Draken International, Inc. is an American provider of tactical fighter aircraft for contract air services including military and defense industry customers. The firm was incorporated in 2012 and is based at the Lakeland Linder International Airport in Lakeland, Florida and also has an operating base in Las Vegas, Nevada; Mojave, California; and Nimes, France. Draken offers airborne adversary support (Red Air), Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC), Close Air Support (CAS), 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 former military aircraft. Draken is the only commercial provider supporting all USAF 5th Generation fighter assets (F-22/F-35).
Draken International is an à la carte, on-demand service which can deploy a sophisticated array of assets almost anywhere they are needed. They offer many different and highly specific services, too numerous to list here. It essentially covers everything from Red Air adversary combat training, think “Viper” in the movie Top Gun for those of you needing to picture it, to something as nuanced as Fleet Missile Defense, where Draken International’s multiple, supersonic assets can accurately simulate anti-ship missiles attacking a fleet from many directions at once and therefore effectively train the ship’s crews to cope with the threat in as near to a real-world environment as possible, especially if they add in Draken’s electronic warfare component.
The company’s pilots are a combination of US Air Force, US Navy and US Marine Corps tactical jet pilots who are retired from those services or who continue to serve part-time in the reserve components of those services, including the Air National Guard. Their backgrounds include USAF Weapons School Graduates and Instructors, USN Fighter Weapons School (TOPGUN) Graduates and Instructors, USAF Aggressor Pilots, USN/USMC Adversary Pilots, USAF Air Liaison Officers, former USAF Thunderbirds demonstration pilots and USAF/USN/USMC Forward Air Controller – Airborne (FAC-A) Instructors, with some of the more senior pilots having previously served as commanders (USAF) and commanding officers (USN/USMC) of operational squadrons, groups and wings while on active duty.
Draken’s extensive fleet of aircraft is equipped with 4th generation technology and flown by world-class, military-trained fighter pilots to provide a superior, full-service advanced contract air services solution. Draken’s capabilities on the ground are just as formidable as in the air, including a 120,000 square foot maintenance, repair and overhaul facility staffed with a skilled group of airframe, avionics and engine technicians.With more than 150 fighter jets, the company operates the largest fleet of privately owned former military tactical jet aircraft in the world. Draken International, Inc. supports military training objectives around the globe, providing tremendous cost savings over the use of traditional military fighter assets. As an organization, Deaken are uniquely positioned to answer the growing demand for contract air support. The company’s fleet includes: Douglas A-4K and A-4N Skyhawks, Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 bis/UM, Aermacchi MB-339, Aero L-39 Albatros, Aero L-159E ALCA, Dassault Mirage F1M and Atlas Cheetah.
