Posted: July 18, 2016 5:13 PM
Navy Strike Fighter Fatigue Eased by Outsourced Adversary Services, Company Says
By RICHARD R. BURGESS, Managing Editor
ARLINGTON, Va. — Commercially provided aircraft acting as the enemy during training with U.S. military aircraft is helping ease the strain on Navy F/A-18 strike fighters that typically would fly in that role, said the chief executive officer (CEO) of a company that provides adversary flight services.
Airborne Tactical Advantage Co. (ATAC), based in Newport News, Va., flies a fleet of company-owned or leased tactical jets to simulate dissimilar enemy aircraft in aerial combat exercises with pilots of the Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force. The company was acquired in early July by Textron Inc.’s new Textron Airborne Solutions company.
Jeff Parker, CEO of ATAC, said that the adversary services provided by its jets provide the training needed by the Navy’s fighters that would otherwise be flown by the Navy’s fighters themselves. With the increasing consumption of fatigue life of the F/A-18s during the wars of the past two decades and the loss of valuable mission training by otherwise providing the services themselves, the Navy is able to reduce both problems through the use of contract services like those provided by ATAC.
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