Top Aces
 | |
| Industry | Specialized Aviation |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2000 |
| Headquarters | Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
Key people | Paul Bouchard, President; Didier Toussaint, Group President |
| Website | [2] |
Top Aces, is a Montreal, Quebec-based defence contractor that offers contracted airborne training services to the Canadian Armed Forces through the Contracted Airborne Training Services (CATS) program. Top Aces operates a fleet of modernized fighter aircraft to provide Red Air threat replication, Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) training, practice munitions drop, air-to-air gunnery training and naval target tow profiles for the Canadian and German militaries.[1] It also provides electronic warfare training and tactics development, and supports advanced radar trials in nationally controlled environments.[2] All Electronic Warfare Officers and EW role equipment are provided by the 414 Electronic Warfare Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) as part of the CATS contract.[3]
Canadian Armed Forces personnel are authorized to fly on board Top Aces fighter aircraft.[4]
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History
Top Aces was founded in 2000 by three former Royal Canadian Air Force CF-18 fighter pilots. In 2005, Top Aces signed a $94-million contract with the Canadian Armed Forces to supply contracted combat support and adversary training.[5] In 2014, the company signed a contract to provide fast jet airborne training services to the German Armed Forces for five years.[6] In 2017, Top Aces was awarded a long-term Contracted Airborne Training Services contract with the Government of Canada. [3] In March 2017, Top Aces was awarded a contract to provide training support to the Australian Defence Force, with 3 Alpha jets deployed to RAAF Base Williamtown for 2 years.[7]
Top Aces, formerly Discovery Air Defence Services (DADS), is no longer a 'Wholly Owned Subsidiary' of the parent company Discovery Air. It is now owned by Clairvest and other unnamed investors with transactions completed on 22 Dec 17.[8]
Fleet
Top Aces aircraft do not have any RCAF markings and are not included in the RCAF aircraft inventory. Some Alpha Jets retained the German Air Force paint schemes, but a few have been repainted in desert or northern camouflage. The fleet consists of:
| Aircraft | No. of Aircraft | Variants | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alpha Jet | 16 | Model A | |
| Douglas A-4 Skyhawk | 7 | A-4N | |
| Douglas A-4 Skyhawk | 2 | TA-4J | |
| IAI Westwind | 2 | 1124 |
References
- ^ Exhibitor Profile for Discovery Air Inc.
- ^ About Us
- ^ Force, Government of Canada, National Defence, Royal Canadian Air. "414 Electronic Warfare Squadron | 3 Wing | Royal Canadian Air Force". www.rcaf-arc.forces.gc.ca. Retrieved 2018-02-06.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ RCAF Spring Edition 2015, page 82
- ^ History
- ^ [1] Discovery Air deploys A-4N jets to Germany ahead of training contract]
- ^ "Discovery Air Defence and Air Affairs Australia Win Jet Air Support Trial Contract in Australia". Top Aces. 2017-03-01. Retrieved 2018-09-11.
- ^ "Download SEDAR Filings - Code Verification and Accept Terms of Use". www.sedar.com. Retrieved 2018-02-21.
External links
