Our Services
AIM
Aircraft Integration & Modernization
From modernizing F-5 adversary aircraft to delivering full-spectrum sustainment and rapid prototyping, AIM transforms legacy platforms into NextGen assets—ready for today’s missions and tomorrow’s challenges.
About AIM
At the heart of Tactical Air Support’s modernization mission is AIM—our Aircraft Integration and Modernization Business Unit—where innovation meets execution. Located at Cecil Airport in Jacksonville, Florida, AIM transforms legacy aircraft into state-of-the-art tactical assets for the U.S. military. With a 40,000-square-foot, 12-bay hangar and a multidisciplinary team of engineers, mechanics and support personnel, AIM can support all levels of aircraft modernization and sustainment with tailored solutions from design to support for fielded capabilities.
Rapid Prototyping
Wire Harness Design and Production
Component Fabrication
Full Spectrum Sustainment
Modernized Aircraft, Improved Readiness, Superior Performance
AIM maintains, repairs, overhauls and upgrades the F-5s to support Tactical Air Support Air Operations and our U.S. Military Customers.
With a focus on quality workmanship, AIM delivers the advanced technology developed by Tactical Air Support within a framework that satisfies Department of Defense oversight requirements and can be supported by traditional Department of Defense sustainment models. Tactical Air Support is upgrading the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps fleet of F-5 Tiger II Adversary Aircraft to the new F-5N+ configuration. Building on its F-5 Advanced Tiger configuration, Tactical Air Support will replace legacy F-5N avionics and mission systems with a single large front cockpit display, touchscreen controllers, an open architecture mission computer system, advanced Communications, Navigation and Instrumentation, and Operational Flight Programs tailored for the adversary mission.
The F-5N+ upgrade adds tactical capabilities, enhances safety, and expands the operating environment of the Navy/Marine Adversary Fleet. Our program managers, engineers, logisticians, quality team and production artisans are immensely proud of the work they do for our Navy and Marine Corps pilots and maintainers. This work includes non-recurring engineering, inspection, modification, structural repair/replacement, and block upgrades for F-5E and F-5F Tiger II aircraft. Tactical Air Support also provides technical support for these modified aircraft as they make it to the fleet. These upgraded adversary aircraft will gain years of operational life, supporting Navy and Marine Pilots as they hone their fighter skills.
AIM Careers
About AIM
AIM History
Tactical Air Support’s Florida operations began in 2017 at Northeast Florida Regional Airport in St. Augustine where we restored F-5E/F aircraft to serve as contracted RedAir adversaries for aerial combat training. These assets were heavily modified to incorporate new offensive and defensive sensors, and systems. They provide a low cost but representative threat to train our U.S. fighter pilots. The capabilities of these adversary aircraft persuaded the Navy to contract Tactical Air to upgrade their F-5s to the F-5N+ advanced configuration. That prototyping agreement has grown into the Avionics Reconfiguration and Tactical Enhancement/Modernization for Inventory Standardization (ARTEMIS) program located at our Aircraft Integration and Modernization (AIM) business unit at Cecil Airport.
A New Kind of Defense Partner
The AIM services’ mission is to safely maintain, repair and overhaul, and modernize Aircraft and Aircraft Systems for Tactical Air Support and our U.S. Military Customers with quality workmanship and on-time delivery. Our vision is to be a new kind of defense partner that rapidly transforms innovation into products, data and services that can be delivered to those who serve. To support that vision, AIM has a 24 person on site engineering department using three-dimensional modeling and additive manufacturing to rapidly prototype new designs. The facility has 40,000 square feet of hangar capacity that can support 12 fighter sized aircraft in-flow, and boasts structural and electrical manufacturing capability, and metal and avionics back shops that produce attachments and harnesses, “A-kit” provisions, on-site. AIM boasts a skilled workforce with military maintenance and commercial modification experience and an internal publications team that can update platform maintenance and operator manuals with modification technical data.
AIM is using an internally developed AI tool to track production efforts and modernize the entire production process. By creating a digital twin of the entire production process, AIM innovators can not only rapidly prototype your modification but can rapidly adapt the current workstream to your modernization effort and provide the detailed data products required for airworthiness certification.
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A Full Sustainment Support Solution
AIM is poised to build and maintain an entire sustainment solution for defense weapon systems. With the capability to support Operational, Intermediate and Depot level maintenance tasks, and on-site design and sustainment engineering team, AIM can provide a single point solution for sustainment challenges. Our 24-person engineering department has extensive experience across multiple DoD and commercial aircraft configurations. With 3D printing on-site the capability to rapid develop and prototype designs and repairs expedites our concepts to implementation. Our logistics department is comprised of 15 team members and provides procurement, retrofit, and overhaul coordination with our extensive network of vendors and suppliers.
Precision. Power. Partnership.
Ready to modernize your fleet or explore tailored sustainment solutions? Contact our team to learn how AIM can deliver mission-ready results on your timeline.
Contact Us
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