Western defense chiefs provided the most detailed public outline of their plans to remake Ukraine's air force with Western jets such as the F-16 on June 15. Kajsa Ollongren, the Dutch Minister of Defense, explained portions of that plan. “We want to kickstart it first ...
F-16
The Biden administration’s long-awaited decision to support a European effort to train Ukrainian pilots on F-16s is the first step in a long process to transform Ukraine's Soviet-style air force into a Western one. There is no debate that the F-16 will be a quantum leap ...
Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said May 22 that Ukrainian pilots could learn to fly the F-16 Fighting Falcon in a matter of months and the aircraft will be an important element of the nation’s future defense capability. “They’re very motivated,” Kendall said. “Everything we’ve ...
The Biden administration will support giving Ukraine modern, fourth-generation fighters, including F-16s, a senior administration official told Air & Space Forces Magazine May 19. President Joe Biden informed allies of the plan at a meeting of the G7 in Hiroshima, Japan, the official said. The ...
U.S. fighter jets intercepted six Russian warplanes off the coast of Alaska on May 11 while a large multinational U.S.-led military exercise was underway in the state, the U.S. military said. NORAD detected and intercepted a mix of Russian bombers, tankers, and fighters in the ...
The F-16s at Dannelly Field, Ala., are gone, save for a few receiving some final maintenance. The F-35s that will eventually fill out the 187th Fighter Wing won’t start arriving until December. But the next seven months will be anything but quiet for the Alabama Air National ...
The U.S. and Philippines air forces are reviving a combat training exercise after more than 30 years as both nations grapple with China’s growing military might. From May 1-12, American fighters will practice tactics with the Philippine air force in exercise Cope Thunder. The drills ...
Beginning with the fiscal 2024 budget, every dollar for F-35 will fund TR-3-equipped Block 4 jets. The need for those jets could hardly be greater.
F-15E Strike Eagles deployed to Kadena Air Base, Japan in April, joining F-35s to bolster the Air Force’s fighter fleet on the strategic island in the western Pacific. Meanwhile, the F-16CMs and F-22s that were previously forward deployed to Kadena have returned home, according to ...
We love letters! Write to us at letters@afa.org. To be published, letters should be timely, relevant and concise. Include your name and location. Letters may be edited for space and the editors have final say on which are published.
At least 20 new airplane programs—including a handful that are variants—are in some stage of planning or development. If sustained, this airplane-building campaign will lower the average age of the fleet, increase its size, and enhance its ability to be upgraded rapidly.
Top U.S. defense officials dismissed the notion that the U.S. would provide aircraft—manned or unmanned—anytime soon to Ukraine in Congressional hearings March 28 and 29. While Kyiv has repeatedly asked for F-16 fighters and MQ-9 drones, the Biden administration has refrained from providing them and ...
