If the U.S. Air Force is committed to maintaining its edge over peer competitors, it should strengthen and modernize its training adversary force. Currently, the professional adversary force, known as the “Aggressors,” is made up of only two squadrons of the oldest, least advanced F-16s in the fleet and one squadron with a handful of early production F-35s. To meet even basic training requirements, operational fighter units must either use themselves, and cannibalize readiness and poach precious airframe life by simulating adversaries, or they must train against a mix of older, privately owned aircraft not consistent with contemporary threats. The Air Force is aware of this problem and has invested money in low-observable unmanned vehicles and augmented reality to improve training and to simulate aggressor aircraft. However, these technologies and required infrastructure are not yet mature, and the slow pace of Air Force acquisitions suggest that these solutions are at least a decade away from being used widely in the operational fleet.
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