US Air Force gears up for aggressor drills to simulate combat with China’s J-20 fifth-generation fighters
- American F-35As will be transferred to Nevada base to mimic role and tactics of Powerful Dragon fighters in ‘aggressor’ exercises
- US to train pilots for confrontation with world’s most advanced warplanes as concern mounts in Washington about China’s growing military might
The United States Air Force will use its F-35A fifth-generation fighters to mimic the role of its Chinese counterpart, the J-20 “Powerful Dragon”, in “aggressor” training exercises amid rising concern in Washington about Beijing’s growing strength in strategically sensitive areas such as the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait.
Aggressor exercises are drills that seek to mimic the tactics and techniques of other forces to give its pilots the most realistic possible experience of high-level conflict.
A total of 11 F-35A Lightning II stealth fighters will be transferred to the recently reactivated 65th Aggressor Squadron at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, where they will play the role of the J-20, according to a report by Military.com, a US forces news site.
“The F-22 [Raptor] guys are hungry to get at a fifth-generation adversary like a J-20,” a US fighter pilot told the website.
“The problem is, no squadron can replicate it unless you have dedicated fighter [squadrons like the F-35 or F-22] acting as adversary air.”
The 65th Aggressor Squadron was reactivated last month after being stood down in 2014 due to budget constraints.
