Draken over the years
With a transatlantic heritage encompassing aerospace businesses in the US and the UK, Draken's roots go back to the earliest pioneers of aviation. The company has its origins in two complimentary organisations: Draken International LLC, a provider of contract air services in the US, and FR Aviation Ltd, a UK-based provider of electronic warfare training since 1985, and formerly part of Cobham Plc. United as Draken since 2020, the timeline below highlights some of our key milestones.
The Journey Begins
1934In the UK, Flight Refuelling Ltd (FRL - the forerunner of FR Aviation Ltd which became part of Draken in 2020) was founded by the English long-distance aviation pioneer Sir Alan Cobham KBE AFC in 1934. Its focus was the development of aerial refuelling systems, building on his experimental work and record-breaking intercontinental flights in the 1920s
Going The Distance
1939During 1939, FRL played a key role in several non-stop crossings of the Atlantic performed by the flying boats of the British airline Imperial Airways. However, it was the adoption of aerial refuelling by the United States Air Force during the initial post-war years that would perhaps most prominently highlight the technology's value.
Innovating into the future
1949In early 1949, FRL developed the new ‘probe and drogue’ in-flight refuelling system, a technique later adopted by many air forces worldwide. That same year, a converted Meteor 3 jet fighter, with an in-flight refuelling probe in the nose, stayed airborne for more than 12 hours, taking on fuel from a Lancaster tanker. The RAF and USAF quickly adopted the new system, reinforcing the historic ties our company has with these two forces.
Entering new markets
1954During 1954, Alan Cobham's son Michael, took a role in the company and soon began to steer Cobham into new markets. One such venture saw the reorganisation of Cobham Group's Airfield Services division into a newly incorporated entity FR Aviation – the name still associated with Draken’s UK operations. This saw contractor-owned and operated aircraft flying directly alongside military customers, just as today. And as they are still, communications and electronics were other key sectors of interest.
An urgent training need
1982In 1982, UK forces suffered painful losses during the Falklands conflict, including the loss of HMS Sheffield to Exocet missile attack. The subsequent Board of Inquiry into the sinking highlighted an urgent training need, saying: “Training and doctrine for defence against sea-skimming missiles must highlight the supreme importance of vigilance, and of instant, full reactions on first indication of possible attack.” Three years later, FR Aviation Ltd was established as an air defence training service for the UK MoD, to assure the Royal Navy’s combat readiness. The technology has changed, but Draken delivers this same service four decades on.
Draken takes flight
2011Established in Lakeland, Florida, in 2011, Draken International evolved out of the Black Diamond Jet Team, an aerial display team owned by the founder and CEO of Shift4 Payments, Jared Isaacman. In 2011, the company purchased its first aircraft, A-4k Skyhawks and MB339s, receiving them the following year. Just as with FR Aviation Ltd in the 1980s, the company was founded specifically to address a training demand met by privately contracted adversary air services.
Skyhawks inbound
2014Expanding the A4 fleet, in 2014 Draken conducted a major “translant”, flying six A-4N aircraft, formerly ¬flown by BAE Systems, from Wittmund, Germany, then Prestwick, Scotland, on to Keflavik, Iceland, then Kangersulaaq, Greenland, to Goose Bay, Canada and finally to Lakeland, FL. USA. The A-4 Skyhawk still forms the backbone of many of the services that our teams in the US deliver today.
Draken’s first AdAir contracts
2015In June 2015, Draken delivered its first-ever contracted events, beginning with Close Air Support for the US Marine Corps at Twentynine Palms, California, flying A-4K Skyhawks out of Yuma, Arizona. The following week, A-4K Skyhawks were in action again for Draken’s first Adversary Air event, when they took part in the Northern Lightning exercise at Volk Field, Wisconsin.
First F-35 support
2015August 2015 saw Draken make headlines when it supported the Royal Netherlands Air Force and the US Marine Corps, flying as Red Air during operational integration tests with F-16s and F-35As and F-35Bs out of Edwards AFB, California. This marked the first time that the new stealth fighter had flown sorties with third- and fourth-generation aircraft.
Major contract wins
2018Draken saw two major contract awards in the US in 2018, with the Department of Defense announcing that the U.S. Air Force had awarded our company a $280million contract to provide training services to the 57th Adversary Tactics Group at Nellis AFB in Nevada, as well as Luke AFB in Arizona and Hill AFB in Utah. In November, the Air National Guard awarded Draken a five-year contract to provide Red Air services to support combat readiness training exercises throughout the US.
New ownership
2019The private equity specialist Blackstone acquired a majority interest in Draken in 2019. In the same year, Draken was one of seven companies awarded in IDIQ contract to support the USAF’s Combat Air Force Contract Air Services (CAFCAS) program.
Growing globally
2020Following the acquisition of Cobham Aviation Services (including FR Aviation Ltd), Draken’s presence in the European market was assured. The combination of Draken’s US-based Red Air expertise, and FR Aviation’s UK-based live electronic warfare training focus gave this new entity a uniquely strong position to grow the business from globally.
Red Air enters Europe
2022In 2022, Draken won the first contract of its kind in the UK – the Interim Red Air Aggressor Training Service (IRAATS). Supporting the Royal Air Force, the new service flown out of Draken’s Teesside operation, sees the L-159E Honey Badger, an ex-military fighter, flying daily as an aggressor. The first IRAATS sortie was flown in the North Sea training area in December 2022.
