DefenceTalkA former US fighter pilot detained in Australia under a shroud of secrecy will face court on Friday, with a fellow ex-Marine telling AFP the retired instructor trained flight crew in China before his arrest. Daniel Edmund Duggan was arrested in rural New South Wales on October 21, Australia’s attorney general’s department has confirmed, the […]https://www.defencetalk.com/former-us-marine-who-trained-chinese-crew-to-face-australian-court-79566/

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/

DefenceTalkDefenceTalkThe third and final competition in DARPA’s AlphaDogfight Trials will take place virtually August 18-20 instead of in person due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Participating teams and audience members will watch online as artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms control simulated F-16 fighters in aerial combat, culminating in a matchup on August 20 between the top […]https://www.defencetalk.com/ai-fighter-pilot-vs-air-force-pilot-dogfight-showdown-scheduled-for-this-week-76181/

VANCE AIR FORCE BASE: Pilot training is constantly changing to ensure students have an environment where they not only learn to fly, but to adapt and quickly out-think their enemies. With senior leadership making innovation a priority, the Air Force has changed how Airmen are trained and how they become proficient at their jobs. This […]

DefenceTalkA pair of fighter pilots have become the first in their services to fly the F-35 Lightning straight from training. Flight Lieutenant Liam and Lieutenant Chris became the first Royal Air Force and Royal Navy pilots respectively to proceed straight from flying training in a Hawk to fly the multi-role combat aircraft. Speaking after his […]https://www.defencetalk.com/uk-fighter-pilots-fly-f-35-lightning-straight-from-training-for-first-time-71182/

DefenceTalkThe Navy implemented a three-day operational pause for its T-45C fleet Wednesday at the direction of Vice Adm. Mike Shoemaker, Commander, Naval Air Forces. The pause is in response to concerns raised by T-45C pilots over the potential for physiological episodes. It will also allow time for Naval Aviation leadership to engage with the pilots, […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-navy-t-45c-operational-pause-implemented-69679/

DefenceTalkA shortage of pilots across the U.S. military is most acute in the Air Force, senior military officials told Congress March 29. Marine Corps Deputy Commandant for Manpower and Reserve Affairs Lt. Gen. Mark A. Brilakis, Chief of Naval Personnel Vice Adm. Robert P. Burke, Air Force Deputy Chief of Staff for Manpower and Personnel […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-congress-probes-military-pilot-shortage-69672/

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/

DefenceTalkPilots from the 74th Fighter Squadron prepared for future deployments while participating in Green Flag-West 17-03 from Jan. 13-27 at Nellis Air Force Base. GFW is an air-land integration exercise that gives Air Force pilots a chance to conduct realistic close air support in a joint training environment designed to mirror the current conditions present […]https://www.defencetalk.com/a-10-pilots-army-brigade-combat-teams-train-at-green-flag-68974/

DefenceTalkThe first woman to fly China’s J-10 fighter plane was killed in a crash during an aerobatics training exercise, state-run media reported Monday. Yu Xu, 30, a member of the Chinese air force’s “August 1st” aerobatic display team, ejected from her aircraft during a training exercise in the northern province of Hebei at the weekend, […]https://www.defencetalk.com/first-woman-to-fly-chinas-j-10-fighter-killed-in-crash-68578/