As Nellis AFB grounds aircraft, training goes virtual

NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. (AFNS) -- The sky over southern Nevada is quieter than they have been in quite some time due to the June 1 Air Combat Command directed stand down of flying operations.

Despite the stand down, the 64th Aggressor Squadron remains committed to accomplishing their mission, said Lt. Col. Michael Shepherd, the 64th AGRS academic assistant director of operations.

"Our motto is 'know, teach and replicate,'" Shepherd said. "As Aggressors, we are subject matter experts in a field of adversary tactics or systems anywhere from airplanes to missiles to actual tactics to electronic attacks."

The 64th AGRS is assigned to the 57th Adversary Tactics Group at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. Their primary mission is to provide support to the U.S. Air Force Weapons School, Red Flag exercises, the various test and evaluation squadrons and to provide training to units in the Combat Air Force on adversary tactics.

The 64th AGRS plans to focus on learning as much as possible about adversary tactics and providing training to the rest of the CAF due to the reduction in flight hours.

"We will continue to seek out the most current intelligence and update our briefs so we can disseminate that information to the CAF as much as we can," Shepherd said. "By no stretch of the imagination are we just shutting down our squadron."

There are plans in place for the 64th AGRS to work together as a team with other Nellis AFB units to gain valuable insight and experience, Shepherd said. The U.S. Air Force Weapons School's 16th Weapons Squadron, which teaches the F-16 Fighting Falcon weapons course, will work together with the 64th AGRS.

There is an academic agenda in place for the summer, Shepherd said. The 16th WPS will refresh the 64th AGRS on the tactics currently employed by the CAF and the 64th AGRS will reciprocate by teaching the 16th WPS the Aggressors' academics. Every week a member of the 64th AGRS will certify as a subject matter expert in one of their assigned adversary equipment and tactics categories.

"We have a robust schedule throughout the summer. We will still be busy; it will just be a different kind of busy than we have become used to," Shepherd said.

The pilots of the 64th AGRS will also try to stay current in their flight ratings using flight simulators and limited flying in support of the 422nd Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron, said Shepherd. Many pilots will lose most of their currencies and will have to regain them in October. Simulators will be used to try and mitigate the lack of practice.

The 64th AGRS pilots will concentrate on practicing emergency procedures in the simulators.

"They cannot afford to lose proficiency in carrying out those procedures because they need to be able to fly and land safely," Shepherd said.

There are few flight currencies that can be updated in simulators.

"While we can't officially update them, we can still use the simulators to stay proficient," Shepherd said.

"In order to keep ourselves sharp and keep our mindset, we have adopted a kind of back to basics mentality," said Capt. Paul Anderson, the 64th Aggressor Squadron B-flight commander. "We just went over and did the first run in the simulators today to establish how we want to use them. It was really good; we got to see some of the challenges others are facing and learn how to better challenge our customers and improve their learning and training."

The 64th AGRS pilots are flying against recent adversary tactics in simulators to gain a greater perspective of what CAF units' experience in simulators as well.

"It validates our credibility as Aggressors," Shepherd said. "We have to stay as current in the tactics and knowledge of things as we possibly can and of executing our mission in new ways."

"The ideal way to train is to combine academics with flying, but since we are not flying we are offering as much academics as we can," Anderson said. "You are able to talk about a threat and then go and see how it is actually employed. It drives home the point."

In addition to staying professionally proficient in their own fields and teaching others through traditional in-person briefings, the 64th AGRS will use innovation and technology to accomplish their mission.

"The technology gives us a greater ability to get the information out there," Shepherd said. "We have something called Virtual Flag. It's like Red Flag, but in simulators. Everyone taps in, and we can be Aggressors in our simulators here. We can fly against the guys in (Royal Air Force) Lakenheath, England. I don't think simulator training will ever be able to fully encompass what you get in real life, but it is good training."

The goal is to continue to give the CAF the training needed to go out and fly, fight and win without sacrificing safety or airmanship, according to 64th AGRS leadership.

"One of my best directors of operations, when we were getting ready to deploy to Iraq, his mantra was embrace the pain," Shepherd said. "I think that's very relevant. It's hard when you deploy, and it's hard when you suddenly have all of your flying hours taken from you. Embrace it and make a positive out of it whatever way you can."

"Know, teach and replicate," Anderson said. "We are still trying to carry out our mission."