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Adversary attack simulation to help prepare UK troops gets new £173m boost
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British personnel will train to deal with a range of threats thanks to a newly funded fleet of vehicles that will simulate the attacks of adversaries.
A contract, worth £173m, will see Draken use these aircraft to simulate air-to-air combat, missile attacks and attacks on ships from aircraft.
This will be done through pilot-operated aircraft and fighter jets in live exercises with UK personnel over the North Sea.
Using the latest teaching, Draken will also train Navy personnel to protect the Carrier Strike Group from air and missile attacks.
They will also instruct Army personnel on how to receive reconnaissance and intelligence information on enemy forces in the air.
This will be done using 14 Dassault Falcon 20, one Diamond DA42 and eight L-159E Honey Badger fighter jets based at both Teesside and Bournemouth airports – with the company enrolling a minimum of 12 apprentices at both sites.
Defence Procurement Maria Eagle said the investment will "deliver world-class training for our Armed Forces and boost British business, jobs and national security".
"In line with our Plan for Change and upcoming Defence Industrial Strategy, this deal with Draken will support 200 UK jobs and ensure the future of Teesside International Airport," she said.
"We are showing defence can be an engine for growth, in every region and nation."
As well as keeping Teesside International Airport open, the Government said the deal will support jobs in Bournemouth and the Midlands.
In September 2020, Draken International purchased Cobham Aviation Services based in Bournemouth, UK, and renamed it Draken Europe.
Air Officer Commanding 1 Group, Air Vice Marshal Mark Flewin said the partnership with Draken is of "fundamental importance as we continue to train and prepare" frontline personnel for emerging threats.
"The training delivered to date, simulating adversary threats while also allowing us to train in a representative and contested electro-magnetic environment, has never been more important to ensure the Royal Air Force is ready and able to support Nato and meet the threats of tomorrow," he said.
"The contract will allow us to continue to evolve the high-end training available for all of our frontline forces, as we look to out-compete our potential adversaries."