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Opposing force
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<h2 id="units">Units</h2> <h3>Canada</h3> <p>The Canadian Armed Forces has OPFOR units from the <a href="/facts/Canadian_Manoeuvre_Training_Centre/0Eee9xEo">Canadian Manoeuvre Training Centre</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:1" href="#fn:1"><sup>1</sup></a> </p> <h3>China</h3> <p class="note">Further information: <a href="/facts/195th_Combined_Arms_Brigade_(People%2527s_Republic_of_China)/7511st8b">195th Combined Arms Brigade (People's Republic of China)</a></p> <p class="note">Further information: <a href="/facts/66th_Brigade_(People%2527s_Republic_of_China)/YbC2TY2V">66th Brigade (People's Republic of China)</a></p> <h3>France</h3> <p>In the <a href="/facts/French_Army/NCnjovlu">French Army</a>, a FORAD (<i>FORce ADverse</i>, enemy force) is used to train the army, in both the <i>centre d'entraînement au combat</i> (CENTAC, Combat Training Center) of <a href="/facts/Mailly-le-Camp/98asnWoI">Mailly-le-Camp</a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:2" href="#fn:2"><sup>2</sup></a> and in the <i><a href="/facts/Centre_d%2527entra%25C3%25AEnement_aux_actions_en_zone_urbaine/oybGwFC2">centre d'entraînement aux actions en zone urbaine</a></i> (CENZUB, Urban Operations Training Centre).<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:3" href="#fn:3"><sup>3</sup></a> Declassed <a href="/facts/AMX-30/AqhYgngc">AMX-30</a> tanks were used to simulate Soviet T-72s,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4"><sup>4</sup></a> until 2018.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5"><sup>5</sup></a> </p> <h3>Republic of Korea</h3> <p class="note">Further information: <a href="/facts/Korea_Combat_Training_Center/DjJbwEWT">Korea Combat Training Center</a></p> <h3>Japan</h3> <p class="note">Further information: <a href="/facts/Tactical_Fighter_Training_Group_(JASDF)/4FDFcUIp">Tactical Fighter Training Group (JASDF)</a></p> <h3>United States</h3> <p>There are three major training centers that utilize home-based OPFOR units for the <a href="/facts/US_Army/WACWBEK9">US Army</a>: </p> <ul><li>The <a href="/facts/National_Training_Center/4tSAYx3I">National Training Center</a> (NTC) at <a href="/facts/Fort_Irwin%2c_California/4tSAYx3I">Fort Irwin, California</a>—home unit is the <a href="/facts/11th_Armored_Cavalry_Regiment/W3neuvkp">11th Armored Cavalry Regiment</a> (the <i>Blackhorse</i>)<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6"><sup>6</sup></a></li> <li>The Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC) at <a href="/facts/Fort_Johnson/n1IhRmsw">Fort Johnson</a>, Louisiana—home unit is the 1st Battalion, 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment (the <i>Geronimos</i>)<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7"><sup>7</sup></a></li> <li>The <a href="/facts/Joint_Multinational_Readiness_Center/L9vqY2jd">Joint Multinational Readiness Center</a> (JMRC)—formerly known as the Combat Maneuver Training Center (CMTC)—at Hohenfels, Germany<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8"><sup>8</sup></a>—home unit is the 1st Battalion, <a href="/facts/4th_Infantry_Regiment_(United_States)/A8waocA3">4th Infantry Regiment</a> (Separate) (the <i>Warriors</i>)</li></ul> <p>Over time, the Army has patterned the OPFOR units after real or imagined opponents and given them various fictional names, even though the US Army denies any resemblance. </p> <p>"Circle Triagonists" - patterned after the <a href="/facts/Wehrmacht/cVGQH8JW">Wehrmacht</a> from 1947-1978.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9"><sup>9</sup></a> </p><p>"Krasnovians" - patterned after the <a href="/facts/Red_Army/n15nLQTu">Soviet Red Army</a> from 1978-1990 at the <a href="/facts/Fort_Irwin_National_Training_Center/4tSAYx3I">National Training Center</a> in Fort Irwin.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10"><sup>10</sup></a> </p><p>The People's Republic of Pineland - a make believe foe for Army Special Forces candidates to face in their final test. </p><p>The Island of Aragon - an invasion scenario for troops to play out at the US <a href="/facts/Joint_Readiness_Training_Center/uuXBuwcV">Joint Readiness Training Center</a> at Fort Polk, Louisiana. </p><p>Attica - a crisis to handle at <a href="/facts/White_Sands_Missile_Range/JUsgxDjF">White Sands Missile Range</a> in New Mexico. </p><p>Various US military installations or major units have their own local versions of opposing force used for training exercises. The joint Australian–US military exercise "Crocodile '03" featured an Australian-led opposing force in which soldiers from a range of Australian units worked together with a <a href="/facts/US_Marine_Corps/J8JDlJG2">US Marine Corps</a> contingent.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:11" href="#fn:11"><sup>11</sup></a> </p><p>Several <a href="/facts/State_defense_force/STLGCsqL">state defense forces</a> have served as OPFOR units when training with the <a href="/facts/National_Guard_of_the_United_States/oMCltGFe">National Guard</a>. The <a href="/facts/California_State_Military_Reserve/WTHubHE7">California State Guard</a>,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:12" href="#fn:12"><sup>12</sup></a> the <a href="/facts/Georgia_State_Defense_Force/csGRYkgG">Georgia State Defense Force</a>,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:13" href="#fn:13"><sup>13</sup></a> and the <a href="/facts/New_York_Guard/bx9HQzm3">New York Guard</a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:14" href="#fn:14"><sup>14</sup></a> have provided OPFOR services to their respective National Guard counterparts. In 2018, the Georgia State Defense Force established the OPFOR Battalion<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:15" href="#fn:15"><sup>15</sup></a> to assist National Guard Soldiers with pre-deployment training. </p> <h2 id="rank-insignia">Rank Insignia</h2> <table><tbody><tr><th colspan="12"><h4>Officer Ranks</h4></th></tr><tr><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Circle Trigonists Army (1953-1962)</td><td>Marshall</td><td>General of the Army</td><td>General of a Corps</td><td>General of a Divsion</td><td>General of a Brigade</td><td>Colonel</td><td>Commandant</td><td>Major</td><td>Captain</td><td>Lieutenant</td><td>Sub Lieutanant</td></tr><tr><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Circle Trigonists Army (1962-1978)</td><td>Marshall</td><td>General of the Armies</td><td>General of the Army</td><td>General of a Division</td><td>General of a Brigade</td><td>Colonel</td><td>Commandant</td><td>Major</td><td>Captain</td><td>Lieutenant</td><td>Sub Lieutenant</td></tr><tr><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Krasnovian Army OPFOR (1978-present)</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>Colonel</td><td>Lt. Colonel</td><td>Major</td><td>Captain</td><td>Lieutenant</td><td>Junior Lieutenant</td></tr></tbody></table> <table><tbody><tr><td></td></tr></tbody></table> <table><tbody><tr><th colspan="9"><h5>Enlisted Ranks</h5></th></tr><tr><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>No Insignia</td></tr><tr><td>Circle Trigonists Army (1953-1962)</td><td>Sergeant Major</td><td>Senior Sergeant</td><td>Staff Sergeant</td><td>Platoon Sergeant</td><td>Section Sergeant</td><td>Corporal</td><td>Senior Private</td><td>Private</td></tr><tr><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Circle Trigonists Army (1962-1978)</td><td>Sergeant Major</td><td>Senior Sergeant</td><td>Staff Sergeant</td><td>Platoon Sergeant</td><td>Section Sergeant</td><td>Corporal</td><td>Senor Solider</td><td>Soldier</td></tr><tr><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Krasnovian Army OPFOR (1978-present)</td><td></td><td>Sergeant Major</td><td>Senior Sergeant</td><td>Sergeant</td><td>Junior Sergeant</td><td>Corporal</td><td>Private</td><td></td></tr></tbody></table> <table><tbody><tr><td></td></tr></tbody></table> <h2 id="gallery">Gallery</h2> <h2 id="notes">Notes</h2> <h2 id="further-reading">Further reading</h2> Wikimedia Commons has media related to Opposing forces. <ul><li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20041016062714/http://www.army.mil/soldiers/dec1998/features/valid.html">Validating the "Enemy"</a> (discusses the United States Army OPFOR units and post-Cold War changes to OPFOR.)</li> <li><a href="http://www.alternatewars.com/WW3/Trigons/Trigons.htm">The Circle Trigonists (Aggressors)</a>, a summary of the opposing force Aggressor used by the United States Army from ca. 1946–1978</li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>"Archived - Canadian Manoeuvre Training Centre (CMTC) Opposing Force (OPFOR) Facility". Archived from the original on 2016-12-07. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20161207153039/https://www.ceaa.gc.ca/052/details-eng.cfm?pid=32878" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20161207153039/https://www.ceaa.gc.ca/052/details-eng.cfm?pid=32878</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>"CENTAC/5e régiment de Dragons" [CENTAC/5th Dragoon Regiment]. Batailles & Blindés (in French). No. Hors Série 24. 2014. pp. 52–55. ISSN 1950-8751. <a href="/wiki/ISSN_(identifier)" target="_blank">/wiki/ISSN_(identifier)</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>"Dans la ville fantôme de Jeoffrécourt, les armées étrangères simulent la guerre" [In the ghost town of Jeoffrécourt, foreign armies simulate war]. Le Point (in French). Agence France-Presse. 8 May 2016. <a href="https://www.lepoint.fr/societe/dans-la-ville-fantome-de-jeoffrecourt-les-armees-etrangeres-simulent-la-guerre-08-05-2016-2037740_23.php" target="_blank">https://www.lepoint.fr/societe/dans-la-ville-fantome-de-jeoffrecourt-les-armees-etrangeres-simulent-la-guerre-08-05-2016-2037740_23.php</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>"CENTAC/5e régiment de Dragons" [CENTAC/5th Dragoon Regiment]. Batailles & Blindés (in French). No. Hors Série 24. 2014. pp. 52–55. ISSN 1950-8751. <a href="/wiki/ISSN_(identifier)" target="_blank">/wiki/ISSN_(identifier)</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:5"><p>Lagneau, Laurent (17 October 2018). "Le 5e Régiment de Dragons se sépare de ses derniers chars AMX-30 Brenus" [The 5th Dragoons Regiment separates from its last AMX-30 Brenus tanks]. opex360.com (in French). <a href="http://www.opex360.com/2018/10/17/le-5e-regiment-de-dragons-se-separe-de-ses-derniers-chars-amx-30-brenus/" target="_blank">http://www.opex360.com/2018/10/17/le-5e-regiment-de-dragons-se-separe-de-ses-derniers-chars-amx-30-brenus/</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:6"><p>"Brave Rifles OPFOR dominates at NTC". 28 June 2018. <a href="http://www.forthoodsentinel.com/news/brave-rifles-opfor-dominates-at-ntc/article_c5347e44-7a1b-11e8-8d7b-d3f18cc18bec.html" target="_blank">http://www.forthoodsentinel.com/news/brave-rifles-opfor-dominates-at-ntc/article_c5347e44-7a1b-11e8-8d7b-d3f18cc18bec.html</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:7"><p>"Paratroopers refine war fighting skills at the Joint Readiness Training Center". Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. 6 September 2011. <a href="https://www.jber.jb.mil/News/News-Articles/Article/291020/paratroopers-refine-war-fighting-skills-at-the-joint-readiness-training-center/" target="_blank">https://www.jber.jb.mil/News/News-Articles/Article/291020/paratroopers-refine-war-fighting-skills-at-the-joint-readiness-training-center/</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:8"><p>"Army.mil". Archived from the original on 2018-03-26. Retrieved 2020-04-26. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180326223100/http://www.hohenfels.army.mil/" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20180326223100/http://www.hohenfels.army.mil/</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:9"><p>TREVITHICK, JOSEPH (July 23, 2014). "The U.S. Army Once Created a Whole Alternate History For Its War Games". Medium. Retrieved July 6, 2025. <a href="https://medium.com/war-is-boring/the-u-s-army-once-created-a-whole-alternate-history-for-its-war-games-e733acd8438d" target="_blank">https://medium.com/war-is-boring/the-u-s-army-once-created-a-whole-alternate-history-for-its-war-games-e733acd8438d</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:10"><p>Brown, David W. (Feb 12, 2025). "5 Fictional Countries Where the U.S. Army is Trained to Fight". Mental Floss. Retrieved July 6, 2025. <a href="https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/31437/5-fictional-countries-where-us-army-trained-fight" target="_blank">https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/31437/5-fictional-countries-where-us-army-trained-fight</a> <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:11"><p>Wellfare, John. "Exercise Crocodile '03: You win some, you lose some". Army: The Soldiers' Newspaper. <a href="http://www.defence.gov.au/news/armynews/editions/1084/features/feature01a.htm" target="_blank">http://www.defence.gov.au/news/armynews/editions/1084/features/feature01a.htm</a> <a href="#fnref:11" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:12"><p>"OPFOR". 1st Battalion (MP), 2nd Brigade (Civil Support), California State Military Reserve. Archived from the original on 18 January 2016. Retrieved 16 November 2015. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20160118090016/http://4thmpbnpmo.com/opfor.htm" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20160118090016/http://4thmpbnpmo.com/opfor.htm</a> <a href="#fnref:12" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:13"><p>Seay, Howard (8 May 2015). "Operation Roughrider Cold". Heads up. 11 (1). Georgia State Defense Force: 3. Retrieved 16 November 2015. <a href="http://issuu.com/allanhayesgsdf/docs/headsup_june2015" target="_blank">http://issuu.com/allanhayesgsdf/docs/headsup_june2015</a> <a href="#fnref:13" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:14"><p>Mendie, Ubon (31 March 2009). "N.Y. Guard 'Brings the Fight' to Fighting 69th". Guard Times Magazine. p. 36. Retrieved 22 December 2018. <a href="https://issuu.com/nynationalguard/docs/gt_spring09" target="_blank">https://issuu.com/nynationalguard/docs/gt_spring09</a> <a href="#fnref:14" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:15"><p>"OPFOR Battalion". Georgia State Defense Force. Retrieved 2019-12-10. <a href="https://paonews.net/units/opfor/" target="_blank">https://paonews.net/units/opfor/</a> <a href="#fnref:15" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>