Who Will We Fight? What Is the Right Scheme for Naval Aviation's Adversary Program?

The purpose of this research paper is to analyze the US Navy's adversary program to see what changes, if any, are necessary to make it more effective. A brief history of the program precedes a discussion of the current and future threats facing Naval aviation. After explaining the current adversary program, it is evaluated using the following criteria: how well it prepares Naval aviators for the current and future threat, its accessibility to the fleet, and its cost effectiveness. After determining that the current program can be improved in all these areas, several alternatives were evaluated. The alternatives considered include expanding the number of F-16 adversary aircraft, a composite airwing made up of active duty and reserve assets, and increased use of commercial air service adversary aircraft. After weighing each option, it was determined additional F-16s and increased commercial air service adversary aircraft offer the best combination of threat preparation, fleet accessibility, and cost effectiveness.