Canada's Top Aces welcomes first ex-Israeli F-16 fighters
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| Former Israeli Air Force F-16 is being loaded into the belly of an Antonov An-124 in Tel Aviv, Israel. |
On January 29, 2021, private Canadian defense contractor Top Aces Corp. received the first batch of four F-16 fighters at the company's F-16 Center of Excellence in Mesa, Arizona [see our previous post about this topic]. They were flown by a giant Antonov An-124 cargo plane which departed from Tel Aviv Ben Gurion Airport, Israel on January 28.
The aircraft are of the type F-16A/B 'Netz', they have operated with the Israeli Air Force from the late 1970s to 2016. The contract includes 29 jets for a total value of $ 100 million (approx. $ 3.5 million per aircraft). It was negotiated with SIBAT, the International Defense Cooperation Directorate of the Israel Ministry of Defense (IMOD) and is the largest of its kind ever.
Top Aces will become the first commercial supplier in the world to offer the supersonic F-16. The upgraded fleet of F-16s are able to employ an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, helmet-mounted cueing system, tactical datalink and high off boresight missile capability to provide unparalleled adversary air training.
“Our vision is to be the most trusted provider of innovative combat training solutions in a highly specialized industry where experience matters,” said Top Aces Corp. President Russ Quinn, a 26-year USAF veteran and previous Aggressor pilot with over 3,300 F-16 flight hours. “We acquired our fleet of F-16s in order to fulfill our vision of training the next generation of combat leaders here in the U.S.”
“For the past fifteen years, Top Aces has effectively and affordably trained air force leaders throughout the world. We’re excited to join with the USAF and bring both professional and highly credible adversary air capability to the U.S.” added Mr. Quinn.
The aircraft are of the type F-16A/B 'Netz', they have operated with the Israeli Air Force from the late 1970s to 2016. The contract includes 29 jets for a total value of $ 100 million (approx. $ 3.5 million per aircraft). It was negotiated with SIBAT, the International Defense Cooperation Directorate of the Israel Ministry of Defense (IMOD) and is the largest of its kind ever.
Top Aces will become the first commercial supplier in the world to offer the supersonic F-16. The upgraded fleet of F-16s are able to employ an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, helmet-mounted cueing system, tactical datalink and high off boresight missile capability to provide unparalleled adversary air training.
“For the past fifteen years, Top Aces has effectively and affordably trained air force leaders throughout the world. We’re excited to join with the USAF and bring both professional and highly credible adversary air capability to the U.S.” added Mr. Quinn.
Under the U.S. Air Force IDIQ contract, Top Aces will begin providing its adversary training for the USAF, U.S. Navy and DoD later this year.
Written by Matteo Sanzani
Photo Credit: Israeli MoD
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