Corporate Report

Draken International hired to teach Marine pilots
Draken International has been hired to provide close air support training for the U.S. Marine Corp. Draken will use former-military pilots flying Douglas A-4K Skyhawk attack aircraft, as a stand in for the F/A-18 and the AV/8B Harrier, to teach Marine Corp. joint terminal attack controller trainees.

The Skyhawk aircraft features much of the same speed and maneuverability of existing Marine aircraft and has similar instruments and equipment, such as a modern pulse Doppler radar, counter-measures, heads up display, hands on throttle-and-stick and inert ordinance.

The Lakeland-based company says the agreement offers cost savings to the Marine Corp. and cuts down on wear on the military's aircraft.