65AGRS F-15D at last chance for an afternoon Red Flag mission

65AGRS F-15C on short final for 03L

65AGRS F-15C coming off 21R for a Red Flag mission

Actually this seems to be the bossbird of the newly formed 65th Aggressor Squadron at Nellis AFB. Up to now they operate 6 Eagles, however, a steady build up to 24 aircraft till 2011 is expected. The aircraft colour represents a Russian Flanker, which is also the callsign they use during their missions.

On 30 July 2008 this Eagle departed a controlled flight and entered into a spin while executing a planned maneuver during exercise Red Flag 08-3. The then US$ 38 million F-15D impacted the ground some 20 miles northwest of Rachel (NV) in an uninhabited area on the Nevada Test and Training Range. Both aircrew ejected; the back seat observer pilot sustained minor injuries and was rescued, the front seat pilot hit the ground before his parachute fully deployed and died. Most probably, the cause was the pilot exceeded the allowable angle of attack at low level and faced spatial disorientation.

Formed as a P-40 Warhawk pursuit squadron in January 1941, the 65th was inactivated at the end of August 1945. Reactivated in August 1946 and operated since P-51s, F-80B/C, F-94s, F-89s, F-100 and A-7s. When it became an agressor squadron in the late seventies it received F-5s. The 65th flew their last aggressor flight in the Tiger II on 7 April 1989 and was deactivated. Reactivated again in September 2005, flying F-15C/Ds. Inactivated again on 26 September 2014 and reactivated on 9 June 2022 with F-35As.