'RED AIR’ RESERVES

The US Navy Tactical Support Wing (TSW) is responsible for the adversary squadrons that are relied upon to keep fleet squadrons on their toes. Combat Aircraft heads south to NAS Key West to witness the new-look ‘bad guys’ in action.

VFC-12 ‘Fighting Omars’ rolled out this F/A-18D in a new pixelated Su-57 ‘Frazor’ scheme in May.
Maintainers get the engine start signal for the number two ‘motor’ from the pilot of another of VFC-12’s newly painted F/A-18Ds. Note the squadron radio callsign ‘Ambush’ on the fuel tank.

THE US NAVY disestablished its active-duty adversary squadrons in the mid-1990s, placing responsibility for being the ‘enemy’ squarely on the shoulders of the reserve naval air forces. Aside from TOPGUN’s instructors at NAS Fallon, Nevada, a handful of Fleet Composite (VFC) and Strike Fighter (VFA) squadrons attached to Reserve Carrier Air Wing (CVWR) 20 provided the training resources required by the fleet to keep its pilots up to scratch on how to tackle the bad guys.

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