JAS-39 Gripen

Raptor testing thwarted by lack of aggressor ‘assets’
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Moreover, the air force is unable to provide the appropriate air assets to support the testing. Air assets points to ‘Red Air’ aggressors. Nellis is home to the 64th Aggressor Squadron (AGRS) F-16s, and recently the 18th AGRS from Eielson AFB, Alaska, has deployed its F-16s here. Presumably to support both the resident Weapons School and operational testing on the NTTR. In addition, Draken International flies contracted ‘Red Air’ support at Nellis with A-4 Skyhawks and L-159 ‘Honey Badgers’. So, there appears to be sufficient volume of ‘bad guys’ at Nellis for the F-22 testing.

The reference to a lack of ‘specific adversary air capabilities’ for Increment 3.2B IOT&E suggests that the USAF needs to evaluate the latest Raptor upgrade against a clear and very specific threat in a live flying scenario — which points to specialist aggressor ‘assets’.
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The ‘Red Hats’ flies AFMC-owned ‘assets’ under the so-called Foreign Material Exploitation (FME) program. These ‘assets’ (including a Su-27P photographed over the NTTR in 2016) are classified and they are shrouded in secrecy, despite a number of sightings.
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If this is the case, it underlines the importance the USAF places on such aircraft to validate new capabilities. It might also explain why F-35 IOT&E has been pushed back to the end of 2018. If there was ever a time the USAF wanted to test air-to-air vulnerabilities, it would be in F-35 engagements against ‘specific adversary air capabilities’ in a realistic environment.

Försvars- och säkerhetsföretaget Saab presenterar Gripen Aggressor som är en flygplansvariant baserad på Gripen C-serien. Gripen Aggressor är en optimal plattform för att agera motståndare vid realistiska luftstridsövningar och har en unik balans mellan hög prestanda, förmåga, flexibilitet och tillgänglighet, kombinerat med låg driftkostnad.

För att kunna genomföra realistiska luftstridsövningar finns ett ökat behov av mer avancerade flygsystem som agerar motståndare, en så kallad aggressor. Detta för att stridspiloter ska kunna träna och utveckla sina färdigheter inför verkliga luftstrider.

– Det är stor skillnad på den förmåga som dagens aggressorflygplan erbjuder och de ökade behov som finns. För att kunna öva på ett verklighetstroget sätt behöver stridspiloter använda avancerad stridstaktik och träna mot likvärdiga stridsflygsystem. Här fyller Gripen Aggressor dagens och framtidens behov. I grund och botten måste piloter i världsklass öva mot motståndare i världsklass - och Gripen Aggressor är precis det,

The Air Force announced Feb. 21, 2018, that the Advanced Pilot Trainer (T-X) will replace T-38C Talon aircraft at existing undergraduate pilot training bases, with Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas, named as the preferred location for the first T-X aircraft scheduled to arrive in 2022.
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The Air Force expects to award a contract for the new aircraft in 2018, with the first aircraft expected to arrive at JB San Antonio-Randolph as early as 2022.

The Air Force announced Feb. 21, 2018, that the Advanced Pilot Trainer (T-X) will replace T-38C Talon aircraft at existing undergraduate pilot training bases, with Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas, named as the preferred location for the first T-X aircraft scheduled to arrive in 2022.
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The Air Force expects to award a contract for the new aircraft in 2018, with the first aircraft expected to arrive at JB San Antonio-Randolph as early as 2022.

Today, the Government of Canada published a list of eligible suppliers that will be invited to submit proposals under the competition to replace Canada’s fighter fleet.

The suppliers consist of foreign governments and fighter aircraft manufacturers that will be invited to participate in formal engagement activities over the coming months.
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-- Gouvernement de la République Française - Dassault Aviation (with Thales DMS France SAS and Safran Aircraft Engines);

-- United States Government - Lockheed Martin Corporation (Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company);

-- United States Government - The Boeing Company;

-- Swedish Government - SAAB AB (publ) – Aeronautics;

-- Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland – Airbus Defense and Space GmbH.