DefenceTalkTwo of the US Air Force’s most advanced warplanes, F-35 stealth fighters, landed for the first time in Estonia on Tuesday for exercises in the small NATO state amid tensions with neighbouring Russia. The move was seen by Estonian defence officials as a gesture underscoring Washington’s commitment to its NATO partners. Rhetoric by US President […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-sends-stealth-fighters-to-russias-backyard-for-nato-drills-69828/

DefenceTalkIsrael is to take delivery of three more F-35 stealth fighters from the United States on Sunday, adding to two that arrived in December, an army statement said. They are among 50 that Israel has agreed to buy from aerospace giant Lockheed Martin. US President Donald Trump has publicly upbraided Lockheed over “out of control” […]https://www.defencetalk.com/israel-to-get-3-more-f-35-fighter-jets-on-sunday-army-69791/

DefenceTalkU.S. Marines with Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron (VMGR) 152 conducted aviation delivered ground refueling with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 121 at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, April 11, 2017. The ADGR marked the first evolution of this form of refueling for VMFA-121’s F-35B Lightning II aircraft. The purpose of the training was […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-marines-train-to-refuel-f-35bs-from-tankers-on-ground-69706/

DefenceTalkThe F-35 still has a long way to go before it will be ready for combat. That was the parting message of Dr. Michael Gilmore, the now-retired Director of Operational Test and Evaluation, in his last annual report. The Joint Strike Fighter Program has already consumed more than $100 billion and nearly 25 years. Just […]https://www.defencetalk.com/f-35-joint-strike-fighter-program-continues-to-stumble-69627/

DefenceTalkThe Chengdu J-20, China’s independently developed fourth-generation stealth fighter has entered service with the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF), as revealed by the military channel of China Central Television (CCTV) on March 9. Early in 2011, the J-20 stealth fighter made its maiden flight in Chengdu, Sichuan Province. In November last year, the J-20 […]https://www.defencetalk.com/chinas-stealth-fighter-j-20-enters-air-force-service-69472/

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/

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/