DefenceTalkThe second Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II for the Netherlands rolled out of the F-35 production facility on March 2. This is the latest step in the production process leading to its eventual assignment to Eglin AFB, Fla., later this summer. The Netherlands is planning to use this conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) jet, known […]https://www.defencetalk.com/2nd-f-35-for-the-netherlands-rolls-out-of-f-35-production-facility-47086/

DefenceTalkThe decision by the upper chamber of the Swiss parliament not to release funds for the purchase of new JAS Gripen fighter jets from Sweden has renewed doubt about the deal. On Tuesday, the upper house the Council of States approved the defence ministry purchase by 22 votes to 20, but blocked the necessary funds. […]https://www.defencetalk.com/sweden-sanguine-at-swiss-gripen-jet-purchase-delay-47068/

DefenceTalkF-35 Lightning IIs were cleared for flight Feb. 28 following a temporary suspension after a cracked engine blade was found in a test aircraft earlier in the month. A .06-inch crack was discovered in a third-stage turbine blade in a test aircraft at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., Feb. 19. Third-stage blades are located deep […]https://www.defencetalk.com/f-35s-cleared-to-resume-flight-47043/

DefenceTalkThe Defense Department lifted its grounding of the F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter after analysis concluded that a cracked turbine blade in an engine on a single plane resulted from overuse in test operations, according to an official with the F-35 Joint Program Office. In an email statement, the official, Kyra Hawn, said engineers […]https://www.defencetalk.com/pentagon-lifts-f-35-grounding-following-inspections-47018/

DefenceTalkThe United States has enjoyed global air dominance for many decades. No U.S. soldier on the ground has been killed by hostile aircraft since the Korean War, and no U.S. pilot in the air has been killed by hostile aircraft since the Vietnam War. U.S. air dominance has been preserved by pouring vast amounts of […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-air-dominance-intelligence-surveillance-and-reconnaissance-46974/

DefenceTalkThe Pentagon’s director of the F-35 program said Monday the next-generation US fighter jet could be back in the air within a fortnight after an engine crack forced the grounding of test flights. Lieutenant General Christopher Bogdan, in Australia for talks on the jet, also dismissed any talk of foreign customers backing out of the […]https://www.defencetalk.com/f-35-flights-should-resume-soon-pentagon-46961/

DefenceTalkAll F-35s have been grounded as a precaution after a routine engine inspection revealed a crack on an engine blade, Defense Department officials said Feb. 22 here. Officials call this a “cautionary suspension of flight.” The Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps fly F-35s. Inspectors found the crack in an F135 engine installed in an […]https://www.defencetalk.com/f-35s-grounded-as-precaution-after-crack-found-in-engine-blade-46917/

DefenceTalkA top French defence industry official said Sunday that talks to sell Rafale jet fighters to the UAE were “progressing well”, expressing confidence that a deal could be reached with the Gulf state. “We are confident that by the end we will succeed in selling it” to the United Arab Emirates, Christian Mons-Catoni, chairman of […]https://www.defencetalk.com/france-confident-of-selling-rafale-jets-to-uae-46867/

DefenceTalkDefence and security company Saab has signed an agreement with the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) for Gripen E. The agreement includes development and modification of Gripen E for Sweden during the period 2013-2026 and a possible order for new production of Gripen E from Switzerland. FMV has today placed an initial development order of […]https://www.defencetalk.com/saab-signs-next-generation-fighter-aircraft-gripen-e-development-deal-46827/

DefenceTalkF-35B flight clearance was restored February 12, rescinding a cautionary suspension issued January 18 after a fueldraulic hose failure. Government and industry engineering teams conducted a root cause investigation and determined the hose was improperly crimped. All affected hoses have been inspected, and those out of tolerances will be replaced. The hose enables actuator movement […]https://www.defencetalk.com/f-35b-resumes-flight-operations-46802/