The elaborate paint job is meant to mimic those worn by Russia’s most advanced fighter jets. The unique design itself originates from an innovative Facebook contest ran by the commander of Nellis Air Force Base.
We discuss aggressor paint schemes, social media, what it’s like leading such a big outfit, and what’s new at Nellis with General Robert Novotny.
During a national emergency an airliner pilot may get a special surprise when a camouflaged F-16 with foreign-like markings shows up on their wing.
The 64th Aggressor Squadron, based out of Nellis Air Force Base, is one of only two USAF units that provide dedicated adversary support. The 64th aims to take the whole threat presentation mission to an extreme level. This doesn’t just include emulating potential adversaries’ tactics and procedures, as well as their weapons and aircraft capabilities, but also presenting front-line pilots with some of the same camouflage paint jobs they could see on enemy planes in battle. As a result, you would be hard pressed to find a more eclectic looking lineup of F-16s than on the 64th AGRS flightline. Now the unit has added a new paint job to its repertoire—one that reflects that being flown on some of Russia’s most advanced fighter aircraft.
15 kills per loss sounds impressive, but there’s always more to the story.
