The 65th Aggressor Squadron currently flies the F-35A, operating as a high-end adversary air to better simulate stealth fighters being inducted in competing nations.

As part of the 57th Operations Group, the squadron simulates peer and near-peer stealth threat tactics for Red Flag exercises and provides support for the USAF Weapons School syllabus.

Formed as a P-40 Warhawk pursuit squadron in January 1941 as part of the Army Air Corps Northeast Defense Sector (later I Fighter Command) at Mitchel Field, New York.

Was reassigned to the U.S. Army Middle East Force in Egypt, July 1942, becoming part of IX Fighter Command.

Took part in the British Western Desert campaign, engaged in combat during the Battle of El Alamein[citation needed] and, as part of Ninth Air Force, supported the Commonwealth Eighth Army's drive across Egypt and Libya, escorting bombers and flying strafing and dive-bombing missions against airfields, communications, and troop concentrations until Axis defeat in Tunisia in May 1943.

The squadron supported the British Eighth Army's landing at Termoli and subsequent operations in Italy, being reassigned to Twelfth Air Force in August 1943.

It flew interdiction missions against railroads, communication targets, and motor vehicles behind enemy lines, providing a minimum of 48 fighter-bomber sorties per day.

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.

[7] Nellis Air Force Base planned to further upgrade its fleet with more F-35s and F-22s to replicate adversaries' capabilities, specifically the Chinese fifth-generation fighters.