LAKELAND, Fla., Feb. 5, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Draken International, the leading provider of 4th generation tactical flight support, has expanded its support of the United States Air Force (USAF) with the deployment of four L-159 Honey Badger fighter aircraft to Eglin Air Force Base in Florida from January 13-26.

During this deployment, Draken aircraft provided adversary air support to USAF F-35As operated by the 58th Fighter Squadron. The mission of the 58th Fighter Squadron is to plan and execute an F-35A curriculum for USAF training. In addition to supporting the F-35s, Draken also challenged MC-130s from the 14th Weapons Squadron out of Hulburt Field in Florida.

The support provided by Draken consisted of the replication of realistic threats for various air-to-air mission sets ranging from basic fundamentals to complex employment exercises. These advanced sorties flown by Draken required the integration of various military platforms as well as Draken aircraft within a multi-domain environment.

The United States Air Force’s ever-increasing demand for commercially provided adversary air services continues to surge as Draken International expands operations throughout the continental United States. With a substantial ongoing presence at Nellis Air Force Base employing fleets of A-4 and L-159 tactical fighter aircraft, Draken continues to fulfill requests for additional temporary training deployments such as this in order to satisfy combat readiness training requirements for other Air Force priorities.

In addition to the Eglin deployment, Draken also performed simultaneous operations at numerous locations throughout the month of January. These locations included Nellis AFB, Luke AFB, Hill AFB, Davis-Monthan AFB, and MCAS Miramar supporting F-22 Raptors from the 525th Fighter Squadron, Elmendorf AFB, Alaska.

Draken’s Detachment Commander, Terry Scott stated, “Expanding our operations to Eglin AFB has allowed critical USAF assets to receive the cost-effective training benefits associated with commercial air services provided by Draken. In addition to facing complex presentations as a result of our integration with T-38 Aggressors from Tyndall AFB, our host unit shared their appreciation for the extended loiter times that resulted in valuable training opportunities.”

About Draken International

Based in Lakeland, Florida, Draken International has set a new standard in tactical flight support. With over 100 fighter aircraft, the company operates the largest privately-owned fleet of ex-military aircraft in the world. Draken aircraft are unique in their ability to replicate capabilities often found on modern 4th generation fighter jets, but at considerably lower cost. Draken aircraft are used in various types of military training objectives around the globe to include support for the U.S Air Force, U.S Navy, U.S Marine Corps and other International partners. Draken services represent tremendous cost savings over the use of traditional military fighter assets. For additional information, visit http://www.drakenintl.com.

SOURCE Draken International