Eielson AFB in Fairbanks, Alaska, is home to one of only two dedicated US Air Force aggressor squadrons — the 18th AGRS ‘Blue Foxes’.
IN AN AGE of gray camouflage schemes, toned-down squadron markings and insignia, aggressor squadrons appeal by their outward appearance alone. The 18th Aggressor Squadron (AGRS) at Eielson AFB, Alaska, is no exception, sporting 21 Block 30 F-16C/Ds that are painted in a variety of non-standard schemes designed to represent potential enemy aircraft.
Unlike the early US Navy aggressor F-16Ns, these aren’t stripped-out ‘Vipers’. Indeed, USAF aggressor F-16s receive no special modifications for their mission. Notably, their pilots don’t even fly with the Block 30’s Scorpion helmet-mounted cueing system. They do, however, carry a few mission-specific pods, such as the AN/ ALQ-188 Electronic Attack Training Pod, which is used to replicate enemy radar jammers. A few of the Eielson F-16s have also started flying with the new Advanced Capabilities Pod (ACaP), pioneered by the Nellis-based 64th AGRS to provide additional electroni c warfare strings to their bow.
‘We work to know the enemy, [from] both an academic and a flying standpoint — to teach and replicate. As the 18th Aggre…
