Company:Ravn Aerospace
| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1994 |
| Founder | Don Kirlin |
| Headquarters | Houston, Texas |
| Services | Contract air services to the US Department of Defense |
| Website | https://www.ravnaero.com/ |
Ravn Aerospace, formerly known as AirUSA, is an American defense contractor based at Houston Spaceport in Houston, Texas. It offers adversary air, close air support, Joint Terminal Attack Controller, and Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance training to the United States Department of Defense.[1]
Ravn Aero's first aircraft, a Czech Aero L-39 Albatros, was purchased in 1994.[2] Then, two years later, the company purchased two Mikoyan MiG-29s from Kyrgyzstan.[3] In 2019, AirUSA was one of seven companies awarded an IDIQ contract to support the United States Air Force's Combat Air Force Contract Air Support (CAF CAS) program in October 2019.[4]
In March 2020 the Australian Minister for Defence Industry Melissa Price announced that up to 46 ex-Royal Australian Air Force F/A-18 Hornets, as well as associated spare parts and test equipment inventory, would be sold to AirUSA.[5] In December 2021 the Australian Defence Magazine reported that the status of the Australian Hornet sale was "unknown".[6]
The contract to sell former RAAF Hornets to Ravn Aerospace lapsed in December 2023 with none having been transferred.[7]
World Aerospace Museum
The company briefly operated the World Aerospace Museum at the Quincy Regional Airport near Quincy, Illinois.[8][9]
History
Prior to becoming Ravn Aerospace, the company was known as AirUSA. Following the introduction of the BAE Systems Hawk 67 acquired from the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF), two accidents occurred, with the latter resulting in the death of an innocent bystander on the ground. The subsequent National Transportation Safety Board investigation found substantial shortcomings in operational procedures, including deviations from the approved flight manual, and an inadequate stores clearance of a SUU-20 stores dispenser.[10] The United States Marine Corps subsequently prohibited further use of the Hawk on CAS contracts and they were stored until being reactivated to support the CAF CAS program in 2019.[11]
Fleet
As of July 2024, Ravn Aerospace possesses or has purchased:[12][13]
- 6 Aero L-39 Albatros
- 10 BAE Systems Hawk 67 (formerly South Korean)
- 5 Pilatus PC-9 (formerly Australian)
- 17 Cessna T337 Turbo Skymaster
- 10 Northrop F-5E Tiger II
See also
- Aggressor squadron
- Airborne Tactical Advantage Company
- Draken International
- Tactical Air Support
- Top Aces
References
- ↑ Colbert, Ethan (25 October 2019). "Air USA inks multi-billion dollar contract with U.S. Air Force" (in en). https://www.whig.com/archive/article/air-usa-inks-multi-billion-dollar-contract-with-u-s-air-force/article_30e5d47a-de7d-54dc-8f41-ac7c2ecb815f.html.
- ↑ "About" (in en-US). https://air-usa.com/about/.
- ↑ Hoffman, Carl (1 October 2005). "Building Your Own Air Force, One Mig at a Time". Wired. http://www.wired.com/2005/10/kirlin. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
- ↑ Donald, David. "U.S. Air Force Awards $6.4 Billion of Adversary Contracts" (in en). https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/defense/2019-10-19/us-air-force-awards-64-billion-adversary-contracts.
- ↑ "RAAF Classic Hornets get a new lease of life - Australian Defence Magazine" (in en). https://www.australiandefence.com.au/defence/air/raaf-classic-hornets-get-a-new-lease-of-life.
- ↑ Pittaway, Nigel (2 December 2021). "Air Force farewells Hornets" (in en). Australian Defence Magazine. https://www.australiandefence.com.au/defence/air/air-force-farewells-hornets.
- ↑ Tillett, Andrew (8 December 2023). "Lapsed contract could deliver Aussie fighter jets to Ukraine" (in en). Australian Financial Review. https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/lapsed-contract-could-deliver-aussie-fighter-jets-to-ukraine-20231208-p5eq2b.
- ↑ "[Homepage"]. http://www.jet-warbirds.com.
- ↑ "Fly-Outs: World Aerospace Museum". 5 March 2012. http://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2012/march/pilot/fly-outs-world-aerospace-museum.
- ↑ Aerossurance (2016-08-14). "Yuma Hawk Accident: Lessons on Ex-Military Aircraft Operation" (in en). https://aerossurance.com/safety-management/yuma-hawk-ex-military-lessons/.
- ↑ Foster, Peter (April 2024). "Ravn's Hawks arrive at Lakenheath". Aviation News (April 2024): 32–33. https://www.key.aero/aviationnews.
- ↑ Rogoway, Tyler (2020-04-09). "This Man Owns The World's Most Advanced Private Air Force After Buying 46 F/A-18 Hornets" (in en). https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/32869/this-man-owns-the-worlds-most-advanced-private-air-force-after-buying-46-f-a-18-hornets.
- ↑ "Aircraft" (in en-US). https://air-usa.com/aircraft/.
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