Moody pilots play ‘bad guys’ in aggressor training

  • Published
  • By Airman Eric Schloeffel
  • 347th Rescue Wing Public Affairs
MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. --  For two pilots here, being the “bad guys” was part of the mission during aggressor training recently at McEntire Air National Guard Station, S.C.

Capt. Adam Kieda and Capt. Daniel Leung flew T-38Cs while simulating “bad guys” or “red air” as pilots from the 169th Fighter Wing, an Air National Guard unit, flew F-16s as “blue air” and made passes in-and-out of “enemy” territory.

Being the “bad guy” is nothing new for 435th Fighter Training Squadron instructor pilots. These missions serve as routine refresher training.

However, it requires the pilots to take on a different mindset than normal training missions, said Captain Leung, 435th Fighter Training Squadron.

“We are training aids for the blue air and trying to replicate red air tactics and red air weapons employment,” said Captain Leung. “Therefore, in this training environment we have to expect to die.”

The Moody pilots simulated MiG 21s, a jet commonly flown by Eastern European countries. This helped add realism to the training, said Captain Kieda, 435th FTS chief of training.

“We simulated threats pilots might encounter when facing older planes,” he said. “(To do so) we flew with limited ordnance and no radar capability. We take the role seriously and simulate the bad guys as closely as we can.”

During the training, the F-16s flew into simulated enemy territory and were met with attacking T-38Cs. Once the F-16s reached friendly skies, they turned around and faced the T-38Cs again.

“The F-16’s mission was to perform surface attacks with laser guided simulated bombs, and ours was to attack their planes,” said Captain Kieda. “We performed five of these engagements, and each took around 10 minutes.”

Visual displays inside the jets notify the pilots when their plane is “hit.” The pilots then use radios to call the “kill,” and their target is removed.

The purpose of this training is to prepare for future conflicts these pilots may face, said Captain Kieda.

“We play the role of ‘bad guys’ in order to make sure our front-line Combat Air Forces are training like they’re going to fight,” he said. “We try to replicate the tactics and weapons they will face in different real-world scenarios. You need someone flying as the bad guy to train for when you’re against a real adversary.”

The training also provides the Moody pilots with experiences they can relate to student pilots in their squadron, said Captain Kieda.

“At the squadron, we teach dog fighting and surface attack,” he said. “Aggressor training allows us to bring back new skills used in the Combat Air Force and teach them to the student pilots. This way, the tactics we teach aren’t outdated.”

The training mission was an overall success and playing the role of the “bad guy” only reinforced their pride to be American pilots flying the best aircraft in the world, said Captain Leung.

“Aggressor training makes me feel good to be an American fighter pilot since the ‘bad guys’ are usually inferior,” he said. “The appreciation of flying such superior jets is a great feeling.”