and F-15Ds as the 65th Aggressor Squadron with 24 aircraft assigned. The aircraft were painted in camouflage schemes identical to those observed on Russian-manufactured Sukhoi Su-27 fighters and operated in conjunction with the 64th Aggressor Squadron, which performs a similar task using F-16 Fighting Falcons. The 65th annually participated in the USAF Red Flag and Canadian Forces Maple Flag exercises, provided USAF Weapons School syllabus support, priority test mission support, and "road shows" that visited various units throughout the US to support Air Combat Command (ACC) and ACC-gained Air Force Reserve Command and Air National Guard units for training. On 30 July 2008, one pilot was killed and another injured when their F-15 crashed into the ground during a training mission. The Air Force inactivated the unit on 26 September 2014 due to Fiscal Year 2015 budget constraints imposed upon the Air Force that zero-lined the squadron's budget. Its fleet was maintained by Flanker Aircraft Maintenance Unit, a section of the 757th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron. On 9 May 2019 US Air Force announced it planned to reactivate the 65th Aggressor Squadron with new aircraft, F-35A Lightning II. The squadron was formally reactivated on 9 June 2022. Lineage Constituted as the 65th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) on 20 November 1940 Activated on 15 January 1941 Redesignated 65th Fighter Squadron on 15 May 1942 Inactivated on 7 November 1945 Activated on 15 August 1946 Redesignated 65th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron on 20 January 1950 Inactivated on 8 January 1958 Redesignated 65th Fighter Weapons Squadron on 22 August 1969 Activated on 15 October 1969 Redesignated: 65th Tactical Fighter Training Aggressor Squadron on 30 December 1981 Redesignated: 65th Aggressor Squadron on 1 April 1983 Inactivated on 7 April 1989 Activated on 15 September 2005 Inactivated on 26 September 2014 Reactivated on 9 June 2022 Assignments 57th Pursuit Group (later 57th Fighter Group), 15 January 1941 - 7 November 1945 57th Fighter Group (later Fighter-Interceptor Group), 15 August 1946 10th Air Division, 13 April 1953 328th Fighter Group, 1 November 1957 - 8 January 1958 57th Fighter Weapons Wing (later 57th Tactical Training Wing, 57th Fighter Weapons Wing), 15 October 1969 - 7 April 1989 57th Adversary Tactics Group, 15 September 2005 – 26 September 2014 57th Operations Group, 9 June 2022 - present Stations Mitchel Field, New York, 15 January 1941 Bradley Field, Connecticut, 19 August 1941 Trumbull Field, Connecticut, 13 December 1941 Rentschler Field, Connecticut, 24