vol. 3, no. 11  Serving Southern Nevada’s military community, including Nellis, Creech and NTTR                                                                        may 24, 2019

                        An Aerotech news And review publicAtion • www.Aerotechnews.com

Air Force to reactivate aggressor squadron for F-35 training

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Air Force photograph by Senior Airman Kevin Tanenbaum

                                                                                                                  F-35 Lightning II fighter jets, assigned to the 6th Weapons Squadron, at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., fly in
                                                                                                                  formation over the Nevada Test and Training Range, Nev., July 10, 2017. The United States Air Force Weapons
                                                                                                                  School teaches graduate-level instructor courses that provide the world’s most advanced training in weapons
                                                                                                                  and tactics employment to officers of the combat air forces and mobility air forces.

                                                                 Air Force photograph by Staff Sgt. Daryn Murphy     The Air Force is reactivating the 65th Ag-        production F-35s to help train Airmen for the
                                                                                                                  gressor Squadron and moving 11 F-35A Light-          high end fight,” said Secretary of the Air Force
Three F-35 Lightning IIs fly over the Nevada Test and Training Range.                                             ning IIs to Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., as part of  Heather Wilson.
The aircraft are assigned to the 6th Weapons Squadron at Nellis Air                                               a larger initiative to improve training for fifth
Force Base, Nev. The Air Force recently announced it is reactivating                                              generation fighter aircraft.                            It also draws from a deep and successful
the 65th aggressor Squadron at Nellis, and moving 11 F-35s to the                                                                                                      history.
base as part of an initiative to improve training.                                                                   The action came after Gen. Mike Holmes, Air
                                                                                                                  Combat Command commander, recommended                   “Aggressor squadrons have been honing the
                                                                                                                  improving training for fifth generation fighter      skills of Air Force pilots since the early 1970s,”
                                                                                                                  tactics development and close-air support, by        said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David L.
                                                                                                                  adding F-35s to complement the fourth genera-        Goldfein. “They provide a dose of realism in
                                                                                                                  tion aircraft currently being used.                  air exercises and their training value is crucial.
                                                                                                                                                                       These F-35 aggressor aircraft will keep us ahead
                                                                                                                     To support this requirement, the Air Force        of adversaries for years to come.”
                                                                                                                  decided to create a fifth generation aggressor
                                                                                                                  squadron at Nellis AFB and move nine non-               Aircraft transferring from Eglin AFB to
                                                                                                                  combat capable F-35A aircraft from Eglin AFB,        Nellis AFB will not occur until newly produced
                                                                                                                  Fla., to the squadron.                               aircraft arrive at Eglin AFB to replace them.

                                                                                                                     “This move will allow us to repurpose early         																	 See f-35, on Page 8

INSIDE: Commentary — 2; News — 3-5; Veteran’s News — 6-8; Chapel —15; Lighter Side — 16