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 MiG-29s from Kyrgyzstan.[3] In 2019, Air USA was one of seven companies awarded an IDIQ contract to support the USAF'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-RAAF Hornets, as well as associated spare parts and test equipment inventory, would be sold to Air USA.[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]
Fleet
As of April 2022, Air USA possesses or has purchased:[10][11]
- 4 Mikoyan MiG-29
- 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
References
- ↑ Colbert, Ethan. "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". http://www.wired.com/2005/10/kirlin.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ 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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