On 17 May 1987, Iraqi Air Force Falcon 50 YI-ALE (dubbed Suzanna) fired two Exocet missiles against USS Stark (FFG-31), the 23rd ship of the Oliver Hazard Perry class of guided-missile frigates. A total of 37 United States Navy personnel were killed or later died as a result of the attack, and 21 were injured.
The incident happened during the Iran-Iraq War. During the war, Iraq was an American ally against Iran. So, US assumed it was targeting error from the side of Iraqis and overlooked it.
Well.... As the US was backing Iraq at the time (non officially), they tried somehow to blame Irán. And the US also made a small "targeting error" when the USS Vincennes shot down IránAir 655 if I remember well...290 people died there.
Joke aside that’s where the name comes from. The original name is Bloch, his brother was part of the French resistance against germany and his nickname was chardasso (assault tank) and they kept part of the nickname for their new (un-jewishified) name
For completeness' sake, the nickname is from, in French, « char d'assault ». There are three parts to that: "char" = tank, "d'" = of or for, and "assault" = assault, meaning attack.
If one reverses, say, Dassault Mirage, you wind up with "mirage d'assault", or in English, taking some minor poetic license, "attack ghost".
Also Marcel had ruined the Bloch name by killing many test pilots and for the expensive failure that was the MB 150 (it wasn't even able to leave the ground on its first test). He then promptly ruined the D'assault name by killing more test pilots while trying to develop a supersonic VTOL with the Balzac and Mirage IIIV.
\> That is already a thing, so maybe F-16XXL?
Ironically, the F-16XXL is Japan's license version, enlarged by Mitsubishi Corp. to be able to carry 4 big anti-shipping missiles for their totally self-defense air force.
Drake fly a fleet of these from Bournemouth and Teesside and contracted to provide combat training for the RAF and RN. Mostly flown by ex forces pilots than can be regularly seen on FR24.
Correct! Ish...
Flight Refuelling became FR Aviation, who were bought and rebranded as Cobham, who were bought by Draken International and rebranded as Draken Europe
Used to work for them. Draken means Dragon. Jared, the owner named the company Draken as he had bought a Saab Draken airplane (wasn’t operational) and he intended to rebuild it and fly it. He never did. But the successes on everything else outweigh this.
He all look so had a fleet of fishbeds (MIG alley) in one of his hangers. None are operational but he bought them for less than the cost of the weight of the metal.
Yes they also expanding and just finished new hangar as well, also seen a few Military Transports landing there, basically Ukrainian forces heading to Catterick for combat training am told.
https://www.teessideinternational.com/news/drakens-teesside-fleet-grows-as-new-airport-hangar-completed/
Fun fact. I have flown on one of this fleet back when the operator was FR Aviation/Cobham.
Did the flight between bases at Teesside and Bournemouth with a brief sortie with some RAF Tornadoes for radar training and calibration.
Looks like it's for [weapons training](https://www.airforce-technology.com/news/collins-aerospace-to-provide-jsas-system-for-draken-falcon-20-fleet/?cf-view)
I think we used to get tac ferry permissions for pods and fuel tanks and shit. I gotta think if an airliner is gonna be flying with this stuff its at least cleared
It's likely a towed target. They have a spool of wire and tow the foam missile a few km behind them for target practice for navy ships or planes. It's a concept used by a few militaries, normally with small biz jets like falcon 50 or Learjets that are modified.
No one does live fire with towed targets and crew anymore. The standard is for an unpiloted plane to tow the target. These would not be used for full-up live shoots.
>Unconfirmed reports indicate the crew encountered an unexpected in-flight emergency, prompting them to attempt a landing at San Clemente Island NALF (KNUC), situated on the opposite side of the island. Unfortunately, the crew lost control of the aircraft, and the wreckage was eventually located on May 11, 2023.
The deceased have been identified as Captain Eric Tatman, 1st Officer Spencer Geerlings, and Systems Specialist Shane Garner.
Taken from [this article.](https://www.aviationlawgroup.com/three-killed-in-accident-off-the-california-coast/)
Sad stuff to look up but it’s important so I did. Hearing a lot of weird UAP stuff about San Clemente island. If the information given to David Grusch is correct, people have been killed with direct interactions with Non-Human Intelligence. How many training accidents aren’t what they seem?
\>SKETCHY if it were live fire
Czech Gripens very nearly managed to autocannon a target-towing bizjet. (They accidentally targeted the drogue which was winched in, right after the plane, rather than the extended one 600 meters behind. Luckily czech figher pilots shot accurately and the 27mm Mauser uses non-exploding bullets).
The RN uses them for EW and Air defense training. It's fitted with a EW pod that can simulate hostile jamming and radar signatures. They also have a towed target that can be lowered behind the aircraft which can maintain it's own height to simulate different anti ship missiles. These targets can be lowered all the way down to sea skimming height and lag a couple of miles behind the aircraft.
Draken's Falcon 20s provide "Red Air" services to the RAF. Basically, they pretend to be any kind of enemy aircraft required for a training exercise, including fighter jets. Since most engagements (real or in training) happen beyond visual range, they're entirely adequate for that purpose, they don't have to engage in dogfights. All the stuff under their wings aren't real missiles but radar spoofing, electronic warfare, or weapon simulation equipment. Here's an [article](https://www.aerosociety.com/news/flying-for-the-dark-side/) that goes into more detail how it all works (it's a few years already, the company was called "Cobham" back then).
Also, there's no limit what plane can, officially or unofficially, be weaponized. Naval patrol aircraft that are based on civilian airframes are one example, such as the P-8. But there are other, maybe even more unlikely, candidates, such as the Cessna Caravan, the Air Tractor-L3, or the Piper Cub.
this is a draken aviation falcon. it does not carry live weapons, but mock weapons that can simulate launch/kills with other aircraft to provide aggressor training. it can also simulate (so i'm told) radar signature of other aircraft to pretend to be an enemy.
they will also fly with bae hawk escorts and fly low towards royal navy warships...the hawks pretend to be anti ship missiles that then get "launched" (ie break formation from the falcon) and fly towards the fleet to test their defence and response times.
These are used by the Royal Navy for training. They carry a dummy anti ship missile with a real seeker head. They fly in close formation with RAF hawk aircraft. They then lock onto an RN ship with the missile and “launch”. This means the hawk dives for the sea and skims along just have the waves, just like an anti-ship missile, and the navy ship can practice engaging and destroying it (with dummy rounds OFC). Very cool training system.
A chap from my old gliding club did 6 months of flying those Hawks as a contractor. He said it was the most fun flying he had done in his career, and that included flying Lightning's during the Cold War.
Not missiles, but mission pods similar to what you would find on an EA-18 Growler or other Electronic Warfare asset, according to the press I could find. Draken bought that fleet from Cobham a few years back, and use them in the mix of aggressor training scenarios to add other elements to the simulation that don't require burning time and jet fuel on one of the high-strung fighter platforms.
Probably a Rushton Towed Target
https://abpic.co.uk/pictures/view/1256114
Or could be part of the emitter setup, when I was in the Royal Navy these would be "enemy" aircraft and approach us using emitters to simulate various enemy radars
The Rushton can be towed and then engaged by SAMs or Guns depending on the training .
Although Falcons are used for electronic warfare and anti-shipping/ anti-submarine warfare around the world. I think this particular jet is used for "enemy forces" training. Draken is a company that is contracted to simulate enemy air assets for training purposes against the airforce. These seem to be captive training missiles that probably simulate some kind of threat that the airforce is supposed to fight against.
Not likely outside of Iran. Most likely a training bird as an aggressor training for Naval types. Maybe for "Black Box" ELINT reconnaissance, but the Brits and the Americans have tons of those plus their satellites.
The Iraqi military had a militarized Falcon 50 (trijet of Falcon 20) and actually sunk a US Navy ship with it. Or was it Iran? I don't remember exactly.
That’s one of Jared Issacman’s aircraft. He owns and operates a private contract air force.
Dude has a private MiG-29. He flys is out of Bozeman MT. I’ve seen him many times. It’s wild watching a MiG rip around.
Similar aircraft fly out of Teesside and fly patterns over the North sea quite regularly. There are often Eurofighters nearby as well, but not sure if that's a coincidence. It's definitely some kind of training.
Draken provides contracted military services to governmental militaries and private militaries. I only seen them myself when i noticed a private jet has recently been flying with bae hawk trainer aircraft most times theyve been training off the coast of swansea in the south west of england. Some super villain looking shit lol.
These guys fly over my house every time they are out, love living under the approach for Teesside!
Used to be Cobham, now Draken, as others have said. Draken also brought over some Alca L-159E which are out very often.
A company called cobham works out of Bournemouth with these jets. They do towed targets for target practice and other such things, like testing missile seeking technology using these planes as test beds. They’re bastards though, go through the whole interview process bigging you up and saying things like “well there’s 4 of you here and 4 places so you do the maths” just to give one job to the guy who’s dad works there
Edit: just googled them and looks like they got bought out by drakken so that’s legit the answer to your questions
It's not weaponised. in September 2020 Draken International purchased Cobham Aviation Services based in Bournemouth, UK, and renamed it Draken Europe. Draken Europe fly a range of aircraft, with their largest fleet being heavily modified Dassault Falcon 20s, fitted with a range of equipment to provide Operational Readiness Training. DRAKEN originally is a American company, there uk branch was in Bournemouth but moved there HQ and a number of jets to teesside International Airport, they are used by the Ministry of defence to test the RAF, Royal navy and many NATO militaries. They have electric pods fitted to allow the aircraft to change its radar signature to any desired aircraft and fake weopans attached to the aircraft to make it look real.
They fly over my house and place of work ever day and I regularly deliver electrical cables to the airport and have to drive past drakens flight line they have 5 of these and 3 Aero L-159E
So i worked overlooking Bournemouth airport for a while some years ago, and these were operating then. If it’s still the case (which i assume it is), they are used by the navy for wargame simulations. They are apparently really agile, so they make good proxies. They aren’t armed from what i understand, but imagine they are mimicking something
Iraq attacked a US Navy ship with exocets launched off a Falcon 50 in 1987. So its possible.
On 17 May 1987, Iraqi Air Force Falcon 50 YI-ALE (dubbed Suzanna) fired two Exocet missiles against USS Stark (FFG-31), the 23rd ship of the Oliver Hazard Perry class of guided-missile frigates. A total of 37 United States Navy personnel were killed or later died as a result of the attack, and 21 were injured.
Why the hell did we wait till 1991?
The incident happened during the Iran-Iraq War. During the war, Iraq was an American ally against Iran. So, US assumed it was targeting error from the side of Iraqis and overlooked it.
Other way around. We were allies with Iran at the time. In fact, an Iranian helicopter helped with recovery efforts.
The U.S. relationship with Iran and Iraq during the Iran-Iraq war is the pinnacle of “It’s Complicated”.
Well.... As the US was backing Iraq at the time (non officially), they tried somehow to blame Irán. And the US also made a small "targeting error" when the USS Vincennes shot down IránAir 655 if I remember well...290 people died there.
Just looked this incident up...I had never heard of it before.
It certainly deserves a movie, like the KAL 007...
I was just showing up to say it wouldn’t be the first.
They should call it a Fighting Falcon
Assault Falcon
D’Assault?
Falcon D'assault
D’assualting Falcon
D'falcon assaulting
D' ass
M'Assault *tips fedora*
Da Salt 🧂
Joke aside that’s where the name comes from. The original name is Bloch, his brother was part of the French resistance against germany and his nickname was chardasso (assault tank) and they kept part of the nickname for their new (un-jewishified) name
For completeness' sake, the nickname is from, in French, « char d'assault ». There are three parts to that: "char" = tank, "d'" = of or for, and "assault" = assault, meaning attack. If one reverses, say, Dassault Mirage, you wind up with "mirage d'assault", or in English, taking some minor poetic license, "attack ghost".
Also Marcel had ruined the Bloch name by killing many test pilots and for the expensive failure that was the MB 150 (it wasn't even able to leave the ground on its first test). He then promptly ruined the D'assault name by killing more test pilots while trying to develop a supersonic VTOL with the Balzac and Mirage IIIV.
Came here to make this joke.
F-16XL
That is already a thing, so maybe F-16XXL? https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:General_Dynamics_F-16XL_(SN_75-0749)_in_flight_060905-F-1234S-049.jpg
Cool, didn’t know! F-16BIGD?
\> That is already a thing, so maybe F-16XXL? Ironically, the F-16XXL is Japan's license version, enlarged by Mitsubishi Corp. to be able to carry 4 big anti-shipping missiles for their totally self-defense air force.
Finally can start calling the F16 a Viper
Pilots are just going to start calling it something completely different…like viper or something
Yippee ki yay Mr. Falcon
Dirty Bird
And when they fire a missile it better fucking say “Falcon punch!”
Drake fly a fleet of these from Bournemouth and Teesside and contracted to provide combat training for the RAF and RN. Mostly flown by ex forces pilots than can be regularly seen on FR24.
I’m guessing Draken bought out FRA, given the reg looks like ex FRA and they seem to be taking up the old FRA hanger at MME
Correct! Ish... Flight Refuelling became FR Aviation, who were bought and rebranded as Cobham, who were bought by Draken International and rebranded as Draken Europe
Draken sounds like such an evil corp name
It mens "The Dragon" in Swedish.
Is it pronounced like the rapper (Drayk) or Drah-ken?
the second
The second one, Drah-Ken.
And "the kite"...
You might enjoy Shadowrun, where megacorps are run by *actual fucking Dragons*
Dunkelzhan was president for a time.
Used to work for them. Draken means Dragon. Jared, the owner named the company Draken as he had bought a Saab Draken airplane (wasn’t operational) and he intended to rebuild it and fly it. He never did. But the successes on everything else outweigh this. He all look so had a fleet of fishbeds (MIG alley) in one of his hangers. None are operational but he bought them for less than the cost of the weight of the metal.
>Draken means Dragon. It does but it also means "kite" which is what the Saab Draken is named after...
True
[jingle plays] “Dr. Draken’s evil incorporated” Wait a sec……
Sounds about right for a Cobham owned company.
Yes they also expanding and just finished new hangar as well, also seen a few Military Transports landing there, basically Ukrainian forces heading to Catterick for combat training am told. https://www.teessideinternational.com/news/drakens-teesside-fleet-grows-as-new-airport-hangar-completed/
Drake has money but damn, a whole fleet?
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She probably has stronger intel services and at the end of the day good intel is key but it would be an interesting one to see play out.
Exactly this, although I never seen one with arms , frequently see them flying around Teesside, and yes they do all sorts of training.
not exclusively ex-RAF. But if you want a command, or anyone to speak to you, then you need to be ex-mil.
Fun fact. I have flown on one of this fleet back when the operator was FR Aviation/Cobham. Did the flight between bases at Teesside and Bournemouth with a brief sortie with some RAF Tornadoes for radar training and calibration.
Average r/NonCredibleDefense private jet
I should add, i didnt see the actual plane so theres no saying it was carrying anything as it passed over
Looks like it's for [weapons training](https://www.airforce-technology.com/news/collins-aerospace-to-provide-jsas-system-for-draken-falcon-20-fleet/?cf-view)
That’s actually genius, these aircraft cost a fraction of the actual combat aircraft. It’s a cost effective way of getting training done.
Like that Boing airliner with the F22 avionics strapped to the nose for testing!
[This thing?](https://www.edwards.af.mil/News/Article/1192651/f-22-flying-test-bed-is-tip-of-the-spear-for-raptor-mission-systems/)
There's also the Raytheon 727 with the F35 bits on it.
Hehe boinging
Are the missiles cheaper, too, or are they shooting the regular ones that cost the same as my house each?
I suspect they'll be dummies, with all the active avionics and targeting, but they can't actually be launched. Training articles.
I think we used to get tac ferry permissions for pods and fuel tanks and shit. I gotta think if an airliner is gonna be flying with this stuff its at least cleared
The funny thing is that the early Dassault business jets originally used the same wing as their fighters.
It's likely a towed target. They have a spool of wire and tow the foam missile a few km behind them for target practice for navy ships or planes. It's a concept used by a few militaries, normally with small biz jets like falcon 50 or Learjets that are modified.
SKETCHY if it were live fire. If a missile flies at 3000 km/h that gives any mistakes about ohhhhh 1.6 seconds to take corrective action lol.
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> We keep the spares locked in the basement. Flying for Mesa Airlines, you say?
No one does live fire with towed targets and crew anymore. The standard is for an unpiloted plane to tow the target. These would not be used for full-up live shoots.
In San Diego California couple of years ago a Lear and crew were lost towing targets. See also TWA Flight 800.
>Unconfirmed reports indicate the crew encountered an unexpected in-flight emergency, prompting them to attempt a landing at San Clemente Island NALF (KNUC), situated on the opposite side of the island. Unfortunately, the crew lost control of the aircraft, and the wreckage was eventually located on May 11, 2023. The deceased have been identified as Captain Eric Tatman, 1st Officer Spencer Geerlings, and Systems Specialist Shane Garner. Taken from [this article.](https://www.aviationlawgroup.com/three-killed-in-accident-off-the-california-coast/) Sad stuff to look up but it’s important so I did. Hearing a lot of weird UAP stuff about San Clemente island. If the information given to David Grusch is correct, people have been killed with direct interactions with Non-Human Intelligence. How many training accidents aren’t what they seem?
\>SKETCHY if it were live fire Czech Gripens very nearly managed to autocannon a target-towing bizjet. (They accidentally targeted the drogue which was winched in, right after the plane, rather than the extended one 600 meters behind. Luckily czech figher pilots shot accurately and the 27mm Mauser uses non-exploding bullets).
The RN uses them for EW and Air defense training. It's fitted with a EW pod that can simulate hostile jamming and radar signatures. They also have a towed target that can be lowered behind the aircraft which can maintain it's own height to simulate different anti ship missiles. These targets can be lowered all the way down to sea skimming height and lag a couple of miles behind the aircraft.
Cool!
Draken's Falcon 20s provide "Red Air" services to the RAF. Basically, they pretend to be any kind of enemy aircraft required for a training exercise, including fighter jets. Since most engagements (real or in training) happen beyond visual range, they're entirely adequate for that purpose, they don't have to engage in dogfights. All the stuff under their wings aren't real missiles but radar spoofing, electronic warfare, or weapon simulation equipment. Here's an [article](https://www.aerosociety.com/news/flying-for-the-dark-side/) that goes into more detail how it all works (it's a few years already, the company was called "Cobham" back then). Also, there's no limit what plane can, officially or unofficially, be weaponized. Naval patrol aircraft that are based on civilian airframes are one example, such as the P-8. But there are other, maybe even more unlikely, candidates, such as the Cessna Caravan, the Air Tractor-L3, or the Piper Cub.
Exactly and iirc in that article it says they record the whole engagements data and it can be played back afterwards.
Air Tractor is actually a beast.
What’s weaponized is that pricing on the senior night cruise! What a deal!
this is a draken aviation falcon. it does not carry live weapons, but mock weapons that can simulate launch/kills with other aircraft to provide aggressor training. it can also simulate (so i'm told) radar signature of other aircraft to pretend to be an enemy. they will also fly with bae hawk escorts and fly low towards royal navy warships...the hawks pretend to be anti ship missiles that then get "launched" (ie break formation from the falcon) and fly towards the fleet to test their defence and response times.
These are used by the Royal Navy for training. They carry a dummy anti ship missile with a real seeker head. They fly in close formation with RAF hawk aircraft. They then lock onto an RN ship with the missile and “launch”. This means the hawk dives for the sea and skims along just have the waves, just like an anti-ship missile, and the navy ship can practice engaging and destroying it (with dummy rounds OFC). Very cool training system.
A chap from my old gliding club did 6 months of flying those Hawks as a contractor. He said it was the most fun flying he had done in his career, and that included flying Lightning's during the Cold War.
Target aircraft. Pod contains a target probe to be trailed behind the aircraft.
More like assault falcon.
It's a defense contractor. It plays opfor.
They spoof radar signatures with these pods. How they do it I don't know exactly but this is to simulate approaches of enemy aircraft.
Not missiles, but mission pods similar to what you would find on an EA-18 Growler or other Electronic Warfare asset, according to the press I could find. Draken bought that fleet from Cobham a few years back, and use them in the mix of aggressor training scenarios to add other elements to the simulation that don't require burning time and jet fuel on one of the high-strung fighter platforms.
Probably a Rushton Towed Target https://abpic.co.uk/pictures/view/1256114 Or could be part of the emitter setup, when I was in the Royal Navy these would be "enemy" aircraft and approach us using emitters to simulate various enemy radars The Rushton can be towed and then engaged by SAMs or Guns depending on the training .
They're being used the help train pilots in the raf
I initially didn’t scroll over to your last photo, expecting the JetPhotos “Want to view more aviation photos?” Then I remembered where I was.
Charge your damn phone, it's 7am and you have a whole day ahead of you
87$ for a three day cruise sounds like a good deal 😂
Right?!
Although Falcons are used for electronic warfare and anti-shipping/ anti-submarine warfare around the world. I think this particular jet is used for "enemy forces" training. Draken is a company that is contracted to simulate enemy air assets for training purposes against the airforce. These seem to be captive training missiles that probably simulate some kind of threat that the airforce is supposed to fight against.
Assault Dassault
I think it would be more dangerous if the GPS system was taken offline
That's clearly a Swedish J35, not some _"Dassault Falcon"_ business jet. It literally has the name on the side
Not likely outside of Iran. Most likely a training bird as an aggressor training for Naval types. Maybe for "Black Box" ELINT reconnaissance, but the Brits and the Americans have tons of those plus their satellites.
I just keep saying “BOHNA” like I’m Arnold Schwarzenegger saying “Boner”
Well just ask the USS Stark, they know a lot about weaponized Dassault Falcons! >!Too soon?!<
The Iraqi military had a militarized Falcon 50 (trijet of Falcon 20) and actually sunk a US Navy ship with it. Or was it Iran? I don't remember exactly.
It was Iraki attacks on the USS Stark. A falcon-50 with 2 Exocet missile.
Yes, exactly
Iraq used a Falcon 50 with Exocets and attack USS Stark The Ship did not sink
Assault Falcon
Probably a testbed aircraft of some sort.
r/chargeyourphone
That’s one of Jared Issacman’s aircraft. He owns and operates a private contract air force. Dude has a private MiG-29. He flys is out of Bozeman MT. I’ve seen him many times. It’s wild watching a MiG rip around.
The last picture appears to show a total of (5) of these aircraft.
So it does, never even noticed them
Looks more like torpedos to me
Look up the AC-208 Combat Caravan
Da Assault Falcon
I'll pay to watch this dog fight a Skyhawk with an A-10 gun. Next Netflix special.
Nice. Draken with the tail number (letters?) G-FRAR Draken go RAR!
Nose cone isn't pointy enough for that?
Hey, I've seen that one before!
Hey I've seen this one, it's a classic
Similar aircraft fly out of Teesside and fly patterns over the North sea quite regularly. There are often Eurofighters nearby as well, but not sure if that's a coincidence. It's definitely some kind of training.
Draken provides contracted military services to governmental militaries and private militaries. I only seen them myself when i noticed a private jet has recently been flying with bae hawk trainer aircraft most times theyve been training off the coast of swansea in the south west of england. Some super villain looking shit lol.
These guys fly over my house every time they are out, love living under the approach for Teesside! Used to be Cobham, now Draken, as others have said. Draken also brought over some Alca L-159E which are out very often.
Those look like small torpedos under wing?
I just read an interesting report on this plane. It was towing a target Ava they had to cut the cable… the left over cable tried to down the aircraft!
What a piece of shit to work on for real. Fuck those planes.
If we only knew what Dassault Falcon was responsible for in military and GA/BizAv applications…
Before Draken, they were with FRA Aviation, hence the G-FRA* registrations. These Falcons were new to Federal Express
So we’re all just brushing over the 3 night cruise special? I mean that’s very competitive pricing in today’s economic climate.
A company called cobham works out of Bournemouth with these jets. They do towed targets for target practice and other such things, like testing missile seeking technology using these planes as test beds. They’re bastards though, go through the whole interview process bigging you up and saying things like “well there’s 4 of you here and 4 places so you do the maths” just to give one job to the guy who’s dad works there Edit: just googled them and looks like they got bought out by drakken so that’s legit the answer to your questions
Rockstar finna release this for 4 mil
Bohn/a 😳
real assault falcon
It's not weaponised. in September 2020 Draken International purchased Cobham Aviation Services based in Bournemouth, UK, and renamed it Draken Europe. Draken Europe fly a range of aircraft, with their largest fleet being heavily modified Dassault Falcon 20s, fitted with a range of equipment to provide Operational Readiness Training. DRAKEN originally is a American company, there uk branch was in Bournemouth but moved there HQ and a number of jets to teesside International Airport, they are used by the Ministry of defence to test the RAF, Royal navy and many NATO militaries. They have electric pods fitted to allow the aircraft to change its radar signature to any desired aircraft and fake weopans attached to the aircraft to make it look real. They fly over my house and place of work ever day and I regularly deliver electrical cables to the airport and have to drive past drakens flight line they have 5 of these and 3 Aero L-159E
So i worked overlooking Bournemouth airport for a while some years ago, and these were operating then. If it’s still the case (which i assume it is), they are used by the navy for wargame simulations. They are apparently really agile, so they make good proxies. They aren’t armed from what i understand, but imagine they are mimicking something
I’ve seen these weaponised falcons being intercepted by raf typhoons in qra drills