Page 34 - Combat Aircraft (January 2020)

INDUSTRY REPORT // USAF ADAIR

ATAC’s fi rst airworthy Mirage F1,
two-seat F1B N601AX, gets airborne
from Alliance Airport in Fort Worth,
Texas, on August 22, 2019.
ATAC/Henry Ham

Contract air support is not a new Draken International pushed the bar adversary air capabilities. The outcome
concept in the US. ATAC blazed the trail by higher when it was formed in 2011 was clear — there was a cavernous void
securing US Navy contracts for adversary by Jared Isaacman, who pounced on in capacity, exacerbated by the advanced
support in 1994 amid a lack of in-house an opportunity to procure the Royal fth-generation ghter eet, which was
adversary assets. It sought to aid squadron New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) eet growing exponentially. The advent of
training by o ering cost-e ective ‘Red of redundant MB339s and A/TA-4K fth-generation ghters — the F-22
Air’, as well as pro les for surface vessels Skyhawks. It was a move that would and F-35 — has radically changed the
to train operators in self-defense during ultimately trigger a transformation in the aggressor world. Brig Gen Robert Novotny
work-up exercises. ATAC primarily contracted ‘Red Air’ market. told Combat Aircraft, ‘ When I became
utilized a eet of aging IAI F-21 K rs and commander of the 57th Wing [at Nellis in
Hawker Hunters to maintain a low cost Breakthrough contract June 2018] the 64th was ying nine sorties
base, while employing experienced The 2014 disbandment of the 65th a day, on average. Then you have an
aviators who could o er insight and Aggressor Squadron (AGRS), which ew animal like the F-22 or the F-35; it will go
expertise to underpin the value of the F-15C/Ds at Nellis AFB, Nevada, is seen as to an all-you-can-eat bu et and you can’t
company’s services. something of a watershed moment in this feed it enough! One of those will ‘kill’ all
Meanwhile, Discovery Air Defense story. The USAF was already desperately nine of those guys. So, to make everyone
Services, now known as Top Aces, was short of professional ‘Red Air’ aggressors more lethal, we had to work as hard as we
active further north in Canada, o ering for its front-line forces to train against, and could to y more aggressors and advocate
electronic warfare and adversary support now it was down to just two dedicated for modernization where possible.’
to the Department of National Defence units — the 18th AGRS at Eielson AFB, The USAF has an insatiable need for
(DND with a eet of ex-Luftwa e Alpha Alaska, and the 64th AGRS at Nellis, which adversary training. To address this shortfall,
Jets. It also procured ATSI (Advanced both y the F-16C and are kept active it released a proof of concept tender. This
Training Systems International), which supporting ‘Red Flag’ exercises, as well as led to a year-long ADAIR I ‘path nder’
operated A-4 Skyhawks out of Williams the Weapons School at Nellis, leaving little experiment at Nellis in 2015, during which
Gateway Airport, Arizona, and has since time for them to service front-line units. Draken International supported both the
gone on to win target-towing and Shortly after the deactivation of the Weapons School and exercise training,
aggressor contracts in Germany. 65th AGRS, ACC conducted an analysis of working in concert with the resident 64th

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