The phrase "actual enemy" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to refer to a real or genuine adversary, often in contrast to perceived or hypothetical enemies.
Example: "In the game, the actual enemy was not the one we initially suspected, but rather a hidden foe lurking in the shadows."
Alternatives: "true enemy" or "real adversary".
No actual enemy of the United States would be impressed by his trompe l'oeil toughness.
An actual enemy missile would not make itself such an inviting target.
These fighters are perpetually snapping alertly into combat formation, but have very little in the way of actual enemy danger.
But she accepted the prosecution's argument that it would not need to show that Manning had any direct contact with an actual enemy.
But Jim Webb picked an actual enemy: A soldier whom he killed in Vietnam, for which he was awarded the Navy Cross.
With no actual enemy in view, the recruits develop strategic campaigns against the superior officers who are making their lives a misery.
For one thing, in this case, our actual enemies, such as Al Qaeda and ISIS, themselves favor the clash-of-civilizations narrative, and do their best to encourage it.
Maybe the most important thing is that no matter how rough it gets, there are no actual enemies in that gym.
If that's so, what would our military do when faced with actual enemies, as opposed to Americans who want to defend their country?
But while they express understandable outrage over being labeled enemies, they should also be doing a better job of calling out Democrats who compare Republicans to our actual enemies.
If the series were truly risk-taking, the writers would figure out something interesting to say about the post-Katrina anxiety about emergency preparedness, with the imaginary intruders as metaphors for America's actual enemies.
