DefenceTalkMore than 80 Islamic State jihadists were killed in a US aerial blitz on training camps in Libya, including fighters involved in plotting attacks in Europe, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said Thursday. The Pentagon made the highly unusual decision to conduct the air strikes with a pair of B-2 stealth bombers that flew to North […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-stealth-bombers-kill-more-than-80-is-fighters-in-libya-68859/

DefenceTalkThe pair of “Adir” (F-35I) stealth fighters took off for their first night flight in the IAF this evening, only a month after landing in Israel. “We are performing a night flight very quickly in comparison to other aircraft that were integrated in the IAF”, said Lt. Col. Yotam, Commander of the “Golden Eagle” Squadron […]https://www.defencetalk.com/israeli-air-force-flies-first-f-35-night-sortie-68832/

DefenceTalkThe US Marine Corps said Tuesday it has sent a squadron of F-35B fighter jets to Japan, marking the first operational overseas deployment for the controversial aircraft that is under scrutiny from President-elect Donald Trump. The deployment of the 10 planes to Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni on Honshu Island marks a major milestone for […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-marines-send-f-35-stealth-fighter-squadron-to-japan-68788/

DefenceTalkChina’s newest warplane, the J-20 stealth fighter, will make its first public flight at the Zhuhai Air Show, its manufacturer announced on Monday, as Beijing flexes its long-range military muscles. The J-20, “which military enthusiasts at home and abroad have watched closely”, will make its first public flight demonstration, said Tan Ruisong, the president of […]https://www.defencetalk.com/with-new-j-20-warplane-china-all-set-to-flex-its-long-range-military-muscle-68529/

DefenceTalkChina’s newest warplane, the J-20 stealth fighter, will make its first public flight at the Zhuhai Air Show, its manufacturer announced Monday, as Beijing flexes its long-range military muscles. The J-20, “which military enthusiasts at home and abroad have watched closely”, will make its first public flight demonstration, said Tan Ruisong, the president of China’s […]https://www.defencetalk.com/chinese-stealth-fighter-to-shed-cloak-of-secrecy-68517/

DefenceTalkIt’s always amazing to see complex machinery and the heat they generate through the lens of a thermal camera, the Lockheed Martin F-35 is no exception! The F-35 is a state-of-the-art stealth multirole fighter, and this particular model allows for vertical landing (as you’ll see in the “hottest” part of the video!) This footage was […]https://www.defencetalk.com/f-35-fighter-aircraft-in-flir-thermal-67991/

DefenceTalkThe US Air Force on Tuesday declared an initial squadron of F-35A stealth fighters as ready for combat, a major milestone for the futuristic aircraft dogged by delays and cost overruns. The squadron of about 12 planes is based at Hill Air Force Base in Utah and the planes’ combat rating — known as initial […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-air-force-declares-f-35a-fighter-jet-combat-ready-67946/

DefenceTalkThe Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is the most advanced aircraft in the Pentagon’s arsenal, but Russia’s powerful over-the-horizon Podsolnukh (Sunflower) radar is capable of detecting and tracking the stealth fifth-generation plane or any other fighter jet that was designed to avoid detection, Svobodnaya Pressa reported. The Podsolnukh short-range over-the-horizon surface-wave radar is developed by […]https://www.defencetalk.com/russian-made-sunflower-radar-is-capable-of-detecting-f-35-jets-67766/

DefenceTalkThe first off-station deployment exercise for the F-35A Lightning II confirmed that the Air Force’s newest fighter jet is on track to reach initial operational capability later this year. A declaration of IOC means the F-35A will be combat ready. Seven F-35A aircraft and 181 personnel from Hill’s active duty 388th Fighter Wing and Reserve […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-air-force-says-f-35a-nearly-combat-ready-67741/

DefenceTalkThe F-35A Lightning II program took another step toward initial operational capability yesterday when two aircraft assigned to the 62nd Fighter Squadron successfully employed four laser-guided bombs on the Barry M. Goldwater Range. This marked the first weapons release by F-35s assigned to the 56th Fighter Wing at Luke Air Force Base. “Yesterday we were […]https://www.defencetalk.com/f-35as-drop-first-laser-guided-bombs-67091/