The US Air Force signs a contract with a private company to train F-35 fighter pilots.

The company’s official LinkedIn page announced this.

A contract signed with the US Air Force will allow American pilots of modern fighter jets to maintain the appropriate level of qualification.

The private company Tactical Air Support operates F-5E/F light fighter jets, which are perfect for close air combat training.

U.S. military pilots will train at two air bases in Hill (Utah) and Eglin (Florida) to conduct air combat training.

The first Tactical Air Support aircraft flights with US F-35A fighter jets are expected to begin in October 2024.

It is not yet clear what year the contract was signed, but in 2023, a similar contract was signed with the US Navy’s naval aviation.

It should be noted that private companies specializing in military pilot training have become increasingly popular in recent years.

The reason for this is the insufficient number of training aircraft available to the Air Forces of most countries and the significantly increased cost of purchasing new training aircraft.

Private companies allow conducting appropriate training with pilots and improving their skills for air combat at a lower cost.

Militarnyi previously reported that Canada contracted Top Aces Inc. to train Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets. This private company owns its own F-16 fleet.

This support is estimated at approximately CA$15 million. The training will begin in February 2024 and last until 2025.