US Air Force,
EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska: More than 125 Eielson Air Force Base Airmen and 10 jets left Dec. 6 through 8 to provide adversary training and support to members of the 199th Fighter Squadron and the Hawaii Air National Guard at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii.
This is their first stop for the 28 operations personnel and about 100 maintainers of the 18th Aggressor Squadron from Eielson AFB in their winter road show to various Air Force bases.
The Airmen of the 18th AGRS give “red forces” training to United States and allied nation's air forces, which means they pose as the enemy aircraft during exercises so the good guys, or “blue forces” can learn the air tactics beneficial to them in combat situations.
“One of our goals is to get out of Alaska to provide Pacific Air Forces and the rest of the combat air force with unit-level training at their home base or on the road if they are exercising elsewhere,” said Lt. Col. Patrick Welch, the 18th AGRS commander. “We bring our threat expertise to assist in training the war fighters flying PACAF's and other combat air force's combat aircraft.”
In addition to air tactics, the members of the 18th AGRS provide expert threat academics to teach combat air forces on air threats, systems and potential threats, Colonel Welch said.
The other stops on the two-month tour include Kadena Air Base, Japan, Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, and Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla.
During the summer months, the main goal of the 18th AGRS staff is to provide adversary training in Red Flag-Alaska exercises, during which Eielson AFB hosts up to an additional 700 people and 60 aircraft from different Air Force units and different countries around the globe.
“It makes sense to depart Alaska during the harsh winter months and provide training to the combat air forces at locations more likely to have a milder, more consistent weather,” Colonel Welch said.
The 18th AGRS pilots who fly F-16 Fighting Falcons are qualified to train with any and all aircraft including the Air Force's newest fighter, the F-22 Raptor.
“We train almost daily with the Elmendorf (Air Force Base, Alaska) F-22s and two of our four road shows will involve the Raptor,” he said. “As the Air Force's newest fighter, we see the F-22 as our primary customer as they continue to evolve and advance their flying lethality.”
