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Aggressor’s paint scheme gets a makeover

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Kevin Tanenbaum
  • 99th Air Base Wing Pubic Affairs

Since 1972, the 64th Aggressor Squadron has prepared combat air forces by providing realistic threat replication and training.

On Aug. 5, during the 57th Adversary Tactics Group change of command ceremony at Nellis Air Force Base, the 64th AGRS unveiled the new “Splinter” paint scheme that will be applied to several more of their F-16s in the near future.

The new paint scheme will serve as the closest visual representation of real-world threat aircraft for pilots who train at Nellis.

“The paint scheme is a means of representing threats more accurately,” said Capt. Ken Spiro, 64th AGRS chief of intelligence. “There are real-world threats that paint their jets in this way, so we are updating our paint schemes to make our aircraft more physically representative of those threats.  Pilots who encounter a visual engagement with one of the “Splinter” F-16s will see a similar situation to what they would with an actual threat aircraft.”

To represent real-world air-to-air threats more accurately, the 64th AGRS constantly seeks out any and all ways to improve their ability to more accurately emulate the threats which oppose our nation’s combat air forces.

“The idea started at the 64th AGRS because we’re always looking for different ways to be more threat representative, and make the training more realistic,” said Spiro. “The 64th AGRS gets creative in extra ways, such as new paint schemes, to accurately and better represent threats. We act like, look like, or anything you can think of, we try so we can be true to the threats. We’ve had some jets painted like a regular F-16, and then we’ve had some that have more of a tiger stripe pattern. Our F-16’s paint schemes have been similar to threats in the past and this new scheme is more representative of today’s threats.”

In order to turn the new “Splinter” paint scheme vision into reality, the 64 AGRS had to coordinate efforts with their maintenance counterparts, Viper Aircraft Maintenance Unit (AMU), and the civilian contractors who actually paint the jets, M1 Support Services.

“Viper Aircraft Maintenance Unit approached us and expressed their interest in the new paint schemes, and our role was to take the photos they had and adapt them to the F-16,” said Mr. Jeffery Dezell, M1 Support Services corrosion shop lead. “Once adapted, Viper AMU made any changes they wanted and once they were satisfied with the product, they ran the paint scheme through the approval process. Once it was approved, we proceeded to paint the aircraft.”

The process of painting the newest scheme on the F-16 Aggressors is one that doesn’t happen over-night. It took nearly three weeks to finish the first version.

“It is also a hard line paint scheme rather than a soft one,” said Dezell. “Basically, rather than painting all the colors at once, with this new paint scheme we have to paint one color at a time. It’s more labor intensive and takes longer to complete. It’s a one of a kind paint job that no one has done before.”

This one of the kind “splinter” scheme is one of two different paint schemes that will be introduced in the coming months.

“This is the first F-16 Aggressor with the newest scheme and we are working on a second ‘shark’ scheme because the 64th AGRS would like to see two threats eventually,” said Dezell. “That scheme is in the design stages right now and the preliminary designs have been sent over to Viper AMU for their changes and approval.”

The new paint schemes are just two of the multiple ways the 64th AGRS provide advanced, relevant, and realistic training to combat air forces.

“In addition to the new “Splinter” and “Shark” paint schemes, the 64 AGRS is currently working on several projects to update the capabilities of our jets targeted at improving our ability to more accurately replicate those of our near-peer adversaries,” said Maj. Branden Felker, 64 AGRS Weapons assistant director of operations. “In the ever-changing world of air-to-air combat and with the rapidly improving technologies observed from real-world adversaries, we as the 64 AGRS must find every possible way to improve our aging fleet of legacy fourth-generation aircraft in order to provide a relevant and challenging threat for the units we train with.”

As the new paint schemes are coupled with the other improvement projects currently underway at the 64 AGRS, our nation’s combat air forces will undoubtedly continue to receive the best adversary training the US Air Force has to offer.

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