietMiG-21, it was used throughout US and overseas to teach adversarial tactics and provide dissimilar air combat training to US Air Force flying units, eventually becoming the64th Aggressor Squadron. F-5s carried no tail codes, although they did carry Nellis black/yellow check tail stripe and TAC emblem on tail. Aircraft were painted inSoviet Air Forces motif, with subdued USAF markings. The last two digits of the F-5's tail number were painted in red on front fuselage, highlighted in white.
From October 1972 to June 1990, deployed throughout US and overseas to teach adversarial tactics and provide dissimilar air combat training to US Air Force flying units. Re-designated 64th Tactical Fighter Aggressor Squadron on 30 December 1981; re-designated again as 65th Aggressor Squadron on 4 January 1983. Added subdued "WA" tail code in early 1987.
Transitioned to theF-16A Fighting Falcon on 1 April 1988 when the F-5Es began having structural problems with the airframes. F-16As initially borrowed from the 474th TFW at Nellis, tail coded "NA" before receiving production F-16C/Ds from General Dynamics in July 1989. F-16s were tail coded "WA", painted in a similar motif as the F-5Es with a black/yellow check tail stripe.
The squadron was replaced by the 4440th Tactical Fighter Training Group, (Advisory Tactics Division) and assigned to theUSAF Weapons School. The squadron was subsequently inactivated on 5 October 1990.
The squadron was reactivated on 3 October 2003, again flying the F-16 as an Aggressor Squadron. Participates in USAF Red Flag and Canadian Forces Maple Flag exercises, provides USAF Weapons School syllabus support, priority test mission support, and road shows that visit various units throughout the CONUS to ACC units for training. In 2020, Aggressor F-16s were painted in camouflage similar to that ofSukhoi Su-57 to simulate the latter in opposing force training.[4]
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This article incorporatespublic domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
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