DefenceTalkRussia will regard Western F-16 fighter jets sent to Ukraine as a “nuclear” threat because of their capacity to carry atomic weapons, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday. Modern warplanes have been at the forefront of Kyiv’s demands for military aid from its Western allies as it fights back against Russia’s offensive. Lavrov spoke […]https://www.defencetalk.com/russia-says-f-16-fighter-jets-in-ukraine-will-be-seen-as-nuclear-threat-80051/

DefenceTalkPoland is not in talks to send F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, a deputy defence minister said Tuesday, a day after the US ruled out delivering fighter jets to the war-torn country. “There are no official discussions on transferring F-16s at the moment,” Poland’s Wojciech Skurkiewicz told AFP. Poland currently has 48 American-made F-16 warplanes. […]https://www.defencetalk.com/poland-not-in-talks-to-send-f-16s-to-ukraine-79813/

DefenceTalkUS F-16 warplanes intercepted two Russian bombers in international airspace near the state of Alaska, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) said Tuesday. The Tu-95 bombers were intercepted the previous day after “entering and operating within the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone,” NORAD said in a statement. The Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) is […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-fighter-jets-intercept-russian-bombers-near-alaska-79530/

DefenceTalkMESA, AZ: Top Aces Corp. (Top Aces), the world’s only commercial owner/operator of F-16 fighter aircraft, today announced that it was selected under the US Air Force (USAF) Combat Air Force Contracted Air Support program to provide advanced adversary air training to pilots at Eglin Air Force Base (AFB) in Florida and Luke AFB in […]https://www.defencetalk.com/top-aces-to-train-usaf-with-f-16-advanced-aggressor-fighter-fleet-79401/

DefenceTalkPresident Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Friday that Turkey may turn to countries such as Russia if the US fails to follow through a pledge to deliver F-16 fighter jets. Turkey was kicked out of a program to replace a wide range of fighter, strike and ground attack aircraft for NATO allies after it acquired an […]https://www.defencetalk.com/turkey-may-turn-to-russia-if-us-blocks-f-16-sales-erdogan-79366/

DefenceTalkPresident Joe Biden on Thursday said the United States should go ahead with the delayed sale of F-16 warplanes to Turkey but noted that Congress needs to give approval. “We should sell them the F-16 jets and modernise those jets as well,” Biden said, adding there was “no quid pro quo” linking the sale to […]https://www.defencetalk.com/biden-says-us-should-sell-f-16-fighter-jets-to-turkey-79063/

DefenceTalkThe US Defense Department approved Monday the sale of eight F-16 combat aircraft to Bulgaria for $1.67 billion, bolstering its air force as the regional threat has risen after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “The proposed sale will improve Bulgaria’s capability to meet current and future threats by enabling the Bulgarian Air Force to deploy modern […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-approves-sale-of-eight-f-16-combat-aircraft-to-bulgaria-78586/

DefenceTalkWRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio: In one of the largest modernization efforts in U.S. Air Force history, 608 F-16s – comprised of Blocks 40 and 50 – will undergo up to 22 modifications designed to improve lethality and ensure the fourth-generation fighter remains effective in meeting current and future threats. The Air Force Life Cycle […]https://www.defencetalk.com/usaf-f-16-fleet-undergoing-largest-modification-work-in-history-78217/

DefenceTalkFour Danish F-16 fighter jets have arrived in Lithuania after the country appealed for a greater NATO presence due to Russia’s military build-up around Ukraine, officials said on Friday. Denmark’s decision to send the jets “comes at just the right time”, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said at a ceremony at the Baltic state’s northern air […]https://www.defencetalk.com/danish-fighter-jets-arrive-in-lithuania-amid-regional-tensions-77794/

DefenceTalkTaiwan grounded its F16 fleet as a search was underway to locate a fighter jet that plunged into the sea, the air force said on Tuesday. The F-16V, one of Taiwan’s most advanced fighter jets, disappeared from radar screens around half an hour after taking off for a routine training flight from a base in […]https://www.defencetalk.com/taiwan-grounds-f-16-fighters-as-search-continues-for-downed-jet-77666/