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Draken International Adds Twelve Atlas Cheetahs to their Radar Equipped Supersonic Fleet

Lakeland, FL (December 11, 2017) - Draken International, a global leader in advanced adversary air services, has announced the acquisition of twelve South African Atlas Cheetah fighter aircraft, reinforcing the company’s focus on providing advanced capabilities to its clients. As the demand for increased capacity of adversary resources continues to soar throughout the Department of Defense (DoD) and globally, Draken’s new Cheetah jets will provide the USAF, USN, and USMC an advanced radar-equipped supersonic platform to train against.

Viewed as a major achievement for the South African Defense Industry, Denel Aeronautics, the aircraft design authority, remains committed to the expeditious transfer and complete regeneration of nine Cheetah C models (single-seat) and three D models (two-seaters) to ensure Draken’s fleet achieves operational status by mid-2018. In addition to the procurement of the Cheetah fleet, Draken and Denel have created a partnership that will include follow-on service support to help ensure performance reliability.

Draken is currently the only commercial air services provider supporting the DoD with 4th generation capabilities. The company’s A-4 Skyhawks equipped with APG-66 radars, and L-159 Honey Badgers with GRIFO-L radars, have proven to be highly effective adversaries for the USAF, ANG, USMC and international partners. Supplementing the Draken fleet with these 4th generation Cheetahs will offer customers an extremely capable yet highly cost-effective platform. The twelve Cheetahs are complemented by Draken’s recent acquisition of 22 modernized radar-equipped Spanish Mirage F1Ms.

Draken’s core competency is its ability to acquire and operate affordable, supportable, credible and capable fighter aircraft. Draken also remains dedicated to tracking and evaluating aircraft globally with proven success operating fleets of aircraft that include the A-4 Skyhawk, L-159 Honey Badger and Aermacchi MB-339. With both the newly acquired Cheetahs and the Mirage F1Ms modernized in the 1990’s, these highly capable platforms were selected over early model F-16s and non-modernized Mirage F1s based upon their true 4th generation capabilities. Developed as a variant of the Mirage III, the Mach 2.2 Cheetahs are equipped with radars, radar warning receivers, and other advanced avionics. The Cheetahs also have an average of 500 hours on each airframe and are considerably younger than many of the F-16’s, F-15’s and F/A-18s they will challenge in the Red Air capacity.

Sean Gustafson, VP of Business Development at Draken stated, “Our customers within the USAF, USN, and USMC have asked Draken to evolve our capabilities in order to simulate the 4th generation adversaries the United States may have to face in the future. While our extensive fleet of A-4K Skyhawk and L-159 Honey Badgers are modernized with sophisticated radars and sensor suites, it’s a challenge to deliver modern enemy capabilities at a low price point, which is a fundamental requirement for our industry. However, with the recent purchase of our low-time Spanish Mirage F1M’s and our South African Cheetahs, we now have the ability to deliver supersonic, modernized, and truly threat representative 4th generation capabilities at a very affordable price point.”

The demand for capable adversary aircraft within the DoD continues to exceed expectations and Draken is working diligently to meet that demand. Along with the procurement of 22 modernized Mirage F1Ms and F1Bs, the Cheetah will be offered for various contracts within the USAF, USN, USMC, and US-partnered militaries. Draken remains a pioneer in the ADAIR service industry providing essential training to all military services. As Draken’s current contracts evolve to handle additional requirements, so will our ability to provide enhanced support for combat readiness training.

Gustafson further stated, “As the leader in the commercial air service industry, not only by the number of operational aircraft, but by the number of contracts and total annual flight hours, Draken will continue to raise the bar for all to strive for. Capacity and capability are the dominant themes for the ADAIR business driven by the contractual requirements of our customers. As the only provider of Red Air for the USAF, including the weapons school and Red Flag, Draken is committed to delivering extensive capacity in order to manage a majority of the enormous ADAIR demand throughout the entire DoD. This is why we have purchased the A-4, L-159, Mirage F1M, and now the Cheetah, the first truly 4th generation platform in the industry.”

Draken is committed to providing US and allied fighter pilots the most advanced live air training solution by investing and expanding the largest, most advanced fleet of tactical fighter aircraft in the industry. Their entire organization, including ownership, management, pilots, and maintenance personnel will continue to provide the best service available globally.

About Draken International

Draken International is the world’s largest operator of ex-military aircraft. The company is based out of Lakeland Linder Regional Airport in Lakeland, FL. The organization sets a new standard in airborne adversary support, flight training, threat simulation, electronic warfare support, aerial refueling, research, testing, as well as other missions uniquely suited to their fleet of aircraft. With over 100 tactical fighter aircraft incorporating modern 4th generation capabilities, the company is uniquely positioned to answer the growing global demand for commercial air services. Draken employs world class, military trained fighter pilots including USAF Weapons School Instructors, Fighter Weapons School Graduates, TOP GUN Instructors, Air Liaison Officers, and FAC-A Instructors. For additional information, visit

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New in 2018: Corps adopts M855A1 round
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Sgt. William Francis Coffey II fires an M4 5.56mm carbine rifle April 2015. In 2018 the Marine Corps will be adopting the Army’s enhanced 5.56mm rifle round for Marines in combat. (Lance Cpl. Adam O. Korolev/Marine Corps)

In 2018 the Marine Corps will be adopting the Army’s enhanced 5.56mm rifle round for Marines in combat.

The Army’s M855A1 round has proved a deadlier bullet than the Corps’ M855 5.56mm round, said Chris Woodburn of the Corps’ Combat Development Command.

“The M855A1 provides improved performance over the current M855, 5.56mm round in a lead-free form factor, and provides improved steel penetration, hard- and soft-target terminal effects, with more consistent terminal effects than the M855 at ranges out to 600 meters,” Woodburn told Marine Corps Times.



The Marine Corps will begin procuring the enhanced round for its combat stockpiles this fiscal year, said Woodburn. Deployed Marines who are issued M855A1 rounds can use them now.

In testing, the Army round caused “some durability issues” for the Marine Corps’ M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle, Brig. Gen. Joseph Shrader, MARCORYSCOM’s commanding officer, told Senators in June. Even though the M855A1 reduces the IAR’s durability, the M27 is still “operationally suitable” when firing the Army rounds, Woodburn said.

Neller is considering replacing M4 carbines in infantry squads with IARs. In February, MARCORSYSCOM expressed interest in buying 11,000 weapons meeting the IAR’s requirements.

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TerraN_EmpirE said:

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Everything is proceeding as I have foreseen. [laughs]

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kwaigonegin said:

TE, do you know what is so different between the M27 and M4s that caused this 'durability' issue with the new ball rounds or are M4s also having the same issue?
Likely something with the barrel but what? maybe the lack of inner chrome plating? if anything the HK 416's match grade barrel are better with the hammer cold forge steel.

I like to get a HK 416/MR556 but it is waaay over price for what it is.

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TerraN_EmpirE said:

It's not the barrel it's the bolt, piston and feeding.

The Feed ramp and way the M855A1 was feeding into the M27 was the issue. the piston system and changes between the systems made the feeding to aggressive causing the hard nosed round to do some damage
Other issues are from the pressures of the M855A1.
The M27 barrel has higher life but the Piston and bolt have suffered because the Piston system is more aggressive on the Bolts causing issues with the locking lugs. This is because the Piston was designed for a short barreled rifle basically it's over gassed. It's a 16.5" barreled Rifle with the Gas system of a 10" gun and into it you are feeding a hot round.

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Lockheed Martin’s Long Range Anti-Ship Missile marks another successful flight test

Lockheed Martin successfully fired production-configuration Long Range Anti-Ship Missiles (LRASM) from a U.S. Air Force B-1B bomber.

During the test over the Sea Range at Point Mugu, California, B-1B aircrew simultaneously launched two LRASMs against multiple maritime targets, meeting the primary test objectives, including target impact.

“This continued success with LRASM provides confidence in its upcoming early operational capability milestone, putting a proven, unmatched munition into the U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force inventories,” said David Helsel, LRASM program director at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. “The successful flight demonstrates LRASM’s continued ability to strengthen sea control for our forces.”

LRASM is designed to detect and destroy specific targets within groups of ships by employing advanced technologies that reduce dependence on intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance platforms, network links and GPS navigation in electronic warfare environments. LRASM will play a significant role in ensuring military access to operate in open ocean/blue waters, owing that to its enhanced ability to discriminate and conduct tactical engagements from extended ranges.

LRASM is a precision-guided, anti-ship standoff missile based on the successful Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile – Extended Range (JASSM-ER). It is designed to meet the needs of U.S. Navy and Air Force warfighters in contested environments. The air-launched variant provides an early operational capability for the U.S. Navy’s offensive anti-surface warfare Increment I requirement to be integrated onboard the U.S. Air Force’s B-1B in 2018 and on the U.S. Navy’s F/A-18E/F in 2019.

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Raytheon completes first lot production of Small Diameter Bomb II

Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) has completed Lot 1 production of the Small Diameter Bomb II, a new weapon that will give fighter pilots the ability to destroy moving targets at any time and in all-weather conditions. The U.S. Air Force has also contracted with Raytheon to produce Lots 2 and 3.

The SDB II™ bomb is a gliding precision weapon with a one-of-a-kind tri-mode seeker that uses millimeter wave radar, uncooled imaging infrared guidance and semi-active laser guidance to find its targets. The weapon’s two-way datalink allows it to receive in-flight target updates. Once fielded, SDB II will enable pilots to engage more targets at ranges greater than 40 miles using fewer aircraft.

“SDB II does much more than hit GPS coordinates; it detects, classifies and engages targets,” said Mike Jarrett, Raytheon Air Warfare Systems vice president. “When it is integrated on the F-35A, this weapon will also help the world’s most advanced fighter jet reach entirely new targets.”

Raytheon is producing SDB II bombs at the company’s fully-automated manufacturing facility in Tucson, Arizona, and the program is nearing completion of developmental testing.

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T-45s to get new oxygen monitoring system by February
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A T-45 Goshawk aircraft is towed from the hangar to the aircraft protective enclosures on the Naval Air Station Kingsville, Texas, flight line. (NAS Kingsville via Facebook)

WASHINGTON — In response to a growing number of physiological episodes where pilots reported feeling dangerously short of oxygen, the U.S. Navy will equip all of its T-45 training jets with new oxygen-level monitoring systems by February, a Mississippi senator said Wednesday.

The Navy has already upgraded some of its T-45 Goshawks with the CRU-123 — an upgraded, digital version of the current CRU-99 oxygen monitor — but the announcement by Republican Sen. Roger Wicker marks the first time a target date has been disclosed for furnishing all of the training jets with the new system.

“Combined with other recent upgrades, this step should help alert pilots to dangerous declines in oxygen production or pressure levels,” Wicker said in a news release outlining several new steps taken by the service to alleviate growing concerns about physiological episodes.

“The Navy has also grounded any T-45 lacking the full collection of modifications,” he added. “In addition, the Navy is developing a new automatic backup oxygen system scheduled for future installation across the T-45 fleet.”

T-45 pilots, as well as pilots from the F/A-18 Hornet, F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and E/A-18G Growler communities, have reported a increased number of physiological episodes. Similar symptoms could be caused by various conditions such as oxygen deprivation or oxygen contamination, making it difficult to determine what is causing the issue.

And although the Navy has conducted a comprehensive review of the problem, the root cause still remains elusive.

In October, a T-45 crash in Tennessee resulted in the deaths of an instructor pilot and student pilot. It’s still unknown whether physiological factors like oxygen deprivation could have contributed to the crash, but the incident has made finding a solution to the physiological episodes even more urgent.
Unfortunately, the military’s physiological problem isn’t limited only to naval aircraft. The Air Force has also documented an increase in events for F-35 pilots at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, and T-6 trainer pilots at Vance Air Force Base, Oklahoma. Both planes were grounded for a short period of time earlier this year, but have since returned to normal operations.

On Tuesday, President Donald Trump signed into law the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act. The bill contained several provisions meant to help the services get a better handle on the physiological dilemma.

The most attention-grabbing language allows the Defense Department to authorize a competition, with a prize of up to $10 million, to whoever can isolate the root cause or causes of the services’ physiological episodes.

Another portion of the NDAA directs the Navy to provide regular updates to Congress on what the service is doing to address the episodes, how much money has been spent on those activities and future courses of action.

The House Armed Services Committee’s Tactical Air and Land Forces Subcommittee was set to meet Wednesday for a hearing on physiological episodes across the Air Force and Navy, but the panel was canceled early into the afternoon.

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Achieving a 355-ship Navy is now national policy, but the goal is still a long way off.

When President Trump signed the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act yesterday, it included a provision sponsored by Senate Seapower Subcommittee Chairman Roger Wicker and his House counterpart Rep. Rob Wittman that calls for the country to build up to 355 ships “as soon as practicable.”

The provision is contingent on the requisite appropriations, which means its anything but a sure bet.

“With his signature, President Trump has confirmed the United States’ resolve to meet the growing needs of our U.S. Navy,” Wicker said in a statement. “Building up our nation’s fleet is essential to protecting our national security and projecting American power around the globe.

“We are asking too few ships to do too many things, and today the President took a major step toward rectifying that problem.”

The so-called SHIPS Act doesn’t lock in any money or set any specific timeline, but is more a signaling of the Congress’s intent to work towards that goal. The provision will give proponents of a naval buildup something to hang their hats on as they push for the larger Navy Trump promised during the campaign.

“This is a helpful move, if largely symbolic,” said Bryan McGrath, a retired destroyer captain and consultant with The Ferrybridge Group.

The move by Wicker, R-Miss., and Wittman, R-Va., is a way of holding Trump accountable for his promises, McGrath continued.

“It’s interesting to see two stalwart Republican seapower advocates who feel the need to put this into legislation,” he said. “It’s a sign not only of uneven support from others on the Hill, but also a sign of growing impatience with the Trump administration’s vigor in following through on campaign promises.”

The 355-ship Navy has become an increasingly remote possibility as hope has begun to fade that Congress will ever find a solution to its self-imposed budget caps under the Budget Control Act.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis testified earlier in 2017 that it would take 3 percent to 5 percent budget growth over inflation to support that kind of a buildup, something that would be impossible under the BCA.

A recent report by influential budget analyst Todd Harrison with the Center for Strategic and International Studies raised doubts about whether the Navy could even afford a 355-ship Navy, given that its struggling with ballooning costs for its current 277 ships.

The report showed that between the peak defense budget year, 1987, and 1997, the number of ships declined by 40 percent and the budget fell by about 35 percent. But between 1997 and 2015, the size of the fleet shrank another 20 percent, but the base budget grew by nearly 50 percent.

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