page_title: Vismod
section_title: Vismods in the US Navy and US Air Force
hierarchical_section_title: Vismod / Vismods in the US Navy and US Air Force
caption_attribution_description: An air-to-air left side view of three F-5E Tiger II aircraft from the 527th Tactical Fighter Training Aggressor Squadron, RAF Alconbury, in formation.
context_page_description: The term vismod is an abbreviation of the term visually modified, and is used by the elements of the United States Department of Defense to refer to any vehicle, aircraft, or other object that has been altered to simulate equipment used by an enemy for training purposes, often by specialized units referred to as the OpFor or opposing force. It is also sometimes used in filmmaking and television production to simulate real-world military equipment that is required for a scene in a television show or movie but cannot be procured due to financial or other complications. Below are some of the most well-known examples of vismod usage.
context_section_description: The United States Navy and Air Force were the first branches of the military to use vismods effectively for training purposes in response to appalling air-to-air combat performance of their pilots during the Vietnam War, taking A-4 Skyhawks and F-5 Freedom Fighters and painting them in the colors of Soviet and Warsaw Pact aircraft, complete with red star insignia. These were used as 'adversary' aircraft at the Navy's Top Gun program at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar and the Air Force's RED FLAG exercises at Nellis Air Force Base (Top Gun was later replaced by the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center at Naval Air Station Fallon). These aircraft were later supplemented and eventually replaced by F/A-18 Hornets, F-14 Tomcats, and F-16 Fighting Falcons, with the Air Force recently adding F-15 Eagles as well.
caption: A trio of F-5E Tiger II's flying in simulated Soviet paint schemes and markings as part of an Air Force aggressor squadron
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