Aggressors give Blue Forces realistic training

  • Published
  • By Orville F. Desjarlais Jr.
  • Air Force News Agency
COLD LAKE, Canada (AFPN) --  Every good novel needs an antagonist, every good movie needs a bad guy and every good air force exercise needs an aggressor, commonly known as the Red Forces.

F-16 Fighting Falcon pilots from the 64th Aggressor Squadron at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., are screaming across Canada's open skies playing the part of the Red Forces during Maple Flag 41, a four-week exercise that ends May 30.

This year's Blue Forces include participants from the United States, Canada, Germany, France, Netherlands, New Zealand and the Republic of Singapore.

Although the aggressors are affectionately known as the "bad guys," they don't see it that way.

"Being the aggressor force is a combination of knowledge of the threat, being able to teach a threat and being able to replicate a threat to the Blue air forces so they can get the best training possible," said Capt. Rob Faustmann, an F-16 pilot with the 64th AS.

"It's a combination of being able to apply the skills you learn from intelligence and being able to replicate that in the air," he said. "And, it's a tremendous honor to be able to come here and fly with our international partners. It's a good chance to help them hone their skills."

Maple Flag also allows participants to fine tune their tactics, techniques and procedures," said Col. Jeff Gustafson, 33rd Fighter Wing commander at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., and the U.S. expeditionary force commander here.

Honing fighter pilots' skills is what the exercise is all about, said Maj. Derrick Johnson, Maple Flag project officer from the Nellis Red Flag office.

"The aggressor force provides a huge training opportunity for Maple Flag participants," the major said. "The reason they like to involve the aggressors is because of the type of training the aggressors provide -- the lessons learned."

The origins of Maple Flag and Red Flag began after the Vietnam War, when Air Force officials noticed that the most dangerous time for a fighter pilot was during the pilot's first 10 days in combat.

"Red Flag and Maple Flag simulate a young wing man's first 10 combat missions," Major Johnson said.

"We're trying to give that wing man the experience and confidence to go into his first combat mission already having been part of mission planning for that type of mission. We want him to feel fully confident that if he goes into battle tomorrow he's seen those types of missions before and is capable of addressing that type of scenario," the major said.

When anyone asks Captain Faustmann if he considers himself a "bad guy," he says, "We try not to think about it like that."

Comment on this story (comments may be published on Air Force Link)

View the comments/letters page