Hot on the Heels of F-16 AAF Release, Falcon Operator Nabs Training Deal 

Top Aces Corp has announced its selection for the US Air Force Combat Air Force Contracted Air Support program,  to provide advanced adversary air training to pilots at Eglin Air Force Base (AFB) in Florida and Luke AFB in Arizona.

Top Aces was a shoo-in for the deal, a 5-year contract worth up to $175 million, due to their status as the sole operator of a commercial F-16 fleet in the USA. Their services will begin training the USAF's F-35A and F-22 fleets before October 1st. The deal will help strengthen the Top Aces brand as the premier aggressor operator, the only option around that can provide realistic, effective force-on-force training with a modicum of technological parity to 5th-generation fighters. 

Their F-16 AAF is a particularly upgraded variant of the venerable bird which adds the Advanced Aggressor Fighter suite of modifications. The end result is a 4th-gen fighter that can hang with aircraft 30+ years its junior. Top Aces only recently overhauled their F-16As to aggressor spec, receiving the Military Flight Release last month from the Air Force. 

The F-16 AAF now includes a raft of improvements, like unique open system architecture capabilities, an Advanced Electronically Scanned Array radar, helmet-mounted cueing systems, infrared search and track capability, passive radio frequency detection, tactical datalinks, and high off-boresight missile capabilities. The chameleonesque AAF also includes high-fidelity weapon simulation capabilities, allowing it to accurately replicate adversary weapons and tactics. Top Aces is currently the only group to operate such an aircraft, standing apart from operators still using earlier generation fighters like the firm's own vintage A-4 Skyhawks. 

Company president Russ Quinn says his firm is pumped to hit the ground running - after all, how many former fighter jocks get to fly an F-16 as a civilian? The operation has managed to log more than 100,000 accident-free flight hours over the last 17 years and stands ready with a team of experienced, former aggressor pilots and tactical controllers at the ready. 

"Top Aces’ cadre of highly-experienced Aggressor pilots and maintenance crews looks forward to supporting Luke and Eglin to fulfill their advanced combat training needs. With our fleet of F-16 AAFs, we deliver a caliber of adversary air training that was previously non-existent. Our commitment is to deliver professional excellence and significant cost efficiencies.” 

FMI: www.topaces.com