F-16 Aggressor Squadron In Alaska Becomes Unique Air Defense Unit
The 18th Aggressor Squadron is now the 18th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, a designation not used since shortly after the end of the Cold War.
The 18th Aggressor Squadron (AGRS) based in Eielson AFB near Fairbanks, Alaska, has changed its designation to the 18th Fighter Interceptor Squadron (FIS). This is a major switch and the first time the FIS designation has been applied to a USAF squadron since shortly after the end of the Cold War. The change is telling as it underscores the morphing security situation both in the Arctic and the Pacific, as well as the USAF's priorities in the region.
An Air Force release on the changes to the squadron and its associated maintenance squadron states, in part:
"The 354th Fighter Wing redesignated the 18th Aggressor Squadron as the 18th Fighter Interceptor Squadron and the 354th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron as the 18th Fighter Generation Squadron, Feb. 2, 2024, at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska.
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The redesignation allows the 18th FIS and 18th FGS to organize, train, and equip for their primary combat mission of providing aerospace control for homeland defense missions in the Alaska Theater of Operations."
The FIS moniker, which denotes a unit dedicated to air defense, makes some sense for the unit as it has taken on an increasingly active air defense role, filling in for heavily tasked F-22 Raptors based out of Elmendorf AFB in Anchorage. The War Zone reported on this development specifically in 2022, as it became increasingly common for F-16s painted in schemes similar to those worn by Russian fighter aircraft to scramble to intercept Russian aircraft approaching Alaskan shores.
The Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) homeland air sovereignty mission is a demanding one that requires special training and multiple fully armed and fueled fighters on standby to launch at any given time. The F-22s are very limited in number and their mission capable rates are notoriously low. Flying long-range air sovereignty missions with external fuel tanks negates many of their key advantages. F-16s can help take off some of that burden and, with new AN/APG-83 SABR active electronically scanned array (AESA) radars, they can be quite capable of spotting even low-flying, stealthy targets. The 18th FIS F-16s also carry Sniper targeting pods for long-range visual identification and gathering intelligence about aerial targets, something the F-22s don't have the capability of doing.
It's also worth noting that the 64th Aggressor Squadron — the USAF's primary adversary air unit based at Nellis AFB in Las Vegas — also has a latent air defense role. This is something The War Zone discovered via Freedom Of Information Act Requests. However, the 18th has been active in that role to a far greater degree than the 64th has in recent years, at least to our knowledge.
In its release, the USAF also posted an image of the changeover ceremony where the 18th AGRS turned into the 18th FIS and notably the backdrop was a gray Block 30 F-16, not the eclectically painted aggressor schemed jets we are so used to seeing the 18th AGRS fly. This is a further indication of the squadron's new air defense-focused mission and it is unclear if they will still retain any Vipers with aggressor schemes in the future. The unit has deep roots that go back many decades, including being designated as a FIS long ago, so this change is akin to coming full circle for the squadron.
As to who will supply aggressor services for the huge mass of stealth fighters that call Alaska home — a total of four squadrons, two with F-22s and two with F-35s — which have a rabid appetite for high-end air-to-air training, and plenty of room to do it over Alaska's massive JPARC range complex, is unclear. These units can generate their own adversaries organically, but not efficiently in terms of flight hour cost, training opportunity cost, and airframe life cost. The expertise dedicated aggressor pilots and intelligence shops bring to training is also unrivaled, so some external services will be required.
There are also huge exercises that are hosted in Alaska, like Red Flag Alaska and Northern Edge that always enjoyed the 18th AGRS's services. The 65th AGRS has been reestablished at Nellis flying F-35s and the 64th AGRS has been expanded in recent years, along with the establishment of a reserve sister squadron. These units could help offset whatever aggressor capacity is lost from the reorientation of the 18th AGRS and, of course, the 18th can still provide air-to-air training along with their other air defense services. Exactly how much aggressor work they will still be doing is unclear, but we reached out to the Eielson AFB for more info.
The changes to the 18th are certainly a sign of the times, including the unprecedented, at least in recent decades, FIS designation. F-22 Raptors are being upgraded and are in more demand than ever. With just roughly 180 examples on hand and 32 being older block aircraft the USAF only deems suited for training, this leaves less than 150 on the rolls for frontline operations. About 120 F-22s are actually combat-coded at any given time and with a mission-capable rate of around 50 percent, which leaves about half that number of jets fully ready to fly into harm's way at any given time.
So, while the F-22 community is increasingly taxed with demands for their presence around the globe, having them sit alert in Alaska seems like a poor use of such a resource, as we have explored in great detail before. F-35s are also in huge demand and those at Eielson are very much the 'tip of the spear' for the USAF's tactical air component. So just having the F-16s available to help out more regularly when Raptor units need to deploy abroad would be beneficial. Making the 18th strictly an air defense unit is also not something the USAF has asked of the Viper community for many years, and it brings a whole new level of capacity to the region. It's unclear if these jets will more regularly sit alert at Eielson and at forward airstrips around Alaska, in addition to the F-22s that similarly sit alert to the south.
The security situation with China expanding its naval and air operations further west and Russia rising rapidly as a major threat in and around the Arctic may have necessitated this change. The shootdowns of a Chinese spy balloon and the other mysterious objects that happened shortly after, two over or near Alaska, and one over the northernmost reaches of the state, are also an indicator of the need for more air defenses in the highly strategic region. That threat appears to still exist. This is in addition to major 'domain awareness gaps' and other defensive weaknesses that NORAD is struggling to address, including those that could pose a major threat to U.S. installations.
So there you have it. The 18th AGRS is now the 18th FIS, the only unit of its kind at this time in the USAF's order of battle with such a 'throwback' designation. It will be interesting to see if this remains a one-off or if other units get reissued the designation in the future.
Suffice it to say, the USAF has made this move to better secure Alaska from external aerial threats, which seems like a very prudent move all things considered.
Contact the author: tyler@twz.com
