Originally Posted by
Foghorn Leghorn
I saw those those pictures, those jets look fantastic and must add a great capability to train against.
From Aviation Week , May 17 2022 ;
The U.S. Air Force has decided to not renew an ongoing contract with Draken International for adversary air training at Nellis AFB because it has determined the contractor’s jets can no longer provide the effective training it needs.
Since 2015, Draken has flown “enemy aircraft” for high-end training events at the Nevada Test and Training Range, in exercises such as Red Flag, and for the U.S. Air Force Weapons School. In 2018, the company received another $280 million to continue that training and the contract expires this summer. The service decided to not renew the contract and Draken has posted notices that it will lay off employees in Nevada as the contract expires.
While “red air” companies such as Draken “do wonderful work for the Air Force, especially at our formal training units...where we train basic fighter pilots how to fly,” they aren’t effective against jets like F-22s or F-35s, Lt. Gen. David Nahom, the service’s deputy chief of staff for plans and programs, told the Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee on May 17.
Draken’s fleet includes aircraft such as A-4 Skyhawks, L-159As, Dassault Mirage F1s, MiG-21bis, and Atlas Cheetahs. The company also has begun buying F-16s. The contracted jets fly about 65% of the adversary flight hours, Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev) said, adding that letting the contract expire will leave a gap for training at the Nevada range.