Therapist: F-35 in aggressor colors isn’t real, it can’t hurt you:
F-35 in aggressor colors: pic rel
Me: 😳
RWR: 🤣✌️💨
Official licensed product of the U.S. Air Force
hits Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Lollipop-F-35-Interceptor-Toy-Experience/dp/B0D9KVD4DG
This appears to be the toy in question. Also:
F-35 Interceptor
“Interceptor?”
Anyway.
Apparently, based on that, Brooklyn Lolipop is the company in question. It appears to be an importer, not a manufacturer.
https://www.trademark.af.mil/Current-Licensees/
Brooklyn Lollipops Imports
Giftware, Memorabilia, Toys, Figurines
USAF Symbol and Wordmarks, USAF Emblem, USAF Enlisted Ranks, USAF Motto, USSF Delta and Wordmarks, USSF Motto, Roundel, Thunderbirds (Wordmark and Trade Dress)
So apparently the company in question is indeed an official licensee.
investigates further
https://www.trademark.af.mil/Licensing/Apply-for-a-License/
CRITERIA FOR PRODUCT EVALUATION
- Quality
- Liability
- Appropriateness
- Company Stability
I dunno about the appropriateness…
sudden idea
kagis
Ahhhh.
It’s a real paint job on real USAF aircraft.
The USAF uses it for aggressor training.
Going off the above page, it’s apparently the 65th Aggressor Squadron’s colors.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/65th_Aggressor_Squadron
EDIT: Well, strictly-speaking, that page was talking about proposed paint jobs. So I don’t know for sure whether the proposed paint job wound up on a plane.
looks further
Here’s an actual photo of a 65th Aggressor Squadron F-35. Similar, but not the same:
https://x.com/Fighterman_FFRC/status/1565493649277718528
Unless there’s some other variant – which I couldn’t find in some quick image searches – my guess is that that’s probably what they use.
The F-15s that they used to use apparently have a paint job that’s closer to the one on the F-35 toy:
https://www.nellis.af.mil/About/High-End-Training/igphoto/2000206573/
EDIT2: The image at the above link apparently doesn’t show up on mobile unless you set your browser to desktop mode.
Aggressor squadron was my first assumption when I saw the paint job
I remember reading recently that they had started using F35s since more opponent nations are fielding reduced RCS aircraft
How do you do, fellow 5th-gen fighters?
