draken international
draken international ranked # 90 on the 2017 inc. 500 list | draken international
draken international’s completes a successful deployment for the usaf air education and training command .
top photo via draken international webpage, photographed by our friend frank crebas / bluelife aviation .
draken international is a provider of tactical fighter aircraft for contract air services including military and contract customers .
with over 80 jets, draken international operates the largest fleet of privately owned tactical aircraft in the world .
draken international' s l - 39 aircraft are the perfect solution for cost effective, sub sonic missions .
draken international regularly deploys aircraft and personnel to a variety of locations in the united states and across the world .
draken international draken international’s impressive arsenal of aircraft makes it the largest private operator of tactical aircraft in the world. the company was founded as recently as 2011 when it evolved from the black diamond jet team, an airshow performer owned by entrepreneur jared isaacman .
draken international' s mb - 339cb aircraft are exceptionally low time with limited former use in the royal new zealand air force (rnzaf) .
our highly capable aircraft can function to satisfy customer’s requests. draken also has the ability to upgrade our fleet to meet specific demands. draken is also able to deploy its fleet in the global arena and able to work in international airspace. our pilots have the operational experience in all global arenas. please contact draken directly for further information on international opportunities .
contract air services provider draken international is buying eight ex rnzaf mcdonnell douglas a - 4k skyhawks and various other equipment and accessories from the nz government .
draken international has created a new standard in aviation service capabilities for all branches of the united states military, department of defense and allied militaries globally .
lakeland, fl, june 3, 2018 draken international has been awarded the $ 280 million adversary air (adair) ii contract to provide ...
since 2015, draken international has been contracted to provide adversary support for the usaf, using its a - 4ks and aero vodochody l - 159e alca fighter jets to replicate numerous threat types .
photo: a draken int a - 4k on approach to nellis. jamie hunter
the people at draken international are the company' s single greatest asset and absolutely key to successful mission execution. we are committed to a high performance culture that continually challenges each person to rise to their full potential !
draken international creates a new standard in aviation service capabilities for all branches of the united states military and department of defense. with over 50 jets, draken international operates the largest fleet of privately owned tactical aircraft in the world. as an organization, they are uniquely positioned to answer the growing demand for contract air support. the foundation at draken international is superior to the competition in several respects. this includes the quantity and capabilities of their fleet of aircraft, the experience of the management team and the financial resources of the organization. draken is positioned to be a leading defense asset with extensive capabilities in airborne adversary support, threat simulation, aerial refueling, research, testing, as well as other missions suited to their diverse fleet of aircraft .
a draken international a - 4 skyhawk parks on the nellis air force base, nev. , flightline awaiting preflight check on dec. 3, 2015. draken is used to support various types of military training objectives around the globe. (u. s. air force photo by airman 1st class rachel loftis )
the service first evaluated the use of commercial ‘red air’ when it awarded a one - year contract to draken international last september. during the ‘proof - of - concept’ evaluation draken’s radar - equipped skyhawks have been flying sorties from nellis in support of the usaf weapons school and the f - 35 joint operational test team .
draken international, inc. owns and operates commercial fleets. it offers fleets for tactical ex - military aircrafts and supports military training centres. the company was founded by jared isaacman in 2012 and is headquartered in lakeland, fl .
in 2015, draken international flew its a4k fighter jets as simulated adversaries during operational testing of the f - 35 at edwards air force base, the first instance of any commercial air services company providing adversary support for the f - 35 .
draken currently supports the national test pilot school, international test pilot school, us air force test pilot school and the us naval test pilot school with our fleet of dual seat mb - 339' s, ta - 4k and l - 39' s. our fleet of dual seat jets and instructors provide an ideal platform for the test pilot schools to train domestic and international pilots .
the american draken international company is interested in purchase of up to 28 pieces (24 complete and four incomplete) for 21. 72 up to 25. 8 mil usd while the final price could vary depending on real technical conditions of machines .
the us air force plans to release a solicitation to industry for a massive 40, 000 hours of contracted aggressor support training at 12 different bases. it comes following a year - long experiment at nellis afb, nevada, for draken international .
at its sessison this week, the czech government approved sale of 28 subsonic l - 159 alca aircraft to us draken international company while discussion over prolonged lease of sweden - made saab 39 gripen supersonic aircraft postponed until a new czech government is formed .
this contract, which began in march of 2015 and extends through to september of 2017, has provided a new standard of service to the usmc, and draken international has been praised by marines; from the operators on the ground, up to the hq level .
draken will use the aircraft to support us department of defense training activities, providing realistic training and threat simulation .
draken customers go beyond just government entities within the department of defense. the major defense contractors all have requirements for flight services. draken supports many of these companies in the form of photo chase, pod r & d, weapon release tests and avionics testing. draken helps these organizations with their research data and past performance to win contracts .
every hour draken operates an aircraft in place of a military asset is another hour remaining on the life of that aircraft .
draken international has exploded onto the commercial adversary support market in the last half decade, and is now the largest private air force in the world. yet this flying outfit with an aggressive business plan needs contracts in order to succeed over the long - term. now it appears the usaf is officially giving draken a shot at proving their worth at america’s premier air combat training facility, nellis afb in las vegas, nevada .
draken has worked with each of the us military branches as well as several foreign air forces. the video was produced by the us air force in 2015 and talks about draken’s unique capabilities and qualifications during an evaluation performed at nellis air force base .
the air national guard relied on draken international’s contract air services to support the guard’s annual training exercises for a large scale mission. during the “northern lightning 2015” exercise conducted from june 8 to19 at volk field combat readiness training center in wisconsin, draken a - 4s primarily served in the adversary role. equipped with electronic warfare pods, radars, and gps training pods, they were able to provide a very credible and realistic threat at considerable cost savings .
draken international provides extensive live close air support for usmc joint terminal air controllers (jtac) training. aircraft, operating at ranges on both coasts, support jtacs with the delivery of bdu - 33 training munitions, with precision accuracy. this critical service ensures essential training while preserving flight hours on usmc fighter assets and reducing costs .
draken international' s mig - 21bis and um aircraft bring several important elements to our fleet of tactical aircraft. this includes quantity of jets for large force exercises, as well as supersonic flight and targeting capabilities facilitated by our “jaybird
radar. these high - speed, radar equipped aircraft enable draken international to present accurate and realistic profiles for adversary support. not only are the aircraft ideal for airborne engagements, they are highly effective in cruise missile threat simulation for both the navy and army. the draken mig - 21bis is the last aircraft produced in the series and are extremely supportable. considering the aircraft type is still in service among militaries around the globe, there is no shortage of spare parts and support. this ensures the ongoing supportability and safety of our low - time fleet of mikoyan mig - 21 fighters .
draken international deployed five a - 4ks, with a team of maintenance professionals and expert pilots, to integrate with the air national guard f - 16s participating in northern lightning. f - 16s and personnel from air national guard units from wisconsin, arizona, minnesota and oklahoma all contributed to the training event. flying side by side with the guard f - 16’s, draken a - 4ks performed the role of the enemy. the training was further enhanced by simulated airborne and ground - based threats. for the cost of one f - 16 flight hour, all of aatc’s aircraft executed operational training against five draken aircraft .
services: draken international creates a new standard in aviation service capabilities for all branches of the united states military and department of defense. with over 70 tactical fighter aircraft, draken international operates the largest fleet of privately owned tactical aircraft in the world. as an organization, we are uniquely positioned to answer the growing demand for contract air support. the foundation at draken international is superior to the competition in several respects. this includes the quantity and capabilities of our fleet of aircraft, the experience of the management team and the financial resources of the organization. draken is positioned to be a leading defense asset with extensive capabilities in airborne adversary support, threat simulation, aerial refueling, research, testing, as well as other missions suited to our diverse fleet of aircraft. safety is our top and immediate priority. our fleet of aircraft have been expertly maintained and inspected prior to gaining their airworthiness certifications. draken maintenance technicians engage in faa flight safety meetings and scheduled proficiency seminars and have decades of experience and training to ensure safety is at the center of their decision making matrix. draken international employs world - class, military - trained fighter pilots. the team is comprised of an elite cadre of usaf weapons school instructors, fighter weapons school graduates, top gun instructors, us navy aggressors, air liaison officers, thunderbirds demonstration pilots, and fac - a instructors. our tactical experts have the experience to challenge today' s warriors for tomorrow' s fight while continuing to sharpen america' s edge in current operations around the globe. as the global defense and military climate changes, the need has never been greater for cost - effective and professional contract air support .
every hour that draken operates in place of a military asset delivers a tangible cost savings, representing hundreds of millions of dollars in potential savings .
the usaf currently only operates two aggressor squadrons; the 18th agrs at eielson afb, alaska, and the 64th agrs at nellis. the 65th agrs, that flew f - 15c / ds, disbanded in 2014. draken international and discovery air defence services are both offering contractor air services, along with textron, which in 2016 purchased the former atac (airborne tactical advantage co) .
safety and security are our top and immediate priorities. our fleet of aircraft have been expertly maintained and inspected prior to gaining their airworthiness certifications. draken maintenance technicians engage in faa flight safety meetings and scheduled proficiency seminars and have decades of experience and training to ensure safety is at the center of their decision making matrix. security is paramount and is why draken international conforms to the same standards that are found at any military installation or government organization. personal, physical and electronic security standards far exceed the government standards and today' s industry standards .
draken continues to support the multinational f - 35 community including the united states, the royal australian air force, the uk royal air force and the netherlands .
safety and security are our top and immediate priorities. our fleet of aircraft have been expertly maintained and inspected prior to gaining their airworthiness certifications. draken maintainance technicians engage in faa flight safety meetings and scheduled proficiency seminars and have decades of experience and training to ensure safety is at the center of their decision making matrix. security is paramount and is why draken international conforms to the same standards that are found at any military installation or government organization. personal, physical and electronic security standards far exceed the government standards and today' s industry standards. many draken executives currently hold top secret clearance and understand the responsibility vested in them to protect our nation. draken international employs world - class, military - trained fighter pilots. the team is comprised of an elite cadre of usaf weapons school instructors, fighter weapons school graduates, top gun instructors, us navy aggressors, air liaison officers, thunderbirds demonstration pilots, and fac - a instructors. our tactical experts have the experience to challenge today' s warriors for tomorrow' s fight while continuing to sharpen america' s edge in current operations around the globe .
general corley retired from the air force after more than 36 years leading aerospace organizations throughout the u. s. and abroad. he is an experienced strategic planner and a skilled international collaborator in the planning and development of major weapons systems .
through draken’s operating partner in the south of france, secapem flies aermacchi mb - 339’s and a - 4 skyhawks for aggressor and ship defences for the french navy .
a third outfit—florida - based draken international, which boasts a fleet of more than 50 jets—actually succeeded in importing some 27 russian - built mig - 21 fighters to use for training purposes. in addition to the migs, the company operates some 11 douglas a - 4k skyhawk attack aircraft—but those aircraft are upgraded with electronics including a radar from upgraded european - operated versions of the f - 16 fighter jet. draken’s fleet also includes nine italian - built aermacchi mb - 339cb advanced trainers, 28 czech - built aero vodochody l - 159e light combat jets, and five l - 39s .
the draken fleet of twenty - five mig - 21s brings a sustainable and needed supersonic capability to many mission sets including fleet defense, adversary support and other forms of threat replication. tactically relevant engagements are achieved when combing large quantities of our mig - 21bis aircraft with draken' s highly capable, radar equipped fleet of tactical fighter jets .
with a fleet of 150 tactical fighter aircraft, draken owns and operates the world’s largest commercial fleet of tactical ex - military aircraft. draken supports military training objectives around the globe, providing tremendous cost savings over the use of traditional military fighter assets. as an organization, we are uniquely positioned to answer the growing demand for contract air support .
draken' s modernized mirage f1m is a supersonic radar equipped fighter jet suited for all air - to - air, air - to - ground and ship servces mission sets .
draken international’s performance include aggressor operations in support of the us navy test and evaluation squadron nine (vx - 9). the task orders, some of which are classified, involved a - 4 skyhawk aircraft engaged in training exercises against navy f - 18e / f hornets and surface ships while carrying ea / ew pods. this includes a variety of r & d training exercises for active electronically scanned array (aesa) radar development .
september 19th, 2016 – draken international continues to exceed capacity expectations with the successful deployment of 18 tactical fighter aircraft to holloman afb from september 9 - 17th. throughout the week, draken maintenance flawlessly supported 32 missions daily with pilots flying a 16 x 16 flight schedule in numerous platforms to include a - 4ks, a - 4ns, l - 159s, l - 39s, mb - 339s, and f - 5s. this increase in flying volume is an industry first and is a true testament to draken’s commitment to expanding its fleet to meet growing demands. with aircraft based throughout the country, draken deployed assets to alamogordo, new mexico beginning september 9th and staged operations out of holloman afb. these dedicated missions were flown over the white sands missile range in support of japanese chu - sam (kai) testing, a medium range surface - to - air missile similar to the us army’s patriot missile. this significant test required multiple flights at various altitudes and airspeeds in an effort to challenge the chu - sam system. draken developed intricate plans that put the japanese defense system to the test with safe yet contested presentations with unrivaled capacity .
between june 25th and july 1st, draken international deployed six a - 4 skyhawk’s from nellis afb, along with 28 pilots and maintainers, and flew 36 sorties in support of f - 35 upgrade training for aetc and coalition instructor pilots as well as usaf f - 16 requalification training. draken’s a - 4 skyhawk’s are equipped with apg - 66 radars, which replicate 4th generation aircraft capabilities and proved to be a credible opponent for luke’s f - 35s and f - 16s. “utilizing a reliable and low - cost 3rd gen platform with 4th gen capabilities, allows draken to provide a practical, sustainable and most importantly cost effective solution to an extraordinary demand for red air across all services. with the recent announcement of the usaf contract, draken has now been entrusted to deploy in support of other us air force commands at the discretion of the 57th atg commander. i have a feeling this will be the first of many deployments outside of our home base at nellis” states nick “cat” guttman, draken project officer for this recent deployment. guttman went on to explain, “air forces around the globe are quickly recognizing the need for adversary aircraft and draken is the solution; we provide contract air support at a lower cost yet still represent a highly capable adversary that can help maintain the edge warfighter’s need to fight tomorrow’s war. ”
, 1295 (fed. cir. 2008) (quoting gardner v. toilet goods ass’n, 387 u. s. 167, 171 (1967) ); texas bio - & agro - defense consortium, 87 fed. cl. at 806. withholding consideration of this issue will not harm draken, as the conduct that it complains of may not ultimately persist or prejudice draken. this court will not review the agency’s denial of draken’s agency - level protest draken argues the agency’s protest decision was irrational and that the agency “failed to provide a coherent and reasonable explanation that justified its decision to deny draken’s protest. ” pl. mot. for judgment on the ar 30 - 33. in the bid protest realm, the court of federal claims is not an appellate tribunal empowered to directly review protest decisions of the agency or the gao. cf. honeywell, inc. v. united states ,
the navy has clearly realized the potential for using contractor air support, but until recently the usaf only modestly embraced such services. that was until it was announced in late september that draken international had been awarded a contract to provide such services at nellis afb. matt bannon comments: ‘we have seen signals of an increased demand from the usaf and that it is willing and moving towards contractor air services — we feel it’s the next burgeoning market. ’
draken international employs world - class, military - trained fighter pilots. the team is comprised of an elite cadre of usaf weapons school instructors, fighter weapons school graduates, top gun instructors, us navy aggressors, air liaison officers, thunderbirds demonstration pilots, and fac - a instructors. our tactical experts have the experience to challenge today' s warriors for tomorrow' s fight while continuing to sharpen america' s edge in current operations around the globe .
following over a year of successful & sustained flight operations for the us air force and us marine corps, including the weapons instructor course, red flag, joint operational test team, and jtac schoolhouse, draken international, with the largest fleet of commercial fighter aircraft deployed in support of the air education and training command (aetc). draken a - 4 skyhawk aircraft, equipped with 4th generation capabilities, was tasked to turn up the heat and deploy to luke afb, delivering essential adversary support to the largest fighter wing in the world. the purpose of the mission was to provide red air support for aetc 4th & 5th generation fighter jets and norwegian’s elite f - 35 instructor pilots .
over the past 21 months, draken has dramatically ramped up its capabilities and overall missions. as the largest flying organization at nellis air force base, draken operates a fleet of 22 l - 159s and a - 4s, logging over 3, 400 flying hours in support of combat training. if supporting weapons school, red flag exercises, and operational test missions wasn’t enough, draken continues to be a leader within the commercial air service industry, performing simultaneous operations which include a permanent presence in france and deployments to luke afb, leeuwarden air base (the netherlands), mcas cherry point, and mcas yuma .
in the nearer future there are other opportunities for cae in canada. the requirement for contracted airborne training services (cats) is still active, despite the recent extension of the existing contract with discovery air defence services. cats covers the provision of aircraft to undertake fighter and electronic adversary missions and related tasks such as forward air controller training. cae teamed with draken international to bid for the contract. although originally to have been awarded last year, the new contract is now scheduled for a decision later this year .
lakeland, fl. (08 / 16 / 2017) - draken international, a global leader in advanced adversary air services, was ranked as the 90 th fastest growing private company in the us on inc. magazine’s 2017 inc. 500 list. the company achieved stunning 3 - year revenue growth of over 4, 000% to earn a spot in the top 100 on this prestigious annual ranking. the company’s revenue growth made it the 9th fastest growing private company in the government services category and the 6th fastest growing private company in florida .
2000 – 2003 director, global power programs, assistant secretary of the air force for acquisition, headquarters u. s. air force, washington, d. c. directed, planned and programmed over 200 air force, joint service and international programs. represented the u. s. as chairman, european multi - national fighter program .
, 1370 (fed. cir. 2002) ). the error alleged by draken in this protest is that the agency’s delay in conducting the procurement, coupled with its operational readiness requirements for both type iii and type iv aircraft, makes the solicitation anti - competitive. if these alleged errors had not occurred, i. e. the agency had met its original anticipated award date and not delayed the procurement process, draken could have – as it did – submitted its offer and met the solicitation terms, expensive though they were. only after the agency extended the anticipated award date by almost a year did the requirements for type iv aircraft become financially prohibitive. 7 as draken submitted the [ * * * ] bid and [ * * * ] atac in the technical risk category, draken had a “substantial chance” of being awarded the contract, but for the alleged defect in the procurement process – unduly restrictive solicitation terms and prolonged delay. the fact that draken has allegedly unresolved ens does not alter this conclusion as the en process has not been concluded. 7 the requirement to supply both type iii and type iv aircraft became impossible for draken to meet once, after delay, it lost its surprise subcontractor. dec. 8, 2014 oral arg. tr. at 23: 3 - 7 (describing how draken was able to originally submit a proposal due to finding a “surprise” subcontractor, who has been “unable to stick with it throughout these extensive delays”). 9 standard of review for bid protests the court evaluates bid protests pursuant to the administrative procedure act’s standard of review for an agency action. bannum, inc. v. united states ,
the large force training exercise was initiated by the 323rd test and evaluation squadron and supported by the joint strike fighter operational test team (jott), from august 17 through 28. draken flew as many as five a - 4ks simultaneously as adversaries against royal netherlands air force f - 35 aircraft, as well as royal netherlands f - 16 vipers. this support continues on a regular basis at edwards, with up to seven draken aircraft based there on the ramp at a given time .
draken acquired several a - 4ks from new zealand. these kiwi skyhawks had already been upgraded under project kahu with the apg - 66v7 fire control radar along with radar warning receiver (rwr), heads - up display (hud), hands on throttle and stick (hotas), and multi - function displays (mfd). this all means that the draken a - 4ks emit an electronic signature similar to the air force’s mid - life upgrade (mlu) f - 16 vipers. equipped with the latest data bus technology, they can also employ the current generation of laser targeting and electronic attack and warfare pods and deliver them on target. the draken skyhawks can also pass and take gas from “buddy store” aerial refueling equipment .
draken international, sometimes referred to as “the world’s largest private air force”, is a defense contractor formed in 2011 offering flight training, threat simulation, airborne adversary support, electronic warfare support, aerial refueling, research, and testing services to military and civilian aerospace firms. draken provides air - to - air and air - to - ground tactical training and support, air - to - air refueling, and fleet missile defense training. they own a fleet of more than 80 tactical aircraft, including 30 mig - 21 fishbeds, 21 aero l - 159e advanced light combat aircraft (laca) s, 14 douglas a - 4 skyhawks, 9 aermacchi mb - 339cbs, and five aero l - 39 albatroses. many of these aircraft have unique 4 th generation threat simulation capabilities including fire - control radars, radar warning receivers, training missiles, and electronic attack equipment .
draken a - 4ks are equipped with pulse doppler radar, electronic attack pods, and ground controllers to provide realistic threat presentations for integrated f - 35 operational testing. the test exercise enabled an initial assessment of fourth and fifth - generation fighter integration, including link - 16 interoperability aspects .
draken ceo jared isaacman is no stranger to the inc. 500 list. his first company, lighthouse network, llc has made six appearances on the list (under the company’s original name united bank card), including five consecutive appearances with # 6 and # 19 positions in consecutive years .
draken provides a range of contract air services to the department of defense and international allies, with services including airborne adversary support, flight training, threat simulation, electronic warfare support, aerial refueling, research, testing, and other missions. with a strategy based upon “build it, and they will come”, isaacman and his team of military veterans have dedicated the last six years traveling the world in search of safe, credible, and capable aircraft to answer the growing global demand for commercial air services. as a result of these efforts, the company now boasts the largest privately owned fleet of fighter aircraft in the world with over 80 fighter jets including mirage f - 1s, douglas a - 4s, aero l - 159s, and mig - 21s, among other aircraft .
the company owns a fleet of aircraft including 11 a - 4 skyhawks, nine aermacchi mb339cbs, 27 mig - 21s, and 21 l - 159s. an important step in building the company was the acquisition of eight a - 4ks from new zealand in 2012. this comprises nearly the full fleet of royal new zealand air force skyhawks that became surplus after the type’s retirement in that country. extra skyhawks were added to the fleet in 2014 when draken purchased six a - 4ns that were formerly flown by bea systems at wittmund, germany. currently the l - 159, acquired from the czech republic, is entering the draken fleet .
draken announced a new adversary support contract from the usaf in 2015, using its a - 4ks and new l - 159s to generate cost savings for the air force by preserving its f - 16s and f - 15s. ‘personally, i am really looking forward to integrating with and complementing the usaf nellis - based aggressors, said col terry ‘stretch’ scott, a recently - retired usaf f - 22 pilot and nellis detachment commander for draken. isaacman added: ‘we feel we are absolutely ready and fortunate to have this monumental opportunity. this is our time to demonstrate the capabilities of our service while still achieving considerable cost savings for the us air force. ’ frank crebas
, 358 (1994) ). plaintiff’s claim of undue procurement delay is timely and reviewable while blue & gold prevents plaintiff from challenging solicitation terms, it does not prevent draken from protesting alleged pre - award deficiencies in the procurement process. the delay that draken argues has made the procurement process anti - competitive was not a term of the solicitation. there was no basis on the face of the solicitation for plaintiff to challenge what later became, in its view, an unduly lengthy procurement process. the solicitation stated that the “anticipated” award date was march 1, 2014, information that was to be used by bidders as “a basis for schedules and burden (labor, overheads, g & a; , etc .) mid - point calculations. ” ar 586. plaintiff does not contend that this solicitation term was defective, only that the agency’s subsequent departure from that anticipated date rendered the procurement anti - competitive. as draken is not challenging a solicitation term, but instead the combination of delay in the procurement process with requirements that allegedly became unduly restrictive due to this delay, draken’s protest is timely under blue & gold. plaintiff has not established a violation of cica the plaintiff in a bid protest bears the burden of proving that a “clear and prejudicial” error marred the procurement in question. caci field servs. , inc. v. united states ,
the experience of the pilots is key when it comes to the type of missions the company offers to its clients. next to red air support, similar to the work of aggressor squadrons, draken also delivers air - to - ground, fleet missile defense support, and aerial refueling via a ‘buddy - buddy system’ on the a - 4s .
formerly known as top aces, the company was awarded the newly drawn contract in 2005 to provide the canadian forces with aggressor training. now operating as discovery air defence (da defence), it acquired its a - 4n skyhawks through the takeover of advanced training systems international (atsi) of mesa, arizona, in december 2013. these ex - israeli air force jets joined a fleet of ex - luftwaffe alpha jets in the training arena, and highlighted the company’s ambition to make a footprint into europe .
although this current contract is just a year - long test to see how draken’s ex - royal new zealand air force a - 4k skyhawks and their crews do in the aggressor / adversary support roll, it is only a matter of time until the usaf will have no other choice but to widely integrate commercial adversary support into their “red air” training portfolio .
where draken stands out capability - wise from other commercial adversary support providers, at least for the time being, is that their ex - kiwi a - 4ks bring a relatively modern radar set to the fight. this allows for a more complex and realistic menu of advanced engagement scenarios to be played out during training as opposed to using tactical jets without radars. unlike the vast majority of a - 4 skyhawk types, a - 4k packs the apg - 66 multi - mode pulse doppler radar. a slightly more compact version of the same radar found in the f / a - 16a / bs. draken’s a - 4ks are also capable of buddy refueling and have modern cockpits and weapons interfaces, which could lead to new capabilities in the future .
“this exercise demonstrated draken’s capacity to meet and exceed growing requirements within our commercial industry. we see our aircraft not as platforms, but as continuously expanding capabilities”, states sean gustafson, vp of business development. “in the very near future, we will provide a supersonic, data - linked passive ir shooter capability. the proven capacity flown this past week is second to none in the industry. ”
, 71 (1956). however, this is not the argument plaintiff is pressing in this case. plaintiff emphasizes that it is not claiming that the procurement delay here resulted from any arbitrary, capricious, or irrational conduct by the agency. dec. 8, 2014 oral arg. tr. 13 13: 13 - 21. (“ [ w ] e are not ascribing fault to the agency for the delays. [... ] and it' s not necessary, in our view, to say that the delays were the agency’s fault. ”). draken’s contention that it was treated differently than other offerors is unripe draken argues that the agency treated it unfairly because the agency repeatedly stressed the importance of providing airworthiness data with the initial proposals, yet “appears to have waived the requirement eight months after offerors were required to comply” for [ * * * ] and [ * * * ]. pl. mot. for judgment on the ar 32 - 35 (emphasis in original). plaintiff speculates that the agency may accept this data from other offerors, will rely on this data, and will not afford draken a similar opportunity to provide such data. id. at 34 - 35. atac submits that draken’s arguments that it was treated unfairly and prejudicially are not ripe because the award has not yet been made. intervenor’s mot. for judgment on the ar at 34 - 35. the court agrees with atac. this procurement is still ongoing, and the current state of evaluations and discussions is unknown. ripeness is a doctrine of justiciability that prevents the courts, “through avoidance of premature adjudication, from entangling themselves in abstract disagreements over administrative policies... . ” abbott labs. v. gardner ,
this is an historic first for the usaf in contracting services on a large scale. the program calls for a flying turn pattern of six aircraft followed by four aircraft. draken has deployed eight a - 4s in support of its year - long contract providing up to 1000 hours of flying for the usaf. the aircraft and aircrew are based on the ramp at nellis and operate side - by - side with the usaf aggressor squadron, the 64th .
, 1384 (fed. cir. 2012) (citing rex, 448 f. 3d at 1307). as the term denotes, an actual bidder is one who submitted a bid for the challenged procurement. rex, 448 f. 3d at 1307. 6 while the government argues that draken’s protest of the solicitation terms is untimely, it does not challenge draken’s standing to protest. 8 “generally, to prove the existence of a direct economic interest, a party must show that it had a ‘substantial chance’ of winning the contract. ” orion, 704 f. 3d at 1348 (citing rex, 448 f. 3d at 1308). there is, however, “ [ a ] n exception to that standard [ ] when a prospective bidder challenges the terms of the solicitation itself, prior to actually submitting a bid. ” id. (citing weeks marine, inc. v. united states ,
‘we also purchased 21 l - 159e fighter jets. the l - 159e is equipped with the selex grifo - l radar and attack software suite. they are a modern, virtually brand - new fourth - generation fighter aircraft with extremely low operational costs. in both cases, the a - 4 and l - 159 enable draken to provide tactically relevant adversary support but at dramatically lower costs than a comparable military f - 16 or f - 15 fighter. ’
retired, reserve, or air national guard us air force (usaf), us navy (usn), and us marine corps (usmc) tactical jet pilots fly draken’s tactical jets. these guys and gals all have patches from the usaf fighter weapons school or topgun or usaf aggressor squadrons or usn / usmc adversary squadrons or, well…you get it. they’re qualified. many of them have even commanded usaf or usn or usmc squadrons, groups, or wings .
canada’s cats is just one opportunity that cae is pursuing in partnership with draken, the two companies having announced a worldwide teaming memorandum of understanding last july. contractorised adversary and target facilities services are seen as a growth area for air arms around the world, with a number of key air forces employing contractorised “red air”. a key opportunity is the raf’s asdot (air support to defence operational training) requirement in the uk, and there are others in the asia - pacific region .
the firm’s marketing director garrick ngai is relishing the prospect, but knows there is a little way to go. ‘the f - 16 is a us military asset so it comes down to state department approval. it’s a policy issue. i can say it’s a demilitarized aircraft but it still says ‘f - 16’ on the piece of paper and that is seen as a warplane. it poses the question of, if this goes through, what does it mean for other future demilitarized aircraft? the jets themselves wouldn’t be coming from surplus usaf stocks, but there are enough itar - (international traffic in arms regulations) controlled parts and technical data involved that it needs to go through the us state department. ’
lieutenant general david a. deptula (ret .) is a highly decorated military leader who transitioned from the u. s. air force (usaf) in 2010 after more than 34 years of distinguished service. he is a world - recognized leader and pioneer in conceptualizing, planning, and executing national security operations from humanitarian relief to major combat operations. accomplished historic achievements and several
firsts
in the command of joint forces, planning and execution of aerospace power, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (isr), and improved international relationships. he has taken part in operations, planning, and joint warfighting at unit, major command, service headquarters and combatant command levels, and also served on two congressional commissions charged with outlining america’s future defense posture .
it will be interesting to see if draken gets a long - term contract from the usaf to fly as aggressors out of nellis and even expand ts services to other locations. the air force recently and controversially disbanded the 65th aggressor squadrons, the service’s only f - 15 “red air” unit. today the 64th aggressor squadron, based in nellis afb, and the 18th aggressor squadron, based at eielson afb in alaska, are the usaf’s only two dedicated aggressor units left, and both fly the f - 16. filling in some of the lost aggressor capacity with creative and nimble private contractors seems like a no - brainer. and although draken has participated in smaller air exercises in the past, a long - term contract at nellis, similar to what the navy offers for a portion of its adversary needs, would most likely be optimal. you simply do not need an f - 16 to act as a beyond - visual range target or a cruise missile, so there is plenty of room for efficiency to be found via such an arrangement .
, 177 (1997) ). here, whether draken will be treated unfairly and prejudicially compared to [ * * * ] and [ * * * ] is not yet known and cannot be ascertained until the agency selects an awardee. in texas bio - & agro - defense consortium, this court recognized that a proposed site selection was not ripe for judicial review because negotiations over the transfer of the property to the agency had not been concluded and because any transfer of the property was contingent upon congressional funding. 87 fed. cl. at 804 - 06. this court reasoned that given the uncertainty over what form the potential transfer of land and in - kind contributions from the intervenor to the agency might take and the multiple potential contingencies, the site selection was not fit for judicial review. id. at 806. similarly, in the instant case, the outcome of what draken claims is an unfair evaluation process has not yet occurred, as the agency is still in the pre - award evaluation stage of this procurement. decl. of philip smith ¶¶ 4 - 5. the “consummation of the agency’s decisionmaking process” will not occur until award. see nsk, ltd. , 510 f. 3d at 1385. deciding not to review this alleged unequal treatment does not impose any hardship on draken. “ [ w ] ithholding court consideration of an action causes hardship to the plaintiff where 14 the complained - of conduct has an ‘immediate and substantial impact’ on the plaintiff. ” caraco pharm. labs. , ltd. v. forest labs. , inc. ,
not so busy at the moment are the ‘fishbeds’, as isaacman observes: ‘we do not operate our mig - 21s. they are very low - time airframes and they include the latest bis models. unfortunately, there has been very little demand from our customers for this type series. the mig - 21 is not known for its maneuverability or endurance. not to mention the radar capabilities are very limited. that stated, they are an extremely low - cost supersonic fighter jet and draken has nearly 30 of them! they would make a great platform for various saturation scenarios, but as of now, there has been almost no demand for them. they are all stored in our lakeland facility. ’
‘with draken we can provide fourth - generation adversaries (electronic attack pods, radars, etc) for a fifth of the operating cost of an f - 16 or f - 15. that is the value of our service. we deliver enhanced training for a much, much lower cost. if we were to purchase f - 16s, we would not be able to offer any cost savings at all. not to mention, the f - 16as for sale in israel are some of the oldest ones still in service and have virtually no upgrades. so that would mean our military customers would not be saving any money. they would be paying essentially the same cost as they do for their own f - 16s, but with dramatically lower capabilities. it really just doesn’t make sense. if the us government wanted to keep flying against f - 16s, they would not need to turn to private industry to accomplish the service. they could simply use any of the hundreds of f - 16s that are stored in the boneyard that are all better equipped than the f - 16as that are for sale in israel. draken already operates fourth - generation fighter aircraft in our a - 4k and l - 159e advanced light combat aircraft (alca), but at dramatically lower costs than old f - 16as. we deliver the best value in terms of capabilities and price. that is what is really driving the demand for commercial air services in the global market. ’
benefits: comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, vision, life and ad & d; , short - term and long - term disability. in order to keep the employee benefits in the medical plan as rich as possible, draken offers the difference card which is funded by the company to pay the majority of the co - pays. the deductible and co - insurance amounts will also be subsidized by the difference card reimbursement program. we also offer flexible spending accounts for qualified health and dependent care expenses, which provide tax savings. eligibility for college tuition benefits and will preparation services. employee assistance program: services include: education, dependent care, legal and financial, lifestyle and fitness management, working smarter, drug & alcohol. unlimited free telephonic consultation with an eap counselor available 24 / 7. telehealth: connect with a doctor by smartphone, tablet, or computer from anywhere in the u. s .
the purchase of the light but capable l - 159 is an interesting move. while a rival company is considering buying ex - israeli f - 16s, draken continues to offer a cheaper solution with aircraft that it says offer similar fourth - generation capabilities. when asked why isaacman isn’t aiming for the ‘viper’ he explains: ‘we are very familiar with these aircraft [ israeli f - 16s ] and have inspected them several times. most of our pilots have a lot of experience and admiration for the f - 16. it is a great fighter aircraft. that being said, there are many reasons why an f - 16 is a terrible platform for the commercial air services industry. primarily, our industry only exists based on cost savings. that is why militaries from around the world want our service. globally, the government budgets are shrinking and it doesn’t always make sense for f - 16s, f - 15s, eurofighters, etc to train against each other .
, 1361 (fed. cir. 2009) ). in the pre - bid context, the protestor can establish a direct economic interest “by demonstrating that it suffered a ‘non - trivial competitive injury which can be redressed by judicial relief. ’” id. (quoting weeks marine, 575 f. 3d at 1361 - 62). however, where bids have been submitted but an award has not been made, the correct test of economic interest is the “substantial chance” test used in the post - award context, not the “non - trivial competitive injury” test. id. atac contends that draken lacks standing because it has unresolved ens and can no longer meet the type iv aircraft requirement and thus “currently does not have a substantial chance of receiving the contract, but for the alleged error. ” intervenor mot. for judgment on the ar 20. to satisfy the substantial chance test, a protester “must demonstrate more than a ‘mere possibility that [ it ] would have received the contract but for the [ alleged ] error [ in the procurement process ]. ’” clinicomp int’l v. united states ,
, 443 (fed. cl. 2013) (“while this court lacks jurisdiction to review a gao decision outright, it may assess whether the gao decision was rational in order to determine whether the procurement action being challenged — the agency’s corrective action predicated on that gao decision — was reasonable. ”) (citing honeywell, inc. , 870 f. 2d at 647 - 648). under § 1491 (b) (1), the court has jurisdiction in bid protest cases “to render judgment on an action by an interested party objecting to a solicitation by a federal agency for bids or proposals for a proposed contract or to a proposed award or the award of a contract or any alleged violation of statute or regulation in connection with a procurement or a proposed procurement. ” 28 u. s. c. 1491 (b) (1) (2012). an agency protest is not a procurement. thus, while draken may disagree with the agency’s denial of its protest, the court does not have jurisdiction to review or remand the agency’s protest decision, but instead reviews the agency’s underlying procurement decision or procurement - related actions. in any event, plaintiff’s challenge to the agency’s protest decision here simply rehashes the grounds of protest it pursued in this forum - - which this court rejected without evaluating the agency protest decision. conclusion the court denies plaintiff’s motion for judgment on the administrative record and plaintiff’s motion for injunctive relief. the court grants defendant’s motion for judgment on the administrative record and intervenor’s motion for judgment on the administrative record. the court directs the clerk to enter judgment accordingly. s / mary ellen coster williams mary ellen coster williams judge 15
draken international , inc. is a provider of tactical fighter aircraft for contract air services including military and contract customers . it is based at the lakeland linder regional airport in lakeland , florida . draken offers airborne adversary support , flight training , threat simulation , electronic warfare support , aerial refueling , research , and testing services to the u.s. department of defense , u.s. defense contractors and aerospace firms , provided by a fleet of around 80 aircraft which includes 30 mig-21bis fighters , douglas a-4k skyhawk attack jets and aero l-39 albatros , aermacchi mb-339 tactical jet trainer aircraft ; and the new aero vodochody l-159e . in recent news , the company announced a $ 6.7 million expansion of its headquarters and repair infrastructure at lakeland linder regional airport . the company ceo is jared isaacman . 
draken international, inc. is a provider of tactical fighter aircraft for contract air services including military and contract customers. it is based at the lakeland linder regional airport in lakeland, florida. draken offers airborne adversary support, flight training, threat simulation, electronic warfare support, aerial refueling, research, and testing services to the u.s. department of defense, u.s. defense contractors and aerospace firms, provided by a fleet of around 80 aircraft which includes 30 mig-21bis fighters, douglas a-4k skyhawk attack jets and aero l-39 albatros, aermacchi mb-339 tactical jet trainer aircraft; and the new aero vodochody l-159e. in recent news, the company announced a $ 6.7 million expansion of its headquarters and repair infrastructure at lakeland linder regional airport. the company ceo is jared isaacman.
draken international, inc. is a provider of tactical fighter aircraft for contract air services including military and contract customers. it is based at the lakeland linder regional airport in lakeland, florida. draken offers airborne adversary support, flight training, threat simulation, electronic warfare support, aerial refueling, research, and testing services to the u.s. department of defense, u.s. defense contractors and aerospace firms, provided by a fleet of around 80 aircraft which includes 30 mig-21bis fighters, douglas a-4k skyhawk attack jets and aero l-39 albatros, aermacchi mb-339 tactical jet trainer aircraft; and the new aero vodochody l-159e. in recent news, the company announced a $ 6.7 million expansion of its headquarters and repair infrastructure at lakeland linder regional airport. the company ceo is jared isaacman.