LAKELAND, Fla., August 27, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Draken International, the leading provider of 4th generation tactical flight services, supported the Air National Guard’s (ANG) large force training exercise “Northern Lightning” earlier this month at Volk Field in Wisconsin. From August 12-23, the company deployed four L-159 “Honey Badger” aircraft responsible for fulfilling the role of the adversary to provide realistic threat replication, also known as “red air.” The annual exercise was facilitated by one of the ANG’s premier Combat Readiness Training Centers located in Camp Douglas, Wisconsin.

Awarded the ANG Adversary Air Support (AAS) contract in November 2017, Draken is in its second year as the principal red air for all major combat readiness training exercises throughout the United States. Equipped with electronic attack pods, radars, and GPS training pods, Draken’s L-159s flew 100% of the contracted missions in support of Northern Lightning.

Draken’s presence as red air allowed 4th and 5th generation fighter aircraft from various squadrons throughout the ANG to be contested while executing complex mission scenarios. Roles performed by F-22s, F-35s, F-16s, and F-18s included air-to-air as well as air-ground missions. This level of training was further enhanced by simulated airborne and ground-based threats resulting in a very realistic training environment that a majority of the visiting units do not have access to at their home bases.

Michael “Frosty” Shepherd, Draken Deployed Detachment Commander, stated, “The quality of the training we strive to provide our warfighters must be of the highest caliber. The ANG has dedicated considerable resources for these types of exercises, and we owe it to the aircrews to ensure we provide them a service that includes a reliable, credible, and challenging adversary. With the advancement of 5th generation technology, our military is going to need more and more red air aircraft replicating threats that they may face in future conflicts, and Draken is proud to fulfill that need for our armed forces.”

About Draken International
Based in Lakeland, Florida, Draken International has set a new standard in tactical flight support. The aircraft are used to support various types of military training objectives around the globe, providing a tremendous cost savings over the use of traditional military fighter assets. For additional information, visit http://www.drakenintl.com.

SOURCE Draken International