Top Aces Announces Military Flight Release for F-16 Advanced Aggressor Fighter

Top Aces Corp., a leading provider of advanced adversary training and the only company in the world to own and operate the F-16 commercially, today announced receipt of Military Flight Release (MFR) from the United States Air Force (USAF) for its F-16 Advanced Aggressor Fighter (AAF) aircraft.

MFR allows Top Aces’ F-16 AAFs, the most sophisticated adversary air platform on the market today, to immediately begin supporting USAF flight training programs.

Equipped with Top Aces’ proprietary Advanced Aggressor Mission System (AAMS), the F-16 AAF replicates near-peer adversary fighter aircraft. Since AAMS is founded on open system architecture, it facilitates the rapid integration of sensors and functions to match evolving adversary threats.

Today, the F-16 AAF is fielded with:

• Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) air-to-air radar
• Scorpion Helmet-Mounted Cueing System (HMCS)
• Tactical datalink communications
• Infrared search and track (IRST) systems
• Advanced electronic attack pod employment
• Passive radio frequency (RF) detection capabilities
• High fidelity weapon simulation – accurately replicates adversary weapons and tactics
• An array of tactical functions coordinating the above systems which offer a wide spectrum of realistic adversary effects.

“To provide effective training to pilots flying fifth-generation fighters – such as the F-22 or F-35 – we must match the capabilities of near-peer adversary fighter aircraft,” says Russ Quinn, President, Top Aces Corp., a 26-year USAF veteran and former Aggressor pilot. “By combining the power and avionics of the F-16 with AAMS, we can replicate contemporary adversary threats with accuracy and cost-efficiency. And now with MFR, Top Aces is cleared to deliver the most advanced training solution available to the USAF.”