Aggressor Squadron to disband

[chopper2004]

Nellis looses 65thAS and their F-15C goes to the 64th by next month.

But I sense that adversary, threat simulation business is on the up with the advent of Draken Intl, ( who signed agreement at Farnborough with Aerovodochody) Air USA (provided the Alpha Jets to Hollywood - Avengers Assemble movie) ATAUSA - etc etc - cost effective solutions ?

Cheers

[kbrockman]

1 Word => Simulation;
Hostage: Virtual training needed to address limits of Red Flag | Military Times | militarytimes.com (http://www.militarytimes.com/article/20140810/NEWS/308100029/Combat-training-on-ascreen)
Hostage: Virtual training needed to address limits of Red Flag

Sales pitch for the F35 combined with a reason to tune down real life RED FLAG.

[Willard Whyte]

Will it simulate hangovers, hookers, hot-tubs, and all-you-can-eat buffets?

[FAStoat]

I seem to remember the Aggressors had a Female (Blonde) Pilot with a Pink F5 lob into Alconbury,and was rumoured to have toured around Germany in the 70s to boost morale.Was this a figment of my imagination from too many Kockinellis or is my memory correct??

[BOAC]

Will it simulate hangovers, hookers, hot-tubs, and all-you-can-eat buffets? - I understand there is a plug-in available.

[Courtney Mil]

The 65th fly F-15s and I thought the 64th fly F-16s. Are the 64th going to convert or operate both? Or have I got this totally wrong?

[SpringHeeledJack]

I seem to remember the Aggressors had a Female (Blonde) Pilot with a Pink F5 lob into Alconbury,and was rumoured to have toured around Germany in the 70s to boost morale.Was this a figment of my imagination from too many Kockinellis or is my memory correct??

Ah yes, the cock in nellis option. There was also a blue one, a green/yellow one and a cappuccino coloured on if I remember correctly.

[Rhino power]

The 65th fly F-15s and I thought the 64th fly F-16s. Are the 64th going to convert or operate both? Or have I got this totally wrong?

CM, from what I understand, of the 19 F-15's on strength, six plus one spare will transfer to the 64th. This is only temporary however as those F-15's will be retired in march next year...

-RP

[RAFEngO74to09]

The following is a summary of an interview given by 65 AS CC to a local Las Vegas newspaper:

The 19-aircraft F-15C equipped 65 AS will disband on 26 Sep in order to meet Pentagon budget constraints before the new FY begins 1 Oct.

“We’re having to deal the best we can with the money we have”.

“This deactivation, while we as a squadron don’t necessarily want it to happen, it’s what the Air Force needs to have happen for the financial constraints that were being put in.”

It’s unclear of the exact cost savings, but the squadron’s annual budget that will be eliminated is about $35 million, including funding for a staff of 150 airmen who maintain the jets.

6x F-15C plus a spare will be transferred to 64 AS.

90/150 aircraft maintenance personnel will transfer to 64 AS.

64 AS will keep 20 x F-16.

12 x ex-65 AS F-15C will transfer to the ANG.

The F-15Cs are of 1978 vintage.

Incidentally, 65 AS CC also said this:

“As you look at the road map for the United States Air Force, the F-35 is the centerpiece of it, not just for the Air Force but the DOD (Department of Defense).”

“The F-35 is still in development, so it still has issues. But they’re going to get it right, and that’s going to be the plane for us in the future."

“It brings a lot of capabilities, and I will tell you as an aggressor pilot, stealth works. When we go up and fight against a newer airplane that has stealth, it’s a much different problem than when I fly against a fourth-generation airplane. So stealth is a wonderful".

That'll be alright then !

[Wander00]

Can't help but think that the F35 still has something of "the emperor's new clothes" about it

[kbrockman]

Looks like US NAVY is still not convinced

http://the-mound-of-sound.********.be/2014/08/the-f-35-also-comes-up-short-in-eyes-of.html
Now it's the US Navy complaining that getting stuck with only the F-35 could render America's mighty carrier fleet "irrelevant." What's the navy's gripe? It's that the F-35 is no longer very stealthy. An article in the US Naval Institute News warns that the 35's intended targets, Russia and China, have made terrific progress on developing multi-band radars capable of seeing through and targeting the F-35.

The navy seems to believe it needs an "all-aspect" aircraft, a thinly veiled criticism of the F-35's stealth cloaking that is frontal aspect only. Adversaries approaching from either side, above, below or behind can detect - and attack - the F-35 just fine.

"...given the proliferation of low frequency radars, there are serious questions about the ability of the F-35C’s survivability against the toughest of air defenses." That's not pulling any punches, eh?

"All-aspect is highly desirable against this sort of networked [anti-air] environment.”

"Fundamentally, the Navy's lack of an all-aspect broadband stealth jet on the carrier flight deck is giving fuel to advocates of a high-end Unmanned Carrier Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike (UCLASS) aircraft that can tackle the toughest enemy air defenses.

"Without such capability, the Navy's carrier fleet will fade into irrelevance."