Set at the Savannah Combat Readiness Training Center (Georgia, U.S.), aggressor company Top Aces deployed its F-16 fighter jets in a prominent role during Exercise Sentry South 26.1, conducted from January 20 to 23, 2026. The maneuvers, focused on achieving air superiority, brought together fourth- and fifth-generation aircraft in a joint operations environment, allowing pilots to refine offensive and defensive tactics against advanced threats.
Sentry South 26.1, the successor to the Sentry Savannah and Southern Strike exercises, is conducted in one of the world’s largest air exercise environments, with more than 30,000 square miles (approximately 77,700 km²) available off the coast of Georgia. This airspace offers wide freedom of maneuver between the ocean surface and altitudes of up to 60,000 feet, minimizing restrictions and enabling high-intensity training with stealth aircraft such as the Lockheed Martin F-22 and F-35, alongside Boeing F/A-18s and Lockheed Martin F-16s from both the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Marine Corps. The integration of aircraft from different generations strengthens tactical readiness for both offensive and defensive counter-air missions, as well as training in the neutralization of advanced air defense systems.
During the exercise, the aggressor F-16s accumulated more than 30 flight hours in just four days, interacting with F-22s, F-35s, F/A-18s, and other F-16s, putting air combat maneuvers and suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD) tactics to the test. This participation highlights how advanced adversary squadrons enable the U.S. Air Force to maintain and enhance interoperability among platforms, optimizing readiness against modern threats.
With extensive experience in this field, Top Aces’ aggressor F-16s—specialized in simulating adversary air forces (AAF)—have incorporated an infrared search and track (IRST) pod since 2024, significantly enhancing their ability to detect and track targets, including those with reduced radar signatures or protected by electronic jamming systems. This technology, combined with AESA radars, helmet-mounted displays (HMD), and Link 16 data links, allows for more realistic and safer training, providing pilots with an experience closely aligned with modern combat scenarios.
It is worth noting, for example, that the Skyward IRST sensors produced by Leonardo are the same as those equipping frontline fighters such as the Saab Gripen E, with the only difference being that on the F-16 they are mounted in external pods. This underscores the continuous modernization that Top Aces incorporates into its aircraft and training programs.
Sentry South 26.1 highlights the importance of cooperation between fourth- and fifth-generation platforms in joint exercises, where the integration of advanced systems on aggressor aircraft—such as Top Aces’ F-16s—plays a central role in pilot training, strengthening response capabilities in highly demanding, realistic combat scenarios.
Image credits: Top Aces – DVIDS.
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