18th Aggressor Squadron The 18th Aggressor Squadron is a subordinate unit of the 354th Fighter Wing based at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska , and flies the Block 30 General Dynamics F - 16C / D aircraft . History . Activated in 1940 as a Southwest Air District pursuit squadron , equipped with a variety of 1930s - era pursuit aircraft . Re - equipped with P - 38 Lightning fighters and deployed to Alaska , engaged in combat during the Aleutian Campaign , 1942 - 1943 . Remained in Alaska as part of the air defense forces until inactivated in August 1946 . Air Defense Command . Reactivated in 1952 as part of Air Defense Command as an air defense squadron , initially equipped with F - 86A Sabre day fighters , initially being assigned to Minneapolis Airport , Minnesota with a mission for the air defense of the Upper Great Lakes region . Re - equipped in 1954 with F - 89D Scorpions and moved to Ladd AFB , Alaska for interceptor duty in the Fairbanks area as part of Alaskan Air Command . Returned to the CONUS in 1957 and upgraded to F - 102 Delta Dagger interceptors at the new Wurtsmith AFB , Michigan . Reassigned to Grand Forks AFB , North Dakota in 1960 and received the new McDonnell F - 101B Voodoo supersonic interceptor , and the F - 101F operational and conversion trainer . The two - seat trainer version was equipped with dual controls , but carried the same armament as the F - 101B and were fully combat - capable . Inactivated in April 1971 as part of the drawdown of ADC interceptor bases , the aircraft being passed along to the Air National Guard . Modern era . In 1997 , elements of the 18th FS deployed to Singapore and Malaysia to take part in dissimilar air combat tactic training as part of exercise COMMANDO SLING and COPE TAUFAN , respectively . The COPE TAUFAN deployment marked the first time Pacific Air Forces ' F - 16s had flown against MiG - 29 s . The unit deployed to Ahmed Al Jaber Air Base , Kuwait , October – December 1998 to support Operation Southern Watch . Later , the squadron deployed to Incirlik Air Base , Turkey , September – December 2000 , in support of Operation Northern Watch . For this deployment , the squadron employed 5 F - 16 aircraft and 110 personnel , conducting the first ever Combat Search and Rescue support tasking for an F - 16 squadron . After the 11 September 2001 attacks , the 18th FS was called to generate eight aircraft for Alaska NORAD air defense during Operation NOBLE EAGLE , though the aircraft never had to launch . The squadron ' s next deployment was to Al Jaber AB , Kuwait , December 2001 – March 2002 to support simultaneous combat operations for Operations SOUTHERN WATCH and ENDURING FREEDOM . They flew more than 3 , 200 hours in only 3 months , an amazing feat for the 142 Blue Foxes who deployed with only 10 aircraft . During that time , the 18th FS flew missions in support of Operation ANACONDA , including one in the Shah - I - Kot valley on 2 March when U . S . forces , engaged in a firefight with Taliban and Al Qaeda forces , called for aerial assistance . A number of Blue Foxes responded , dropping bombs with pinpoint accuracy on the opposing forces . Capt Jim Sears and Capt Andy Lipina , 18 FS pilots , received Distinguished Flying Crosses for their efforts . Lt . Col . Burt Bartley , the 18 FS commander at the time , received the Silver Star for strafing and dropping 500 lbs Laser Guided Bombs on what would later be known as " The Battle for Roberts Ridge . " The squadron deployed to Andersen AFB , Guam in support of Operation NOBLE EAGLE during March 2003 . The unit also participated in COMMANDO SLING , in October 2003 . Red Flag – Alaska . As part of the change from COPE THUNDER to Red Flag - Alaska , the 18th FS will be converting to the 18th Aggressor Squadron . This squadron will train in the same manner as the aggressors at Nellis AFB , learning the flying styles and abilities of foreign air forces to train USAF pilots . Aircraft changes entail sending all 18 of its Block 40 F - 16 Fighting Falcon s to Kunsan Air Base , Korea , and receiving 18 Block 30 F - 16s from Kunsan . At a time unspecified , the 18th will achieve a full complement of 24 F - 16 fighters .