Aggressor Transformation

Since 1972 the Aggressor force has prepared United States Air Force Airmen for battlespace dominance in the skies. The unarguable success of this program in the sole arena of air-to-air combat has led to recent expansion of the Aggressors to include Space, Cyberspace and Air Defense domains. This Aggressor transformation provides a timely backdrop for the two-fold purpose of this paper: 1) to capture the core essence of the "Aggressors" by examining historical lessons learned, definitions and enduring fundamentals and 2) an assessment of the necessity for Ground Aggressors to provide Battlefield Airmen (BA) and Expeditionary Combat Airman (ECA) the same benefits of combat-preparatory Aggressor training received within other domains. The methodology and assumptions for this study are primarily derived from the history of the Air Aggressors--the domain that provides the longest time perspective and abundance of Aggressor experience. This is not intended to overlook the contributions of other Aggressor specialties that continue to shape the overall Aggressor mission. This study is limited to providing a basis for Ground Aggressor advocacy while acknowledging there may be other domains that could also benefit from Aggressor training. While this paper focuses on internal Aggressor lessons learned and their application to future Aggressor specialties, the primary lessons should continue to concentrate on what the warfighter learns as a result of their exposure to this combat training, of which the Aggressors are an integral part. Within these caveats, this paper endeavors to provide a source for consolidated information, perspective and recommendations that could be applied universally to the Aggressor mission as the USAF continues with an Aggressor Transformation: Beyond the Flightline.