The French Ministry of the Armed Forces has selected a consortium led by SDTS, including Babcock France, in partnership with Top Aces France, to provide Red Air combat training services.
The agreement covers operational air training missions for the French Air and Space Force, the French Navy, and the French Army. The agreement has an estimated value of €450 million and runs for six years, with a possible two-year extension. The service will cover the entire mission, from planning and briefing through execution, tactical data reporting and debriefing with the units undergoing training. This will be an important milestone in developing outsourced Red Air capability in France.
SDTS is a French company based in Nîmes-Garons, specialising in operational training, threat simulation, target towing, and support for the armed forces. Babcock France will maintain and operate its L-39 aircraft from its Dijon-Bourgogne base, which will form one component of the consortium’s lower-end threat capability, including training for Joint Terminal Attack Controllers/Forward Air Controllers (JTACSs/FACs).
Babcock France also has a contract to support the French Test Pilot School (EPNER) with one of its L-39 aircraft, used for instruction and evaluation sessions, enabling trainees to assess aircraft performance and flying qualities under realistic operational conditions. It also involves target simulation missions for the Direction Générale de l’Armement – Essais en Vol (DGA EV) when the L-39 is used in adversary simulation roles for flight testing and technical missions.
The Canadian company Top Aces’ A-4N Skyhawks are equipped with systems that can simulate the latest-generation airborne threats. The A-4Ns, together with Top Aces’ Alpha Jets, will be based primarily at Clermont-Ferrand Auvergne Airport, enabling rapid deployment throughout France, close to the units and training areas.
Earlier this year, Top Aces was awarded a ten-year contract valued at up to €420 million to provide contracted adversary air combat services to the German Air Force.
by David Oliver
