DefenceTalkSouth Korea formally opened bidding Tuesday on a $7.3 billion deal to provide 60 advanced fighter planes, with three aviation giants vying for what is the Asian nation’s largest defence contract to date. US companies Boeing and Lockheed Martin and the European aerospace consortium EADS are in the running, and all have prefaced their bids […]https://www.defencetalk.com/south-korea-opens-bidding-on-7-3-bn-fighter-jet-deal-48154/

DefenceTalkRussia’s state arms exporter Rosoboronexport is planning to sign a number of export contracts on the delivery of advanced Su-35S fighter aircraft as well as Ka-52 helicopter gunships and Yak-130 combat trainers at the Paris Air Show, the company said. “We are holding negotiations on all three aircraft and hoping to sign contracts at the […]https://www.defencetalk.com/russia-sell-su-35-fighter-jets-at-paris-air-show-48120/

DefenceTalkThe largest fleet of F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighters grew to 25 aircraft as the F-35 Integrated Training Center here welcomed two new Air Force F-35A variants of the multi-role fighter to the Emerald Coast, June 5. The expansion gives the 58th Fighter Squadron the ability to fly an expanded schedule and more readily […]https://www.defencetalk.com/fleet-grows-training-increases-for-f-35-48089/

DefenceTalkAn F-35A conventional takeoff and landing aircraft completed the first in-flight missile launch of an AIM-120 over the Point Mugu Sea Test Range, June 5. It was the first launch where the F-35 and AIM-120 demonstrated a successful launch-to-eject communications sequence and fired the rocket motor after launch — paving the way for targeted launches […]https://www.defencetalk.com/f-35a-completes-1st-in-flight-missile-launch-48060/

DefenceTalkTraining flights of the Su-35S take place these days at the Zhukovsky airfield at the M. M. Gromov Flight Research Institute in preparation for participation in the le Bourget-2013 International Air Show. The Honored test pilot of the Russian Federation, the Hero of Russia Sergey Bogdan works on two sets of aerobatics – for normal […]https://www.defencetalk.com/su-35s-gets-ready-for-the-paris-air-show-in-france-48055/

DefenceTalkThe United States could leave Patriot anti-missile batteries and F-16 fighter jets in Jordan following the end of Exercise Eager Lion, a Pentagon spokesman said here today. Jordan has requested the batteries, but Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has not yet reviewed it, Army Col. Steve Warren told reporters. Hagel is returning from NATO meetings in […]https://www.defencetalk.com/patriots-f-16s-may-remain-in-jordan-after-eager-lion-exercise-48034/

DefenceTalkThe Air Force announced today it expects to declare F-35A Lightning II initial operation capability in December 2016. The announcement was included in a joint report detailing service-specific IOC requirements and dates for each of the F-35 variants that was delivered to Congress today. “The Air Force has spent the last six months looking at […]https://www.defencetalk.com/air-force-establishes-f-35-ioc-target-47997/

DefenceTalkAir Force officials announced May 29 they are consolidating depot maintenance for the F-22 Raptor at the Ogden Air Logistics Complex at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. The depot maintenance work is currently split between the Ogden ALC and the Lockheed facility in Palmdale, Calif. “Palmdale has made a storied contribution to aviation and while […]https://www.defencetalk.com/air-force-to-consolidate-f-22-depot-maintenance-at-hill-afb-47981/

DefenceTalkThe Defence Minister Shri AK Antony today expressed optimism that the country’s indigenously developed fighter aircraft – LCA Tejas – will get Final Operational Clearance of the Indian Air Force by the end of next year. Speaking at the Annual Awards Functions of DRDO here, he said, all stakeholders including the DRDO, IAF and HAL […]https://www.defencetalk.com/indias-lca-tejas-fighter-fully-operational-in-2014-47963/

DefenceTalkKADENA AIR BASE, Japan: Japan Air Self Defense Force rescue squadron crews safely recovered the pilot who ejected from a Kadena-based F-15 aircraft over the Pacific Ocean approximately 70 miles east of Okinawa at around 9 a.m. May 27. The pilot is in stable condition and is being evaluated at a military medical facility. The […]https://www.defencetalk.com/f-15-crashes-in-pacific-pilot-safe-47931/