Draken Int'l awarded US Air Force commercial 'adversary' contract

Lakeland, Florida – Draken International, a provider of 4th generation tactical flight services, has been contracted to provide adversary support for the United States Air Force. Flying advanced Douglas A-4K Skyhawk and Aero Vodochody L-159E advanced light combat aircraft (ALCA) fighter jets, Draken is able to replicate numerous types of threat aircraft. Draken aircraft are equipped with modern radars, electronic attack pods, and are operated by highly skilled reserve and former-military professionals. This unique service offers cost savings for the USAF and preserves military assets, such as USAF F-16's and F-15's, while still achieving necessary training.

 

The Draken-operated A-4K Skyhawks and L-159E ALCAs are configured to meet USAF adversary support requirements. This includes modern fire-control radars, counter-measures, head-up displays (HUD), hands on throttle and stick (HOTAS), training missiles, long endurance, low operating costs, and advanced avionics relevant to the adversary mission. The A-4K Skyhawk and L-159E ALCA were engineered to have the reliability and efficiency of a 3rd generation aircraft but equipped with the sensors and sophistication of a 4th generation fighter jet.

 

"We are excited to begin delivering a professional, safe, and highly capable aggressor service to the United States Air Force. Personally, I am really looking forward to integrating with and complementing the USAF Nellis-based aggressors. They have served this essential mission for a long time and are some of the finest in the world," expressed Col. Terry "Stretch" Scott, a recently retired USAF F-22 Pilot and Nellis Detachment Commander for Draken International.

 

Jared Isaacman, CEO of Draken International, comments on the USAF contract award: "We have built a company with a considerable fleet of safe, sustainable, and credible fighter aircraft. We also have assembled a professional group of former military pilots and maintenance technicians. The organization has spared no expense to ensure that we are the absolute best at any commercial air services mission. As such, we feel we are absolutely ready and fortunate to have this monumental opportunity. This is our time to demonstrate the capabilities of our service while still achieving considerable cost savings for the United States Air Force."

 

The fiscal environment has resulted in significantly constrained defense budgets on a global level. In order to achieve readiness, militaries around the world are turning to innovative solutions to achieve training objectives. This adversary contract for the USAF is just one example of several cost-saving solutions Draken is able to provide using commercially operated fighter aircraft. Draken was also recently contracted to perform international air-to-air threat simulation for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter at Edwards Air Force Base. Other Draken missions include research and development, flight instruction to military students, Navy ship defense training, and other cost-saving services using the company's fleet of tactical fighter aircraft.