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Draken Europe flies first red air training sortie against Royal Air Force

21st December 2022 - 14:49 GMT | by Shephard News Team in London

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The UK’s Interim Red Air Aggressor Training Service (IRAATS) requirement is a three-year contract with a further three-year option. (Photo: Draken Europe)

Draken Europe has conducted the first red air aggressor training sortie with its L-159E honey badger against a Royal Air Force asset.

A Draken Europe L-159E Honey Badger jet flew for the first time to provide live threat replication against one of the UK RAF’s Eurofighter Typhoons on 20 December.

During the training, announced in a LinkedIn post published by Draken Europe, the L-159E jet flew a sortie over the North Sea.

Draken conducted the training under the UK’s Interim Red Air Aggressor Training Service (IRAATS) requirement that it won in April 2022.

The three-year contract, with a further three-year option, started in July and will see the company provide RAF fighter squadrons with aggressor aircraft replicating potential adversaries’ tactics, techniques and procedures.

‘Our teams in the UK and the US have been working incredibly hard to bring these highly capable aircraft to Teesside, and it is hugely rewarding for all of us at Draken to see the L-159s performing their role in a service that will now build rapidly over the coming months,’ said Paul Armstrong, CEO of Draken Europe.

The L-159Es are co-located with Draken’s existing Dassault 20 Falcon fleet at Teesside Airport. The Falcons are used for target towing and EW training.

Eurofighter Typhoon Tranche 4/4+