An F-16 Fighting Falcon assigned to 64th Aggressor Squadron, nellisafb, Nev., taxis on the flightline after a mission during Red Flag-Nellis 25-1, Jan. 27, 2025. The Aggressor program began in the fall of 1972 with the activation of the 64th Aggressor Squadron. This program started as a direct result of the high air combat loss rate experienced in the Vietnam War. A professional adversary force conducting a program of intense dissimilar air combat training was identified as the best means to remedy this result. This new training replaced pilots flying the same type aircraft in mock combat at their home bases with Aggressor pilots and controllers flying and employing tactics that emulated the former Soviet Union and other potential adversaries. Over the years the Aggressor Squadrons have flown the T-38, F-5, F-15C, and currently F-16 aircraft. As a result of defense budget cuts, the last Aggressor squadron was deactivated in October 1990 and reformed as the Adversary Tactics Division...