WASHINGTON — The Air Force has added three small businesses to its Combat Air Forces Contracted Air Support program, a contract vehicle with a $5.4 billion ceiling that pays private companies to fly adversary aircraft and close air support sorties for military training.
KestrelX LLC of Driggs, Idaho, A2G International LLC of Melbourne, Fla., and Fleet Adversary Support and Training LLC of St. Augustine, Fla., each received an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract, according to the Pentagon’s Oct. 16 contract announcements. The contract numbers are FA4890-27-D-0003, FA4890-27-D-0002 and FA4890-27-D-0001. The Acquisition Management and Integration Center at Langley Air Force Base, Va., awarded them on Oct. 15. Work is to be performed in the continental United States through Oct. 8, 2029.
The $5.4 billion figure is a ceiling, not money committed. The announcement said the competitive acquisition drew three offers and that only $3,000 in fiscal 2027 operations and maintenance funds was obligated at award. Actual spending will depend on task orders the companies win in later competitions.
What the program buys
The program, known as CAF CAS, buys two services, according to a Defense WarRoom analysis of the award. Adversary air sorties replicate enemy aircraft so fighter pilots can train against them without pulling operational squadrons away to play the “red air” role. Contracted close air support sorties give joint terminal attack controllers live aircraft to direct during training. Contractors supply the aircraft, pilots, maintenance and program management.
The Air Force selected eight providers for the vehicle in September 2024 from 11 offers, Defense WarRoom reported: Airborne Tactical Advantage Co., Blue Air Training, Coastal Defense, Draken International, RAVN Group, Tactical Air Support, Top Aces and Valkyrie Aero. Defense WarRoom reported that the Air Force has not said whether the three new contracts draw on the same ceiling.
Where the money has gone so far
Federal spending records show how much the Air Force has actually obligated through the eight 2024 contracts. As of the latest USAspending data, task orders under them total $96,087,416.45 in obligations. Most of that went to two companies.
| Contract holder | IDIQ | Orders | Obligated on orders | Orders’ potential value with options |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airborne Tactical Advantage Co. | FA4890-24-D-0011 | 4 | $75,925,802.23 | $226,129,882.72 |
| Draken International | FA4890-24-D-0017 | 2 | $18,751,000.00 | $254,375,031.10 |
| Blue Air Training | FA4890-24-D-0012 | 2 | $1,405,614.22 | $2,580,367.17 |
| Coastal Defense | FA4890-24-D-0013 | 1 | $1,000.00 | $1,000.00 |
| Valkyrie Aero | FA4890-24-D-0014 | 1 | $1,000.00 | $1,000.00 |
| Top Aces | FA4890-24-D-0015 | 1 | $1,000.00 | $1,000.00 |
| Tactical Air Support | FA4890-24-D-0016 | 1 | $1,000.00 | $1,000.00 |
| RAVN Group | FA4890-24-D-0018 | 1 | $1,000.00 | $1,000.00 |
| Total | 13 | $96,087,416.45 | $483,090,280.99 |
Airborne Tactical Advantage Co., a Textron subsidiary, accounts for about 79% of the obligations. Draken accounts for about 20%. Five of the eight holders show a single $1,000 order each. The orders’ potential value with options, about $483 million, is what the Air Force could spend on the orders already placed if it exercises every option. It is not money obligated.
The obligations to date amount to less than 2% of the $5.4 billion ceiling, with about three years left on the vehicle.
The newcomers
KestrelX was founded by Don Moseley, a former Navy F-14 and F/A-18 pilot and test pilot, according to Defense WarRoom. The company won an Air Force Small Business Innovation Research award of about $725,000 in 2021 for drone and cruise missile threat replication aircraft. Defense WarRoom reported that its small, low-cost aircraft have stood in for Shahed-136-type one-way attack drones in exercises, and that the Navy separately awarded it up to $9,987,285 for low-observable target aircraft through March 2028.
A2G International describes itself as an operator of manned and unmanned aircraft and a provider of airborne intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance services. Little public information is available about Fleet Adversary Support and Training. The contract announcement does not identify the aircraft any of the three companies will fly.
Request for comment
The Washington Inquisitor sought comment from KestrelX, A2G International, Airborne Tactical Advantage Co.’s parent Textron Systems, Draken International and Top Aces. The Inquisitor could not locate a published email address for Fleet Adversary Support and Training or a verified email address for Air Combat Command public affairs. This story will be updated with any responses.
Featured image: Four Hawker Hunter F.58 jets operated by the contractor Airborne Tactical Advantage Company fly past the carrier USS Gerald R. Ford in the Atlantic, March 28, 2020. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Ryan Seelbach, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons; cropped.
Share this:
Discover more from The Washington Inquisitor
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
.JPG){kind=link}
Be the first to comment