WASHINGTON – Russia’s muscle-flexing and the rise of Chinese military powerin the last few years have pushed the United States of America to not onlydevelop new weapons but also sharpen its war-waging capabilities.
In keeping with its strategic aim to be the dominant military power in theworld, the USA is getting ready to test its offensive and defensivepotential against the Russian and Chinese militaries.
The United States Air Force has already activated the defunct 65thAggressor Squadron with 11 F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike stealthfighters, which will be used to simulate aerial warfare against Russia’slethal Sukhoi Su-57 jets and Chinese stealth Chengdu J-20 Powerful Dragon.
The US Air Force’s 65th Aggressor Squadron will be based at Nellis AirForce Base in Nevada, where the annual Red Flag exercise is held. While theF-35As will play the role of the enemy fighter, another stealth fighterwith the US Air Force the F-22 Raptors will be the defender.
The F-35A stealth fighters are the earliest version of the fifth generationfighters with the US Air Force and they will be used for training andmilitary exercise to sharpen the skills of American fighter pilots againstthe fifth generation jets like Sukhoi Su-57 and Chengdu J-20 in the Russianand Chinese armoury respectively. According to the US Air Force war gamesplans, the F-35As will be to replicate the strategy and tactics of Russianand Chinese air forces.
The 65th Aggressor Squadron is the UA Air Force’s third dedicated “red air”unit. The other two are the 64th Aggressor Squadron based in Nellis whilethe 18th Aggressor Squadron is stationed in Alaska.
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Both these squadrons fly the F-16 Fighting Falcons. The red units are usedto act as enemy units during war games.
According to the South China Morning Post, the US Air Force will use itsF-35A fighters to “mimic the role of its Chinese counterpart, the J-20Powerful Dragon, in aggressor training exercises amid rising concern inWashington about Beijing’s growing strength in strategically sensitiveareas such as the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait”.
The US action is seen by military experts as an acknowledgement of thegrowing technological advances by Russia and China in developing the latestweapons platforms including fifth-generation stealth fighters.
The Russian Air Force is likely to buy 76 Sukhoi Su-57 fighters by 2028.The first Su-57 will join the Russian Air Force later in 2019.
