Contract Adversary Air Moves To F-35 From F-15
by U.S. Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Jennifer Shirar
August 21, 2024 The last Contract Adversary Air F-5 completed its final local mission supporting F-15C student training at Kingsley Field, Oregon on August 7, 2024.
“Air Combat Command, the agency that funds the U.S. Air Force adversary air contracts, has prioritized increased adversary air at F-35 training locations,” said Col. Micah Lambert, 173rd Fighter Wing deputy commander. “With that, they decided not to compete the contract at Kingsley Field.” 
August 7, 2024 - Top - A contract adversary air F-5 takes off in the background for the final local mission supporting F-15C student training at Kingsley Field in Klamath Falls, Oregon. Bottom - F-15C pilots from the 173rd Fighter Wing and F-5 pilots from Tactical Air Support, contract adversary air following the F-5s final local mission supporting F-15C training at Kingsley Field in Klamath Falls, Oregon. As F-15C student training draws down, the adversary air contract was moved to support F-35 training for the U.S. Air Force. (Image created by USA Patriotism! from U.S. Air National Guard photos by Senior Master Sgt. Jennifer Shirar.)
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Lambert says this is a result of the draw down of F-15C training for the U.S. Air Force.
“Kingsley Field’s F-15s are scheduled to divest over the next 14 months and the amount of student training will reduce proportionally,” said Lambert. “The requirement is also reducing for adversary air sorties. “
Tactical Air Support, often referred to as TAC-Air, has held the adversary air contract at Kingsley Field since September 2020. Flying the F-5 Advanced Tiger, they provided “red” air, acting as the bad guys during training missions.
“Our role is to ‘serve those who serve,’” said Geoff Jensen, Kingsley Field TAC-Air Program Manager. “It was an absolute pleasure flying with the Kingsley Field F-15s. They are a top-notch organization with world class instructor pilots.”
While supporting Kingsley Field, the 20-member team flew more than 2,600 sorties with over 3,200 flight hours.
“Having TAC-Air at Kingsley the last few years has provided a significant increase in the capacity for F-15 student training,” said Lambert.
Much of the Kingsley Field TAC-Air team is made up of former and retired members of the 173rd Fighter Wing, to include two former wing commanders, and an operations group commander.
“Being able to have highly skilled pilots that used to instruct at Kingsley has made this capability even more effective,” said Lambert. “They know the syllabus and know what the students and instructors need in the air, as well as debrief, to be successful.”
Both 173rd Fighter Wing leadership and the TAC-Air team agree that this conclusion is bittersweet.
“On one hand there is a tremendous amount of pride for completing a job and doing it well,” said Jensen. “On the other hand, it is sad to see it end.”
Adversary air sorties will now be provided internally, through Kingsley F-15s and pilots. “We will return to this model of self-supporting training,” said Lambert. “When additional red air is required above what we can self-support, we will request sorties from existing adversary air contracts elsewhere.”
The Kingsley Field F-5s are now supporting operations at Hill Air Force Base in Utah and Eglin AFB in Florida.
“It has been an outstanding and efficient operation working with TAC-Air to produce the world’s greatest air superiority fighter pilots,” said Lambert. “I am optimistic that we will see contract adversary air back in a few years supporting future missions at Kingsley Field.” Our Valiant Troops | I Am The One | Veterans | Citizens Like Us U.S. Air Force | Air National Guard | U.S. Air Force Gifts | U.S. Department of Defense | |
