Aggressor Vipers II: F-16C
64th Aggressor Squadron
& 16th Aggressor Squadron

Bullseye Model Aviation, 1/48 scale

Reviewed by David Couche

The 64th Aggressor Squadron is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 57th Adversary Tactics Group at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada.

The 64th AGRS is assigned 24 F-16C Fighting Falcon aircraft, painted in camouflage schemes identical to those observed on Russian-manufactured aircraft providing Air Combat Manoeuvring training to USAF and other aviation forces in conjunction with Red Flag exercises. The unit operates in conjunction with the 65th Aggressor Squadron, using F-15C Eagles which had been disbanded on 26 September 2014 due to budget constraints but reactivated on 9 May 2019.

The 18th Aggressor Squadron is a subordinate unit of the 354th Fighter Wing based at Eielson Air Force Base in Fairbanks, Alaska, and flies the Block 30 General Dynamics F-16C/D aircraft.

As part of the change to Red Flag-Alaska, the 18th FS converted to the 18th Aggressor Squadron. This squadron trains in the same manner as the aggressors at Nellis Air Force Base, learning the flying styles and abilities of foreign air forces in order to train USAF pilots against realistic opposition. Aircraft changes entail sending all 18 of its Block 40 F-16 Fighting Falcons to Kunsan Air Base, Korea, and receiving 18 Block 30 F-16s from Kunsan.

In 2013, the Air Force, responding to the Department of Defense strategy guidance of December 2012, proposed consolidating all fighter units in Alaska at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. This would involve the move of the 18th from Eielson Air Force Base to Elmendorf. While the move was pending, in response to the sequestration of defense funds, the squadron's aircraft were grounded in the middle of April for a period of three months. The squadron move was strongly opposed by civic leaders from both Fairbanks and Anchorage, Alaska. The civic leaders were joined by the Alaska congressional delegation, who wrote language barring the use of funds in the Defense Appropriations Bill to move the squadron, and delayed the promotion of a lieutenant general until the Air Force addressed their questions concerning the move. The widespread opposition in Alaska to the squadron's move caused the Department of Defense to withdraw its recommendation and leave the squadron at Eielson.

This decal set is a comprehensive offering with 14 different aircraft depicted. There are also sufficient stencil and data decals are included to build at least complete models. The aircraft depicted, all F-16C’s but from a number of 4 different Block versions. The decals are sized for the Tamiya family of F-16’s but I’m sure they would fit the Hasegawa kits as well with minimal problems.

The decals are printed by Cartograf, so you know they will be in perfect register, thin, go down well and be responsive to most of the decal solutions around. Some of the scheme do require you to create masks, but accurate details are given to you on the instructions. The instruction also give you 4 pages with details of specifics of the Block 25, 30, 32 and 42 airframes which is very useful.

Here are the specifics on the jets that are included:

General Dynamics F-16C Block 25 Fighting Falcon, 64th Aggressor Sqn. 84-1220, 2019

 United States Air Force 

• 18 Aggressor Sqn. 86-0286 | Eielson AFB 2010 | Flogger

• 18 Aggressor Sqn. 86-0310 | Eielson AFB 2011 | Flogger

• 18 Aggressor Sqn. 86-0314 | Eielson AFB 2014 | Arctic

• 18 Aggressor Sqn. 86-0290 | Eielson AFB 2014 | Arctic

• 18 Aggressor Sqn. 86-0314 | Eielson AFB 2018 | Arctic Splinter

• 18 Aggressor Sqn. 86-0263 | Eielson AFB 2018 | Arctic Splinter

• 18 Aggressor Sqn. 86-0295 | Eielson AFB 2018 | BDU Splinter

• 18 Aggressor Sqn. 86-0335 | Eielson AFB 2018 | Splinter

• 18 Aggressor Sqn. 86-0290 | Eielson AFB 2019 | Arctic Splinter

• 18 Aggressor Sqn. 86-0310 | Eielson AFB 2019 | BDU Splinter

General Dynamics F-16C Block 32 Fighting Falcon

United States Air Force 

• 64 Aggressor Sqn. 86-0272 | Nellis AFB 2017 | Shark

• 64 Aggressor Sqn. 86-0280 | Nellis AFB 2019 | Have Glass V

• 926 Operations Group 86-0251 | Nellis AFB 2019 | Splinter

• Lockheed Martin F-16C Block 42 Fighting Falcon

• United States Air Force 

• 64 Aggressor Sqn. 89-2048 | Nellis AFB 2020 | Wraith

All of these aircraft are provided as coloured profiles in the normal Furball thorough manner.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

• 
• 

Thumbnail panels:

Also included, is a very useful load out chart so you may accurately match you ordinance to each units mission profiles.

This high quality set supplies a great range of F-18 decals for the Carrier Wing 8 aircraft. Just this set would keep a US carrier aviation modeller going for a long time. If modelling time was unlimited, I would certainly be tempted to build a number of these schemes. This set is highly recommended.

Thanks to Bullseye Model Aviation for the sample.

Text and Images Copyright © 2020 by David Couche
This Page Created on 9 December, 2020
Last updated 9 December, 2020

Back to HyperScale Main Page