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Russian Armed Forces appear to have downed their own Su-27 fighter jet over occupied Crimea. A Ukrainian spokesperson said human error was to blame for the Russian blunder. Russia's aviation losses have been growing significantly in 2024.

BAGHDAD (AP) — The body of an Iraqi pilot whose military plane crashed during a training mission in the United States has been found at the crash site, Iraq’s Defense Ministry said on Friday, as violence continues to strike around the capital, Baghdad.

A Moroccan F-16 warplane taking part in a bombing campaign in Yemen led by Saudi Arabia has gone missing, the Moroccan Royal Armed Forces has said in a statement. Morocco announced its backing of Saudi Arabia since the beginning of the military offensive in March, and has had F-16 warplanes stationed in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Reuters news agency reported on Monday. "One of the F-16s of the Royal Armed Force made at the disposal of the coalition led by Saudi Arabia to restore the legitimacy in Yemen went missing on Sunday at 6pm local time," FAR's statement...

Automatic budget sequestration cut deeply into the U.S. Air Force’s training in 2012. Air Combat Command got just $3,1 billion—three-quarters of what it needed to fully train the thousands of pilots flying the command’s 1,600 F-15, F-16 and F-22 fighters, A-10 attack jets and B-1 bombers. So the command did something radical—and with far-reaching consequences as American air power retools for fighting high-tech foes following more than decade bombing insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan. Air Combat Command stripped certain airplanes of many of their missions, thus cutting back on the number of flight hours a particular pilot needed to be...

The U.S. government on Wednesday said it had canceled, at the request of South Korea, a preliminary contract with the U.S. unit of Britain's BAE Systems (BAES.L) to upgrade 134 F-16 fighter jets, ending a major arms deal initially valued at $1.7 billion. The unusual move, announced by the Pentagon's Defense Security Cooperation Agency, paves the way for South Korea to pursue a similar upgrade deal with Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N), the warplanes' original manufacturer. The decision raises questions about the ability of non-original equipment makers like BAE to compete in the market to upgrade thousands of F-16s in use...

UAE fighter pilot Mariam al-Mansouri shot to fame last week for her role in a US-led bombing campaign in Syria. While Americans hailed her pluck, for Arabs it's more complicated. JERUSALEM — Last week Mariam al-Mansouri, a F-16 pilot from the United Arab Emirates, was introduced to the world. Smiling out from under her helmet and hijab after launching air strikes in Syria, part of a US-led campaign against Islamic State, her image went viral. For some Americans, she was a sort of Katharine Hepburn meets Amelia Earhart who had shattered prevalent stereotypes of Arab women. A popular Internet meme...

In August last year we analyzed the reasons for the possible Polish purchase of the Lockheed Martin AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Stand-off Missiles (JASSM). Now, in the light of the Ukrainian crisis, a contextual change has occurred and the deal seems to be closed-up soon.Nevertheless, there are still some unaswered questions. The latest development about the Polish air-launched cruise missiles deal started with the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DCSA) and the US State Department giving consent for the Polish procurement of the JASSMs in their AGM-158A variant, along with a modernization bundle for the Polish Air ForceÂ’s F-16C/D Block 52+ jet...

The Israeli air force is developing a short field operating capability for its Lockheed Martin F-16 fighters, based on the use of a rocket-assisted take-off. A first test is scheduled for next year, with the air force having decided to develop such a system for its F-16A/B, C/D and I-model variants. Rocket assistance can be used by some military transports to provide additional thrust when an aircraft is heavy or a runway is short. As part of the new plan, rockets will be placed under the wing of the F-16 and released after they have burned out. Close attention will...

Lockheed Martin (LM) and BAE Systems reported progress this month on their rival upgrades for F-16 Fighting Falcons. Two aircraft from each company’s launch customer (Taiwan for LM, South Korea for BAE) are now in rework, ironically just a few miles from each other in Fort Worth, Texas. Meanwhile, the ferry of Iraq’s first two new Block 52 aircraft in September is looking unlikely. Bill McHenry, LM’s F-16 program director, said that the F-16V upgrade design review is complete, Elbit has delivered some of the new cockpit displays, and Northrop Grumman is slated to deliver the first scaleable agile beam...

The Iraqi Air Force can list a fighter aircraft in the inventory for the first time in more than a decade on 5 June with the delivery of the first of 36 Lockheed Martin F-16IQ Block 52 aircraft on order. Iraqi ambassador Lukman Faily formally received the two-seat, Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-229-powered F-16IQ during a ceremony at Lockheed’s factory in Fort Worth, Texas, becoming the 28th country to take delivery of a the 40-year-old F-16. As the first of six two-seat F-16Ds on order – along with 30 single-seat F-16Cs – the aircraft was delivered with a full load of...

The United States is sending a dozen F-16 fighter jets to Poland as a part of a training exercise, amid continuing tensions between Ukraine and Russia, the Polish defence ministry said on Sunday. Three hundred US service personnel will also be sent to Poland as part of the exercise. The deployment will be completed by Thursday. Chuck Hagel, the US Secretary of State for Defence, and his Polish counterpart Tomasz Siemoniak agreed the deployment during a phone call, according to a statement from the Polish ministry. "The unit will be composed of 12 F-16 planes and will transport 300 soldiers,"...

The Pakistani Air Force (PAF) has acquired a squadron of F-16 multi-role fighter aircraft from Jordan. The early production Block-15 fighter jets will be inducted inducted into the service in March 2014, next month, Pakistan’s TheNews reports. Two Royal Jordanian Air Force F-16s fly alongside a U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft while waiting to connect for fuel over Jordan. Photo: US Air Force Of the fighters acquired from the Royal Jordanian Air Force, 12 of the aircraft are single seaters A models and one is a twin-seat F-16B. Jordan has recently acquired 15 similar aircraft – F-16A/B MLU from...

UCK! A smokin’ hot F-16CM from the Air Force’s Viper East demonstration team has you in its sights. The jet performed at a 2011 Florida airshow. (SURESH A. ATAPATTU) The Viper was small, fast, and in your face. his is the story of two brothers, who happen to be airplanes. The older brother, the F-15 Eagle, entered the world fully formed, and his doting parents—the U.S. Air Force—nurtured him and quickly forgave minor transgressions. The younger brother, the F-16, was born prematurely, with no name, and scrambled to catch up. At a rollout ceremony on December 13, 1973, in Fort...

Washington — Singapore is ready to invest $2.43 billion to modernize its F-16 fighter jets in an arms deal with the United States, the Pentagon said on Tuesday. The Defense Department informed Congress of the planned sale that would involve new radar, navigation systems, missiles and other advanced equipment for Singapore's aging fleet of F-16s. The deal would provide new systems that project a display onto a pilot's helmet visor, allowing the F-16 pilot to aim sensors and weapons where he or she is looking. The deal also would deliver a number of different precision-guided bombs for testing, according to...

Following the traditions of the NATO/ EuroTiger Meet, the Colorado ANG painted this F-16C in dramatic "tiger" markings for the Tiger Meet of the Americas. Aug 2001.Photo by Colorado Air National Guard.

Lockheed Martin has enough orders to keep its F-16 fighter jet production line humming through the third quarter of 2017. They are also pursuing additional orders and upgrades in the Middle East, South America and other markets that would keep the line running through 2020. Around that time, the cost of Lockheed's new F-35 stealth fighter will have dropped so far that it will make more sense for potential customers to procure F-35s rather than F-16s. Last Friday Lockheed Martin marked completion of its 100th F-35 fighter. Lockheed has produced over 4,500 F-16s since the program began in 1975, making...

Why is Poland purchasing Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles for its F-16s? As Rzeczpospolita broadsheet reports the Americans will allow Poland to purchase modern JASSM (Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile) missiles for Warsaw’s F-16s. This will significantly increase the Polish Vipers’ strike capabilities. Poland currently operates 48 F-16 airplanes in Block 52+ variant, where the ‘+’ means they have CFTs (Conformal Fuel Tanks). The strike capability of JASSM is immense, as it is able to destroy targets at distances of 370 km (ca. 220 miles). This allows the Viper to destroy the target outside of the SAMs (Surface to Air Missiles) envelope,...

The Pentagon is asking Congress to approve a $500 million foreign military sale to deliver Lockheed Martin Corp. missiles for Poland’s fleet of F-16 fighters. Poland is asking for 40 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles, which are designed to cruise autonomously using an infrared seeker and anti-jam GPS to find and destroy targets, keeping aircrews well out of danger from air defense systems. Also part of the contract would be upgrades to the F-16 aircraft for JASSM integration and support. Poland continues to be an important force for political stability and economic progress in Central Europe, and the sale would improve...

The F-16 jet "lost power" as it took off from the base near the southeastern city of Albacete and crashed into an area where other planes were parked, damaging at least five other aircraft, the defence ministry said in a statement. At least 19 other people were injured in the accident... The Spanish ministry said the jet that crashed was taking part in a NATO training exercise called the Tactical Leadership Programme (TLP) which seeks to improve multi-national cooperation in air operations.

A star ace of the Israeli Air Force is finally being put out to pasture. F-16A 'Netz' (Hawk) tail number 107, one of the first delivered to the IAF, has no less than 6.5 confirmed air-to-air victories, as well as a partial kill on one Iraqi nuclear reactor as part of the daring and historic Operation Opera. Its air-to-air record remains unmatched by any F-16 ever built. Israel's love affair with the F-16 started upon the type's initial deliveries in 1980. Israel's Block 5 and Block 10 F-16A/Bs were originally destined for Iran, but after the Shah fell and in...