With the aim of strengthening the advanced training capabilities of the German Air Force (Luftwaffe), the Canadian company Top Aces announced the award of a ten-year contract valued at up to €420 million to provide contracted adversary air combat services. Framed within the Contracted Fast Adversary Air program, the agreement calls for the use of Douglas A-4N Skyhawk and Dornier Alpha Jet aircraft, which will perform the role of “aggressors” against Luftwaffe fighters. This new contract reinforces a relationship of cooperation and trust spanning more than a decade and extending through 2035.
According to Thomas Beringer, Vice President of Top Aces Europe, the new contract represents “a milestone in the partnership with the German Air Force,” emphasizing that the objective is to enhance the operational readiness of the country’s air, land, and naval forces. To this end, the A-4N Skyhawks operated by the company have been equipped with active electronically scanned array (AESA) radars and the proprietary Advanced Aggressor Mission System (AAMS), an open-architecture framework that enables the integration of advanced sensors capable of replicating the threats and flight profiles of modern fighter aircraft.
With more than 150,000 accident-free flight hours, Top Aces has established itself as a global benchmark in the air combat training segment. The company is also the only commercial operator worldwide to field F-16 Fighting Falcons, complemented by Alpha Jets and A-4N Skyhawks. The latter, designed in the early 1950s by Ed Heinemann, are renowned for their low operating costs, maneuverability, and reliability.
Despite their age, the “Scooters,” as the A-4 Skyhawks are also known, continue to demonstrate their relevance. Modernized with IRST (Infrared Search and Track) systems and AESA radars, Top Aces’ Skyhawks can recreate highly realistic air-to-air combat scenarios, providing Luftwaffe pilots with demanding training experiences aligned with contemporary threats. This capability allows the simulation of engagements against technologically advanced adversaries without consuming frontline aircraft resources or accelerating wear.
Currently, Brazil remains the only active military operator of the A-4 worldwide, with the Navy’s AF-1M aircraft modernized by Embraer. In Argentina, by contrast, the A-4AR Fightinghawk fleet has remained grounded since the fatal accident that occurred in 2024, marking a prolonged pause in its operational life within the Argentine Air Force.
With this award, Top Aces reaffirms its position as a world leader in tactical air training and underscores the enduring relevance of the iconic A-4 Skyhawk—an aircraft that, more than seventy years after its first flight, continues to face cutting-edge fighters, now in training missions.
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