Officials at Nellis AFB, Nev., inactivated the 65th Aggressor Squadron during a ceremony, according to a Sept. 29 base release. The standdown ended the nine-year run of the unit’s pilots flying their F-15s as mock adversaries against US and allied aircrews in air-to-air combat drills to help prepare those aircrews for real-world action. The unit stood down on Sept. 26, a victim of Air Force budget cuts, leaving the 64th AGRS as Nellis’ sole aggressor squadron. It flies F-16s. “The F-15 brings strengths that will be missed, but the F-16 has been flying the aggressor role for a long time now and it will continue to do that to meet the Air Force’s needs,” said Capt. Jeremy Allen, 65th AGRS’ chief of safety. The pilots from the 65th AGRS will continue their mission as aggressors, along with a limited number of the F-15s, under the 64th AGRS until March 2015, states the release. The Air Force is moving the other F-15s to Air National Guard bases around the country.
Lockheed Martin plans to enter the Advanced Tactical Trainer fray to supply the Air Force with a new jet to bridge between undergraduate flight instruction and fighter training units, but declined to say whether it will offer a T-50A derivative, a different non-developmental airplane, or a clean-sheet design. It's comments…