{"id":63071,"date":"2026-03-28T08:34:36","date_gmt":"2026-03-28T07:34:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/the-civilians-paid-to-fly-enemy-jets-against-the-us-navy\/"},"modified":"2026-09-04T09:44:41","modified_gmt":"2026-09-04T07:44:41","slug":"des-civils-payes-pour-piloter-des-avions-ennemis-contre-la-marine-americaine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/fr\/the-civilians-paid-to-fly-enemy-jets-against-the-us-navy\/","title":{"rendered":"Des civils pay\u00e9s pour piloter des avions ennemis contre la marine am\u00e9ricaine"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<style>.et_pb_title_container h1.entry-title { padding-top: 40px !important; }<\/style>\n<!-- mfsh:top -->\n\n<style>\n.mfsh-trigger{display:inline-flex;align-items:center;gap:10px;height:44px;padding:0 18px;margin:0 0 26px;border:2px solid 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They are operated by TacAir \u2014 a private company based in Reno. The pilots in the cockpits are civilians, many of them former military. Their job is to fly aggressively against the Navy's best aviators, simulate the manoeuvres of enemy fighters, and, if possible, win.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Welcome to the booming business of \"Red Air\" \u2014 and the increasingly sophisticated private industry that feeds one of the most demanding training pipelines in military aviation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Not Your Father's Aggressor Jet<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">TacAir's aircraft are ex-Jordanian and Saudi <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/northrop-f-5\">F-5E<\/a>\/F airframes \u2014 originally designed in the 1960s, now comprehensively modernised. The current configuration includes an AESA radar, datalink, Garmin wide-area display avionics, Scorpion helmet-mounted display, and internal infrared search and track. The result is what TacAir calls \"a 4th generation adversary platform with 3rd generation economy\" \u2014 an aircraft that can replicate the tactics of a modern adversary fighter at a fraction of the cost of operating a real one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This matters. Training against a competent, aggressive adversary is the single most important factor in preparing fighter pilots for actual combat. The U.S. military learned this the hard way in Vietnam \u2014 where American pilots entered the war with a kill ratio of roughly 2:1, and left with lessons that led directly to the creation of TOPGUN. Today, TOPGUN graduates and air wing pilots at NAS Fallon routinely fly against TacAir's upgraded F-5s as part of their workup for deployment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-full\" style=\"width:100%;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/03\/f5-tiger-adversary-jets-mcas-beaufort.jpg\" alt=\"F-5N Tiger II adversary jets lined up on the flight line\" class=\"wp-image-63068\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;display:block;\" srcset=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/03\/f5-tiger-adversary-jets-mcas-beaufort.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/03\/f5-tiger-adversary-jets-mcas-beaufort-980x551.jpg 980w, https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/03\/f5-tiger-adversary-jets-mcas-beaufort-480x270.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1280px, 100vw\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\" style=\"text-align:left;\">F-5N Tiger II adversary jets on the flight line \u2014 the same type that private companies like TacAir operate to simulate enemy fighters for U.S. Navy and Marine Corps pilots. (U.S. Marine Corps \/ Wikimedia Commons)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Beating ATAC After 30 Years<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">TacAir recently won a five-year, $106.8 million contract to fly Red Air for the U.S. Navy \u2014 displacing ATAC, which had held that contract since 1996. More recently, TacAir was selected for Adversary Air Fighter Jet Services at the Naval Aviation Warfighting Development Center: TOPGUN itself, and the Air Wing Fallon exercises where entire carrier air wings sharpen up before deployment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The contract is a remarkable endorsement of the private adversary model. The Navy trusts a civilian company to simulate its most dangerous opponents \u2014 Chinese <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/j-20-mighty-dragon\">J-20s<\/a>, Russian <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/su-35-flanker-e\">Su-35s<\/a>, Iranian <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/f-14-tomcat\">F-14s<\/a> \u2014 in the skies over Nevada, year after year, against its most valuable human assets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Enemy Gets Better Too<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The key driver behind the F-5's longevity in adversary roles is economics: the airframe is cheap to operate, relatively simple to maintain, and \u2014 critically \u2014 upgradeable. As real-world adversary capabilities improve, TacAir can add systems to the F-5 that make it a more credible simulator. The AESA radar on today's aircraft would have been unthinkable on this airframe twenty years ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It's a strange loop: the better enemies get, the better the fake enemies have to be \u2014 and the more valuable the private companies that build and fly them become.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Sources: The War Zone; Air & Space Forces Magazine; Tactical Air Support<\/em><\/p>\n<!-- mfsh:bottom -->\n\n<button type=\"button\" class=\"mfsh-trigger mfsh-bottom\" data-mfsh-placement=\"bottom\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><svg><use href=\"#mfsh-i-share\"\/><\/svg>Share this story<\/button>\n\n<!-- \/mfsh:bottom -->\n\n\n\n<!-- mf-faq -->\n\n<div class=\"mf-faq-block\"><style>.mf-faq-block{margin:34px 0}.mf-faq-item:not([open]) .mf-faq-answer{display:none !important}.mf-faq-block h2.mf-faq-h{padding-top:22px;margin-bottom:14px}.mf-faq-item{border:1px solid #e2e8f5;border-radius:8px;margin:0 0 10px;background:#fff}.mf-faq-item summary{list-style:none;cursor:pointer;padding:15px 50px 15px 18px;font-weight:600;color:#1a1a1a;position:relative;line-height:1.45;user-select:none}.mf-faq-item summary::-webkit-details-marker{display:none}.mf-faq-item summary::after{content:\"+\";position:absolute;right:18px;top:50%;transform:translateY(-50%);font-size:1.5em;font-weight:400;color:#5C91FF;line-height:1}.mf-faq-item[open] summary::after{content:\"\\2013\"}.mf-faq-item[open] summary{border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f8}.mf-faq-item summary:hover{background:#f5f8ff}.mf-faq-answer{padding:14px 18px;color:#333;line-height:1.6}.mf-faq-answer p{margin:0}.mf-faq-answer a{color:#5C91FF}<\/style><h2 class=\"mf-faq-h\">Related Questions<\/h2><details class=\"mf-faq-item\"><summary>What is 'Red Air' in military aviation training?<\/summary><div class=\"mf-faq-answer\"><p>'Red Air' refers to aircraft that simulate the enemy during combat training, flying aggressively against friendly 'Blue Air' pilots to replicate adversary tactics. Increasingly this role is outsourced to private companies whose civilian pilots \u2014 many former military \u2014 fly modernized jets so frontline aviators can train against realistic threats.<\/p><\/div><\/details><details class=\"mf-faq-item\"><summary>What is an aggressor squadron?<\/summary><div class=\"mf-faq-answer\"><p>An aggressor squadron is a unit dedicated to playing the enemy, studying and mimicking adversary aircraft and tactics so friendly pilots train against a realistic opponent. Traditionally military-run, the role is now increasingly filled by contractors like TacAir, which supply jets and experienced pilots for adversary, or 'Red Air,' missions.<\/p><\/div><\/details><details class=\"mf-faq-item\"><summary>What aircraft does TacAir use for adversary training?<\/summary><div class=\"mf-faq-answer\"><p>TacAir, a private company based in Reno, flies ex-Jordanian and Saudi F-5E\/F airframes \u2014 1960s designs comprehensively modernized with AESA radar, datalink, Garmin avionics, a Scorpion helmet-mounted display, and internal infrared search and track. TacAir calls the result a '4th generation adversary platform with 3rd generation economy.'<\/p><\/div><\/details><details class=\"mf-faq-item\"><summary>What is the Northrop F-5?<\/summary><div class=\"mf-faq-answer\"><p>The Northrop F-5 is a lightweight, twin-engine supersonic fighter first developed in the 1960s. Inexpensive and reliable, it was exported widely and remains popular as an adversary aircraft because it is cheap to operate yet, when upgraded with modern radar and sensors, can credibly mimic more advanced threats.<\/p><\/div><\/details><details class=\"mf-faq-item\"><summary>Why does the US military hire civilians to fly enemy jets?<\/summary><div class=\"mf-faq-answer\"><p>Contractor 'Red Air' frees up frontline squadrons and is cheaper than using costly combat jets as aggressors. Companies like TacAir provide modernized aircraft and experienced ex-military pilots, expanding the realistic adversary training available to Navy and Air Force aviators \u2014 the same crews who fly frontline fighters like the <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/super-hornets-brush-with-death-over-chabahar\/\">F\/A-18 Super Hornet<\/a> in combat.<\/p><\/div><\/details><details class=\"mf-faq-item\"><summary>What makes air-combat training realistic?<\/summary><div class=\"mf-faq-answer\"><p>Realistic training pits pilots against an opponent who flies and fights like the enemy, using comparable tactics, sensors, and maneuvers. Modernized F-5s with AESA radar and modern displays can stand in for advanced threats, sharpening the dogfighting and beyond-visual-range skills that decide real engagements like those behind <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/the-f-15s-perfect-record-104-kills-zero-losses\/\">the F-15's perfect combat record<\/a>.<\/p><\/div><\/details><\/div>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What is 'Red Air' in military aviation training?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"'Red Air' refers to aircraft that simulate the enemy during combat training, flying aggressively against friendly 'Blue Air' pilots to replicate adversary tactics. 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Companies like TacAir provide modernized aircraft and experienced ex-military pilots, expanding the realistic adversary training available to Navy and Air Force aviators \u2014 the same crews who fly frontline fighters like the <a href=\\\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/super-hornets-brush-with-death-over-chabahar\/\\\">F\/A-18 Super Hornet<\/a> in combat.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What makes air-combat training realistic?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Realistic training pits pilots against an opponent who flies and fights like the enemy, using comparable tactics, sensors, and maneuvers. 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Their job is to fly aggressively against the Navy&#8217;s best aviators, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":63068,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"editor_notices":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[664,670],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-63071","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-military-aviation","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>The Civilian Pilots Paid to Fly Enemy Jets vs the US Navy<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The fighter jets rolling onto the runway at NAS Fallon in Nevada are not U.S. Navy aircraft. 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Ils sont exploit\u00e9s par TacAir, une entreprise priv\u00e9e bas\u00e9e \u00e0 [lieu manquant].","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/fr\/des-civils-payes-pour-piloter-des-avions-ennemis-contre-la-marine-americaine\/","og_locale":"fr_FR","og_type":"article","og_title":"The Civilian Pilots Paid to Fly Enemy Jets vs the US Navy","og_description":"The fighter jets rolling onto the runway at NAS Fallon in Nevada are not U.S. Navy aircraft. 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Ils sont exploit\u00e9s par TacAir, une entreprise priv\u00e9e bas\u00e9e \u00e0 [lieu manquant].","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/the-civilians-paid-to-fly-enemy-jets-against-the-us-navy\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/the-civilians-paid-to-fly-enemy-jets-against-the-us-navy\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/the-civilians-paid-to-fly-enemy-jets-against-the-us-navy\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/03\/f5-tiger-adversary-jets-mcas-beaufort.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/03\/f5-tiger-adversary-jets-mcas-beaufort.jpg","width":1280,"height":720,"caption":"F-5N Tiger II jets on the flight line at MCAS Beaufort \u2014 military adversary aircraft very similar to the upgraded F-5s now operated by TacAir to train Navy pilots at TOPGUN. 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