New Honey Badgers for the UK

On Friday 4 October 2024, the UK based part of the Draken International fleet welcomed another three Aero L-159E ‘Honey Badgers’. Draken's L-159E N275EM can be seen here, touching down at Teesside, arriving at its new base as 'Artic 01' inbound from Keflavik. During its long ferry flight it was accompanied by fellow L-159E N274EM 'Artic 02' and N270EM 'Artic 03' (both in grey camo).

N275EM however is sometimes referred to as ‘Desert Badger’ or ‘Mocha Badger’, which, in our opinion, is fairly logical looking at its exterior. As far as Scramble’s information goes, the trio was ferried from San Antonio (TX) where Draken recently seems to have lost an aggressor training contract to their colleagues of RAVN.

Until the arrival of the three newcomers Draken International already had ten Aero L-159E’s on British soil, registered as G-DKNA to G-DKNJ. Most logical would be that the new trio will become G-DKNK to G-DKNM. But who knows?

Photo: Kev Perry