DefenceTalkStealth isn’t new in the Air Force; but, stealth combined with the multirole capabilities of the F-35A Lightning II is proving to be a game changer in the Nevada desert. Units from across the Air Force have converged here for Red Flag 17-1, the Air Force’s premier air combat exercise, which pits a friendly force […]https://www.defencetalk.com/f-35a-stealth-brings-flexibility-to-battlespace-69105/

DefenceTalkThe F-35A Lightning II can carry thousands of pounds of bombs, but its ability to gather and share information is just as deadly. Pilots from the 388th and 419th Fighter Wings brought this fifth-generation technology to Red Flag 17-1 air combat exercise here. The F-35 is designed to share what it sees with legacy aircraft, […]https://www.defencetalk.com/interoperability-is-key-to-f-35a-combat-success-69079/

DefenceTalkRed Flag 17-1 is living up to its reputation as a grueling and rigorous test of fighter pilot skills, according to Hill Air Force Base F-35A pilots participating in the premier air-to-air combat exercise at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., from Jan. 23 to Feb. 10. The three-week exercise has friendly ‘Blue Force’ taking on […]https://www.defencetalk.com/red-flag-proves-intense-for-f-35a-pilots-69076/

DefenceTalkThe second batch of 10 Su-35 fighter jets will be delivered to China this year and the other 10 aircraft in 2018, a source in the field of military and technical cooperation with foreign states told TASS on Thursday. “The first four vehicles were supplied in late last year and the second batch of 10 […]https://www.defencetalk.com/russia-to-supply-ten-su-35-fighter-jets-to-china-in-2017-68967/

DefenceTalkThe BrahMos light cruise missile will be mounted both in submarines’ torpedo launchers and on Russia’s fifth-generation T-50 PAK FA (Prospective Airborne Complex of Frontline Aviation) fighter jet, CEO and General Designer of the Machine-Building R&D Consortium Alexander Leonov said on Friday. “We are working on the missile’s light version. It should fit the size […]https://www.defencetalk.com/russia-india-to-develop-brahmos-light-cruise-missile-for-pak-fa-fighter-jet-68947/

DefenceTalkUS Secretary of Defense James Mattis has ordered a review of the Lockheed Martin F-35 stealth fighter program after President Donald Trump assailed its $400 billion price tag, the Pentagon announced Friday. At the same time, Mattis ordered a similar review of the $4 billion cost for developing a new aircraft for the US president, […]https://www.defencetalk.com/pentagon-chief-orders-review-of-f-35-fighter-program-68940/

DefenceTalkFour of the Navy’s newest F-35C Lightning II joint strike fighter aircraft arrived at Naval Air Station (NAS) Lemoore, Jan. 25. The jets’ arrivals mark the first time the new strike-fighter variant has been deployed to a West-coast based squadron, the recently reactivated “Rough Raiders” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 125. “It was my first […]https://www.defencetalk.com/first-pacific-based-f-35c-fighters-arrive-at-nas-lemoore-68933/

DefenceTalkWith the introduction of the latest and the most advanced fighter jets, the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) is set to acquire a new cutting edge in its defense of the homeland and the region. King Salman will patronize the induction of the F-15SA into the RSAF during the 50th anniversary on Wednesday of the […]https://www.defencetalk.com/royal-saudi-air-force-flies-high-with-new-f-15sa-fighter-jets-68923/

DefenceTalkExecutives of aerospace giant Lockheed Martin pledged again Tuesday to limit costs on the F-35 fighter jet amid pressure from President Donald Trump, but those efforts should not impact the program’s profitability. Chief executive Marilyn Hewson, who met twice with Trump following his critical comments prior to Friday’s inauguration, said the new president’s objective is […]https://www.defencetalk.com/lockheed-says-trump-pressure-wont-affect-f-35-profitability-68893/

DefenceTalkThe 33rd Fighter Wing loaded and released the Air Education and Training Command’s first live bombs from an F-35A here, January 17. In total, six aircraft were loaded with armed GBU-12s, and two bombs were released over the Eglin Air Force Base range. The GBU-12 is a 500-pound laser guided general-purpose bomb. The F-35 can […]https://www.defencetalk.com/f-35a-training-aircraft-drop-gbu-12-bombs-for-the-first-time-68869/