The Belgian Ministry of Defense has sold 25 old Dassault/Dornier Alpha-Jet trainer jets to Top Aces, a Canadian private company specializing in providing red air service to the Australian, Canadian and German armed forces. Withdrawn from service in early 2019, while operating from the Cazaux base in France for fifteen years, the 25 Alpha Jets of the Belgian Air Component (Air Force) put up for sale in the fall of 2019. The aircraft were stored at the Beauvechain air base after serving for a dozen years at the Franco-Belgian pilot training school, called the “Advanced Jet Training School” (AJeTS) in Cazaux, south-west France. The amount of the deal was not declared.
The Top Aces also purchased all the spare parts, while the Alpha-Jet flight simulator was sold to an Austrian aerospace company, AMST, specialized in the training of fighter pilots and based in Braunau am Inn, Austria. With the additional 25 ex-Belgian Alpha Jets it has just acquired, it does more than double its fleet. These devices had been modernized with an overhaul of the cockpit and its equipment (HUD, multifunction screen). No indication of the contract amount has yet been communicated. Top Aces provides an increasing number of training for the benefit of Canadian defense and has, for this, already acquired 20 Alpha Jets A previously withdrawn from the Luftwaffe, which were then modernized and specially equipped.
The Top Aces Dornier Alpha Jet aircraft combine high performance, fuel endurance, reliability and modern avionics to be a superb platform for all mission profiles. The aircraft have undergone an impressive upgrade program that includes state-of-the-art Multi-Function Displays, Avionics, Flight Management System, IFR, Tactical Air Navigation System, Martin Baker ejection seats and a Dassault Canopy Escape System. The Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet is a light attack jet and advanced jet trainer co-manufactured by Dassault Aviation of France and Dornier Flugzeugwerke of Germany. It was developed specifically to perform trainer and light attack missions, as well as to perform jet trainers.
Top Aces is a privately owned Canadian company and the exclusive adversary air provider to the Australian, Canadian, and German armed forces. It employs a growing team of 270+ highly skilled personnel based in the geographies where the company serves its clients. Its more than 40 fighter pilots hail from the Canadian, German, American and Australian armed forces and 80% of them are Top Gun Fighter Weapons School graduates.It already operates 20 Alpha Jets formerly owned by the German Air Force, in addition to 7 A-4 Skyhawks, 2 Learjet 35s and 2 IAI Westwinds. Top Aces is also in the process of acquiring former Israeli F-16C/D Baraks for a contract obtained with the U.S. Air Force.
