Discovery Air Defence Services has won a five-year contract to provide Douglas A-4 Skyhawk-based training to Germany, the subsidiary of Canadian specialist aviation company Discovery Air announced on 30 January.
Under the contract, seven A-4 aircraft will be used to give the German Armed Forces about 1,200 hours of fast jet airborne training services per year from January 2015. The contract value has not been disclosed.
Discovery Air did not respond to an IHS Jane's request for further information, but a company statement said that it attributes "strategic" importance to this contract, saying "it establishes Defence Services in Europe and provides a solid foundation for future expansion in that market".http://www.janes.com/
The A-4 Skyhawk is not listed in the inventories of either Discovery Air Defence Services or Discovery Air. While IHS Jane's got no response to questions on the origins of these aircraft, a separate release on the Discovery Air Defence Services website reveals the firm acquired 10 A-4s through the takeover of Advanced Training Systems International in December 2013.
An image on the website shows these Skyhawks with the same infrared-suppressing tailpipe extensions fitted to former Israeli Air Force aircraft.
As well as the A-4 Skyhawks, Discovery Air Defence Services operates a fleet of 16 modified Alpha Jets in airborne training services. According to the company's website, typical Alpha Jet missions include: day and night joint tactical air controller (JTAC) training; adversary support and anti-shipping attack training for naval forces; 'Red Air' adversary support for fighter forces, including large-scale coalition air exercises; air-to-air gunnery target tow; both circular and combat dart missions for fighter forces; and electronic warfare training for naval and fighter forces.
Discovery Air Defence Services and Discovery Air also operate the Challenger 601, IAI Westwind 1124 and LearJet 35A business jets, and the Beechcraft King Air 300 twin-engines turboprop in airborne training missions.
Discovery Air claims airborne training with contractor support offers customers the advantages of no capital outlay, reduced operating and maintenance costs on their own aircraft fleets, less demand on military assets and personnel, and advanced training capabilities.
Figures released by the company give it a 98% mission success rate, and 40,000 accident-free flight hours over the previous eight years.
Discovery Air is one of several companies offering contracted air services to governments as they look to maintain training levels and standards while reducing stress and demands on their own aircraft fleets.
US commercial air services provider Draken International operates a fast jet fleet that comprises the A-4, MiG-21 'Fishbed', Aermacchi MB-339CB, and Aero L-39 Albatross fighters, while FR Aviation provides specialist aviation training for the UK armed forces.
Speaking at the IQPC Close Air Support conference in London in September 2013, Captain Julien Charpentier, Forward Air Controller Capabilities, Air Operations Center Ramstein, NATO, said: "We know we are facing budget cuts and we have a decreasing fleet of fast jets, so we need to think about contract air. However, we need to ensure that the contract air we use knows the current TTPs [tactics, techniques and procedures] of NATO and the US."
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