HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah – Residents in the local community will see new aircraft regularly flying to and from the base as a handful of F-5 Advanced Tiger fighters arrive Sept. 28 to train alongside F-35A Lightning IIs from the 388th Fighter Wing.
The Air Force recently awarded Tactical Air Support Inc. of Reno, Nev., and Jacksonville, Fla., a contract providing adversary-air support to the base.
The one-year contract provides 750 flying hours (approximately 500 flights) starting next week and includes four option years at the Air Force’s discretion.
“Adversary-air support allows our pilots to train for our primary mission sets with the F-35, instead of spending those hours replicating enemy threats,” said Lt. Col. Jason Chugg, 388th Fighter Wing Plans and Programs director. “The Air Force is freeing up our operations and maintenance teams to focus their training on matching our pacing threats.”
Tactical Air Inc. will bring 4-6, F-5 Advance Tiger fighter aircraft and 20-30 personnel to Hill depending on the flying schedule. The company has held previous contracts with both the Air Force and Navy to provide aircraft and capabilities that replicate peer-to-peer combat threats.
The 388th Fighter Wing, part of Air Combat Command’s 15th Air Force, was the first combat unit to employ the F-35A. The wing has 78 aircraft, and approximately 2,000 Airmen in four operational squadrons and six maintenance squadrons. They train for their mission every day to: “Deliver F-35 dominance… anytime, anywhere.”