AEC Skyline Supports 2021 Weapons Instructor Course
From 12 to 15 July AEC Skyline deployed two air assets to the Royal Netherlands Air Force's Leeuwarden air base, providing vital support to the final week of the 2021 Weapons Instructor Course's air-to-air phase.
WIC 2021 commenced on 3 May with 24 students from Belgium, the Netherlands and Norway hoping to graduate as fully trained weapon instructors at the end of the course. Actually, six different courses converge during this year's edition with the training of F-16 and C-130 crews now being complemented by the training of F-35 pilots, Patriot surface-to-air missile operators, intelligence staff and Air Battle Managers. This year's course will end on 22 October.
Simulating various Opposing Forces (OPFOR) air-to-ground platforms during the course, AEC Skyline's Learjet 36A and MU-2 linked up daily with a number of fast jets that were used as adversary air assets too. WIC 2021 participants were put to the test during two daily waves with our aircraft's onboard electronic warfare equipment being used to try and disrupt "blue forces" communications.
While on this occasion the Learjet carried jamming pods furnished by NATO's Joint Electronic Warfare Core Staff (JEWCS), the MU-2's EW kit consisted of the advanced, internal ASTOR system combined with external pods.
AEC Skyline provides fast air, ISR support and critical data solutions to a wide range of clients including the Netherlands and coalition armed forces, the defence and aerospace industry, as well as to a number of renowned research institutes.
Operating out of Groningen Airport Eelde and Breda Airport, the company offers close air support, EW, “red air” training, target towing and remote sensing together with IT networking, systems integration solutions and consultancy services.