The 177th Information Warfare Aggressor Squadron is a unit of the

184th Intelligence Wing The 184th Wing (184 WG) is a unit of the Kansas Air National Guard, stationed at McConnell Air Force Base, Wichita, Kansas. If activated to federal service, the Wing is gained by the United States Sixteenth Air Force. The 127th Command and Contr ...

of the Kansas Air National Guard stationed at McConnell Air Force Base, Wichita, Kansas. The 177th is a non-flying squadron which trains in cyber warfare.

Overview

The mission of the squadron is to attack American military networks, to discover vulnerabilities before a real enemy does. The Information Warfare Aggressor role is similar to the "tiger teams" commercial firms hire (and the air force pioneered) to test the defenses of corporate networks. The two aggressor squadrons have increased the quality and quantity of attacks that can be launched against U.S. systems, to see how well the defenses hold up. Members of the squadron then analyze the results of their attack. Finally, the aggressor hackers tell the sysadmins and other concerned personnel of the target unit what they did wrong, and why.

History

On 1 February 1984, the 177th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron was established with the unit flying McDonnell F-4 Phantom IIs as a formal training unit. It conducted its first student training class the same year. The squadron converted to the General Dynamics F-16A Fighting Falcon in 1990 and the F-16CC and F-16Din 1992. It was inactivated on 1 August 1994 when the F-16s were withdrawn from McConnell and its parent group became a bomber unit flying B-1B Lancers.

Lineage

* Constituted as the 177th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron and allotted to the National Guard on 1 February 1984 : Activated and extended federal recognition on 8 February 1984 : Redesignated 177th Fighter Squadron on 16 March 1992 : Inactivated on 1 August 1994 * Redesignated: 177th Information Warfare Aggressor Squadron and activated on 30 August 2002

Assignments

184th Tactical Fighter Group The 184th Wing (184 WG) is a unit of the Kansas Air National Guard, stationed at McConnell Air Force Base, Wichita, Kansas. If activated to federal service, the Wing is gained by the United States Sixteenth Air Force. The 127th Command and C ...

(later 184th Fighter Group), 1 February 1984 – 1 August 1994 * 184th Regional Support Group, 30 August 2006 – 2018 * 184th Cyber Operations Group, 2018 - Present

Stations

* McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas, 1 February 1984 – 1 August 1994 * McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas, 1 August 2002 – present

Aircraft

* McDonnell F-4D Phantom II, 1984–1990 * Block 1/5 F-16A and F-16B Fighting Falcon, 1990–1992 * Block 25 F-16C and F-16D Fighting Falcon, 1992–1994

References

* {{US Air Force navbox Squadrons of the United States Air National Guard Information Aggressor 0177 Military units and formations in Kansas Military units and formations established in 1984 1984 establishments in Kansas