Plane Growth

It is too expensive for America's military flyers to practice against themselves, but without regular training against competent adversaries, they could lose their edge when it matters most.

That's why, in 2014, the Pentagon came up with a solution: Outsource “Adversary Air.” That gave birth to the commercial Red Air industry, where there are hire-a-foe, war-game bad guys sophisticated and scary enough to spar with the good guys.

Draken International, based at Lakeland Linder Airport in Polk County, has emerged as the U.S. Air Force's primary sparring partner in this new world. “It's definitely a booming business,” says Sean “Stroker” Gustafson, Draken's vice president for client relations. “And a dream job.”