Babcock France has secured an eight-year contract to provide aircraft for simulating enemy forces and supporting air-to-ground training for French military units. Awarded by the French Armed Forces Commissariat Service, the programme will be delivered in partnership with SDTS and Top Aces France to prepare personnel from the French Air and Space Force, Navy and Army for combat operations. The partners will conduct up to 400 training sorties and more than 1,000 flight hours annually, operating from military bases and civilian airports across France. Babcock will operate and maintain upgraded L-39 aircraft from its Dijon-Bourgogne base, while SDTS will operate and maintain A-4N Skyhawk and Alpha Jet aircraft supplied by Top Aces France. These aircraft will participate in exercises alongside French Rafale and Mirage 2000 fighters, simulating opposing forces during Red Air training missions, including within-visual-range air combat manoeuvres. The L-39s will also support Joint Terminal Attack Controller training, helping personnel practise coordinating and directing aircraft during strikes against ground targets. For this mission, the aircraft will use Remotely Operated Video Enhanced Receiver technology to exchange live video between pilots and ground controllers. The system will allow JTACs to practise target identification, tactical information sharing, friendly-force tracking and air-support coordination. The agreement builds on a separate contract Babcock secured earlier in the year to train personnel for the French Air and Space Force and Navy. That programme includes classroom instruction and practical flight training for student pilots, weapons systems officers and future simulator instructors. Training will be conducted at Salon-de-Provence Air Base using Cirrus SR22 aircraft and at Cognac Air Base with Grob 120 aircraft.
