DISCOVERY AIR DEFENCE TO OFFER “A LARGE NUMBER” OF F-16 FIGHTER AIRCRAFT FOR USAF’s ADAIR COMPETITION

“The company’s F-16 offer separates it from competitors, who are offering third-generation solutions trying to be fourth-generation,” Garry Venman, Discovery Air Defence executive vice-president

Discovery Air Defence has thrown its hat into the United States Air Force’s (USAF) massive combat air forces (CAF) Adversary Air (ADAIR) competition by offering the F-16.

Garry Venman, Discovery Air Defence executive vice-president of business development and government relations, told Jane’s that the firm has finalised a deal to acquire “a large volume of aircraft.”

He believes the company’s F-16 offer separates it from competitors, who Venman said are offering third-generation solutions trying to be fourth-generation.

There is a growing demand around the world, not just in the U.S., for companies to provide adversary air training solutions to militaries. Not only is the USAF soliciting bids, but Venman said the U.S. Navy is in source selection for its own procurement. In addition, he said the U.K. has an active competition called Air Support to Departmental Operational Training (ASDOT). Venman said ASDOT is a 15-year programme buying everything from business jets with electronic warfare equipment to high subsonic and supersonic aircraft.

ADAIR promises to be a heavily anticipated program as Venman expects multiple awards for as much as USD6 billion combined. Jeffrey Parker, CEO of bidder Airborne Tactical Advantage Company (ATAC), told Jane’s in September the USAF is looking to procure services providing nearly 37,000 hours of flight, using 140-150 fighter aircraft spread among 12 or 13 different bases.

As we have recently explained ATAC is offering French Dassault Mirage F1 multirole fighters which will be retrofitted with Digital Radio Frequency Memory (DRFM) jammers and active electronically scanned array (AESA) radars.

ADAIR program not only will provide adversary air services filling the gaps at the USAF’s 57th Wing weapons school and Red Flag training events, but will also provide operational test and evaluation missions at Nellis Air Force Base (AFB), Nevada. The USAF expects to release a final solicitation in January 2018, with a contract award due the following year.

Photo credit: Senior Airman Thomas Spangler / U.S. Air Force

Artwork courtesy of AircraftProfilePrints.com