the us navy takes adversary training seriously, but it is

IN 1996, THE US Navy’s adversary program became the responsibility of the Navy Reserve when — in a cost-cutting and re-organization e� ort — the last two active-duty squadrons committed

to the mission were deactivated. From a high point in the late 1980s and early 1990s, when the Navy had four active-duty squadrons and � ve reserve units dedicated to dissimilar air combat training (DACT), today there are just four Navy units performing adversary support for the � eet.

These squadrons all come under the roof of the Tactical Support Wing (TSW), and comprise Fighter Composite Squadron (VFC) 12 ‘Fighting Omars’ at

Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia; VFC-13 ‘Saints’ at NAS Fallon, Nevada; VFC-111 ‘Sundowners’ at NAS Key West, Florida; and lastly Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 204 ‘River Rattlers’ at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans, Louisiana. VFA-204 is unusual in that it also holds a strategic reserve mission.

The main threat simulation aircraft operated by TSW is the F-5N Tiger II. These aircraft were purchased back from Switzerland in 2002 to replace the increasingly overtaxed F-5E � eet the US Navy had been operating for decades; many of the F-5E airframes dated back to the initial inception of the adversary program in the early 1970s. The E-models had been augmented

The US Navy takes adversary training seriously, but it is a mission that is � own primarily by its experienced reserve forces under the Tactical Support Wing.

report: José M. Ramos

by former US Air Force airframes that became available in the late 1980s as the Air Force shut down its foreign F-5 training squadrons and scaled down its own aggressor program.

The former Swiss jets were overhauled by Northrop Grumman in Saint Augustine, Florida, and eventually became the only F-5 variants in US service, bringing � eet-wide commonality. Of the 44 aircraft purchased, 30 are operated by VFC-13 and VFC-111. Each unit also has a single F-5F ‘Franken-Tiger’ for in-house conversion training. The 13 ‘Saints’ jets are used in support of squadrons in work-ups prior to deployment, mainly in the Strike Fighter Advanced

Into the merge — a VFC-12 F/A-18A+ meets a VFA-204 playmate in a head-on engagement. José M. Ramos

34

US NAVY & MARINE CORPS AIR POWER YEARBOOK 2016

ADVERSARIES

Readiness Program (SFARP), as well as augmenting assets from the Naval Aviation Warfighting Development Center (NAWDC) during carrier air wing detachments and the TOPGUN syllabus, both of which are run from NAS Fallon, Nevada.

The ‘Sundowners’ operate 17 F-5Ns and are the busiest squadron in the US Navy. VFC-111’s primary mission is providing adversary support for the three Fleet Replacement Squadrons operating ‘legacy’ F/A-18 Hornets, F/A-18E/F Super Hornets and EA-18G Growlers during their tactics detachments to Key West. The squadron’s services and talents are in considerable demand from other Navy

José

M. R

amos

35


BEING THE BAD GUYS

and Air Force units looking to add some DACT to their training cycles.

Tiger tamersBoth VFC-13 and 111 use contract services for the maintenance of their aircraft. For many years Sikorsky Maintenance and Services handled this work, but in July 2015 PAE Applied Technologies was awarded a $68.4-million contract to take over responsibility in July 2016. Northrop Grumman still carries out the depot-level overhaul of the entire F-5 � eet, which is expected to serve on until 2025.

No replacement is on the horizon for the F-5N in the adversary role. Indeed, the aircraft is so cost-e� ective that few other aircraft could � ll the gap economically, meaning that the 2025 date is the earliest the Tiger could be retired. Attempts to

acquire more former Swiss F-5s have been unsuccessful due to Switzerland delaying both the acquisition of a new � ghter aircraft and the retirement of the remainder of its F-5 � eet. However, the US Navy is still hopeful of purchasing more aircraft in future, maybe as early as Fiscal Year (FY) 2017.

The second aircraft operated by the TSW in the adversary role is the F/A-18A/B/C Hornet, assigned to VFC-12 ‘Fighting Omars’ and VFA-204 ‘River Rattlers’. Like many ‘legacy’ Hornet operators, the reserves have been hit hard by sequestration, su� ering delays in maintenance due to the temporary closure of several Naval Aviation Depot (NADEP) facilities. Nevertheless, the squadrons have maintained their operational numbers by expanding

their inventory. While several aircraft are still awaiting overhaul at the remaining NADEP facilities, VFC-12 maintains 12 F/A-18A+ Hornets at Oceana and VFA-204 operates 10 jets at New Orleans. Both squadrons have also recently acquired a single F/A-18B apiece.

With the � eet still converting some squadrons from ‘legacy’ Hornets to Super Hornets and the likely disestablishment of Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 14 in FY 2017, TSW expects ‘newer’ aircraft to trickle into VFC-12 and VFA-204 in the form of F/A-18Cs, and eventually Super Hornets as the F-35C comes online. The ‘River Rattlers’ also maintain a strategic reserve capability, training as a � eet squadron for possible deployments while supporting those same � eet units in the adversary role.

Right: VFC-111 ‘Sundowners’ � ies F-5Ns from NAS Key West. José M. Ramos

Right below: NAWDC also operates F-16A/Bs at Fallon. These adversaries have a very speci� c mission in either supporting air wing detachments or TOPGUN classes. Jim Dunn

A VFC-13 ‘Saints’ � ies over its home base at NAS Fallon — a center of excellence for combat air training. José M. Ramos

A striking pair of adversary Hornets from VFA-204 ‘River Rattlers’ and VFC-12 ‘Omars’. José M. Ramos

This F/A-18C is assigned to the Naval Aviation War� ghting Development Center (NAWDC) at Fallon. Jim Dunn

36


ADVERSARIES

‘There is no replacement on the horizon for the F-5N in the adversary role. Indeed, the aircraft is so cost-e� ective that few aircraft could � ll the gap economically’

As well as the TSW adversaries, the Navy calls in contractor air services as operational requirements dictates. The Airborne Tactical Advantage Company (ATAC) is a key contractor providing such services for the Navy. Here one of its ex-Swiss Air Force Hunter F58s formates with an F-5. José M. Ramos

37


BEING THE BAD GUYS

the us navy takes adversary training seriously, but it is

Documents