The U.S. Air Force has contracted Tactical Air Support Inc. to provide adversary-air support at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, enhancing fighter training capabilities for the 388th Fighter Wing. This move aims to optimize F-35 pilot training.
Photo: Tactical Air
The F-5 Advanced Tiger aircraft started arriving on Sept. 28 at Hill AFB to operate alongside the base’s F-35A Lightning IIs. The one-year contract, with four option years, allocates 750 flying hours, translating to approximately 500 sorties.
Lt. Col. Jason Chugg, 388th Fighter Wing Plans and Programs director, explains the strategic importance: “Adversary-air support allows our pilots to train for our primary mission sets with the F-35, instead of spending those hours replicating enemy threats.”
Tactical Air Inc. will deploy 4-6 F-5 Advanced Tiger fighters and up to 30 personnel to Hill AFB. This arrangement is designed to free up Air Force resources, enabling F-35 operations and maintenance teams to focus on training against peer-level threats.
The 388th Fighter Wing, the first combat unit to field the F-35A, operates 78 aircraft with 2,000 Airmen across four operational and six maintenance squadrons. This initiative aligns with their mission to “Deliver F-35 dominance… anytime, anywhere.”
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