DefenceTalkThe US Defence Security Coopera­tion Agency has issued a certification saying that it’s in US national interest to sell eight F-16 fighter jets and related equipment to Pakistan. The certification is needed to satisfy the US Congress where some key lawmakers are strongly opposing the sale. A national interest certification, however, is rarely challenged. “This […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-issues-national-interest-certification-for-fighter-jets-sale-to-pakistan-66720/

DefenceTalkThe State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to Iraq for F-16 weapons, munitions, equipment, and logistics support. The estimated cost is $1.950 billion. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale on January 15, 2016. The Government of Iraq requested a possible […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-approves-iraq-f-16-weapons-munitions-equipment-and-logistics-support-sale-66507/

DefenceTalkLos Angeles: An F-16 fighter jet crashed Thursday in the southwestern state of Arizona, the US Air Force said, adding a search and rescue mission for the pilot was ongoing. “The cause of the crash is unknown at this time,” the Air Force said in a statement, adding the incident had occurred at 8:45 am […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-f-16-jet-crashes-in-arizona-status-of-pilot-unknown-66505/

DefenceTalkOn October 29, Ambassador Stephen Beecroft and Senior Defense Official Major General Charles Hooper joined Air Marshal Younes al-Masri and other senior Egyptian military officials in a ceremony at the Cairo West Air Force Base to receive four F-16 “Fighting Falcon” fighter jets delivered by the United States to the Egyptian Air Force. Welcoming the […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-delivers-four-f-16-fighter-jets-to-egyptian-armed-forces-65726/

DefenceTalkPakistan’s military said Thursday it had killed 21 militants in air strikes in a restive northwestern tribal area bordering Afghanistan. The strikes were carried out late Thursday in the Rajgal and Tirah areas of the lawless Khyber tribal district, where Taliban militant and local Islamist groups are active. “Twenty-one terrorists were killed in precise aerial […]https://www.defencetalk.com/pakistani-air-strikes-kill-21-militants-in-northwest-65674/

DefenceTalkA US F-16 was struck by enemy fire in eastern Afghanistan, military officials have confirmed to AFP, in a rare instance of an advanced fighter jet coming under a Taliban-claimed attack. The multi-million dollar jet sustained significant damage, forcing it to jettison its fuel tanks and munitions before returning to base, officials said. The attack […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-f-16-struck-by-enemy-fire-in-afghanistan-in-rare-attack-65660/

DefenceTalkThe Royal Netherlands Air Force selected Lockheed Martin’s Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod (ATP) to equip its F-16 fleet, becoming the 21st international customer to acquire the multi-mission system. The contract was awarded through the Dutch Defence Materiel Organization and includes 29 Sniper ATPs as well as support equipment, training and sustainment. Pod deliveries will begin […]https://www.defencetalk.com/the-netherlands-lockheeds-sniper-advanced-targeting-pod-for-f-16-fleet-65570/

DefenceTalkAs part of the F-16 Radar Modernization Program, a team from the 416th Flight Test Squadron are preparing to conduct flight testing of the Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar on two 412th Test Wing aircraft from Sept. 2015 through Aug. 2016. “Current F-16 mechanically-scan radars have limited target handling capacity because existing mechanical scanning […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-air-force-prepares-for-f-16-aesa-radar-upgrade-testing-65347/

DefenceTalkThe Danish F-16s that have dropped some 425 bombs on Isis targets in Iraq are coming home, but Denmark vows to remain an active player in the fight against the terror group. Foreign Minister Kristian Jensen said over the weekend that the seven F-16s that Denmark committed to the international coalition’s fight against the Islamic […]https://www.defencetalk.com/denmark-to-pull-fighter-jets-from-iraq-65140/

DefenceTalkAs Turkish military planners and Turkey’s state arms procurement agency, the Undersecretariat for Defense Industries (SSM), focus on the country’s indigenous new-generation fighter jet (dubbed TF-X), Air Force officials are planning on plugging any potential capabilities gap in combat aircraft that might emerge in the interim. The solution involves an upgrade program for the Turkish […]https://www.defencetalk.com/turkey-plans-f-16-upgrade-as-fighter-capacity-stop-gap-measure-65062/