Texas company's private air force has 90+ fighter, attack jets to help train U.S. pilots

Airborne Tactical Advantage, located near Fort Worth, Texas, has an inventory of more than 90 fighter and attack jets, including the F1 Mirage (pictured left), the L-39 Albatross jet trainer and the F-21 Kfir.

ATAC contracts 90 jets o the U.S. military to role play as aggressor aircraft—including the U.S. Navy’s world-famous TOP GUN program," according to a report from foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com

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(Photo Credit Airborne Tactical Advantage Company/Texatron) less Airborne Tactical Advantage, located near Fort Worth, Texas, has an inventory of more than 90 fighter and attack jets, including the F1 Mirage (pictured left), the L-39 Albatross jet trainer and the F-21 ... more Photo: Airborne Tactical Advantage Company/Texatron Photo: Airborne Tactical Advantage Company/Texatron Image 1 of / 95 Caption Close Texas company's private air force has 90+ fighter, attack jets to help train U.S. pilots 1 / 95 Back to Gallery

TOP GUN and other elite U.S. Military aerial combat schools are getting some getting some major air support from one Texas private defense contractor.

The U.S. Air Force, U.S. Marines and U.S. Navy use elite fighter jets such as the Super Hornet and the F-35 Joint Strike fighter.

But those military branches do not have enough aircraft to simulate aggressor planes when training their elite pilots in live-combat exercises, according to a report from foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com.

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So, Airborne Tactical Advantage (ATAC), a company headquartered near Fort Worth, contracts out more than 90 fighter and attack jets to fill the void. Those training jets often come with retired military pilots to fly them.

ATAC is a Private Military Contractor (PMC), which the armed forces are using increasingly for aviation training.

According to Jane's Defense Weekly, ATAC executed one of the largest government-to-private fighter jet transfer in U.S. history a little over a month ago when it purchased 63 Dassault Mirage F1 fighter jets from the French Air Force

Other jets ATAC jets include Israeli-made F-21 Kfir jets and the L-39 Albatross jet trainer.

Airborne Tactical Advantage is a subsidiary of U.S. defense contracting company Textron.

Chron.com reached out to ATAC about the price of the transactions described above. But a spokesperson said the company was unable to comment at this time.

The Foxtrot Alpha report cites cost as the main reason behind the process.

The Navy's Super Hornet cost $15,000 per flight hour and the F-35 Joint Strike fighter costs even more at $35,000 an hour. At this time, neither records, nor reports say how how much ATAC jets cost to fly per hour.

The report states that while jets like the F1 aren't capable of the same maneuvers as the top jets if Russia and other potential enemies, ATAC's jets can still give military pilots valuable flying experience.

ATAC's fleet gives pilot experience flying against other types of airplanes, according to the report. They can also be used to simulate incoming missiles.

In conclusion, the report says, "Hiring private contractors is also cheaper than having the latest and greatest fighters sparring against one another."

Peter Dawson is a digital reporter in Houston. Read him on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and on our subscriber site, houstonchronicle.com. | Peter.Dawson@chron.com | NEWS WHEN YOU NEED IT: Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message | Sign up for breaking news alerts delivered to your email here.