Editing Opposing force (section)

{{Short description|Military term}}
{{about|a military term|the game|Half-Life: Opposing Force}}
{{hatnote|The term "opposing force" is occasionally used to refer to a genuine military foe. This article is concerned only with its use in simulated conflict.}}
{{more citations needed|date=November 2009}}
[[File:OPFOR Soldiers.jpg|thumbnail|right|200px|U.S. OPFOR soldiers playing the role of Iraqi insurgents in [[Fort Polk]], Louisiana.{{refn|group=note|Photo was taken during Operation Cajun Fury with one of the many training exercises that take place at Joint Readiness Training Command (JRTC).}}]]

An '''opposing force''' (alternatively '''enemy force''', abbreviated '''OPFOR''' or '''OpFor''') is a [[military unit]] tasked with representing an enemy, usually for training purposes in [[War exercise|war game]] scenarios. The related concept of [[aggressor squadron]] is used by some air forces.

At a basic level, a unit might serve as an opposing force for a single scenario, differing from its 'opponents' only in the objectives it is given. However, major armies commonly maintain specialized groups trained to accurately replicate real-life enemies, to provide a more realistic experience for their training opponents. (To avoid the diplomatic ramifications of naming a real nation as a likely enemy, training scenarios often use fictionalized versions with different names but similar military characteristics to the expected real-world foes.)