Page 4 - Fighter Jet

2 fighter jets crash in northeastern France, search underway for 2 onboard

Two French fighter jets collided and crashed Wednesday in northeastern France, French military authorities said. One pilot was found unharmed and a search is ongoing for two other people. According to France's Army of Air and Space, a branch of the French Armed Forces, two Rafale fighter aircraft collided while returning from a refueling mission in Germany and crashed near Colombey-les-Belles, a town in northeastern France. The pilot of one plane was found unharmed, officials said. A search is underway for the two people onboard the second plane, reported by French broadcaster BFM to be an instructor and a trainee. One of the pilots has been found, he is safe and sound. The search is still ongoing," French Minister of the Armed Forces Sbastien Lecornu wrote on social media. We thank our armed forces as well as to the gendarmes mobilised in the search and in securing the area. The regional prefecture is appealing to members of the public to come forward with any information.

Biden admin approves fighter jets' sale to Israel in over $20 bn deal

Under the terms of the deal, the US would send up to 50 of the Boeing Co. F-15IA jets, along with upgrade kits for 25 other F-15s along with radar and other gear

US sends ship-based Navy fighter jets to Middle East to help protect Israel

About a dozen F/A-18 fighter jets from the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier have flown to a military base in the Middle East, as part of the Pentagon's effort to help defend Israel from possible attacks by Iran and its proxies and to safeguard U.S. troops, according to a U.S. official. The F/A-18s and a E-2D Hawkeye surveillance aircraft took off from the carrier in the Gulf of Oman and arrived at the undisclosed base on Monday, said the official. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered the increased military presence in the region as officials worry about escalating violence in the Middle East in the wake of the killings last week of a senior Hezbollah commander in Lebanon and Hamas' top political leader in Iran, in suspected Israeli strikes. Both groups are backed by Iran. The Navy jets' land-based deployment is expected to be temporary, because a squadron of Air Force F-22 fighter jets is enroute to the same base from their home station in Alaska. The roughly dozen F-2

US aims to stay ahead of China in using AI to fly fighter jets

Two Air Force fighter jets recently squared off in a dogfight in California. One was flown by a pilot. The other wasn't. That second jet was piloted by artificial intelligence, with the Air Force's highest-ranking civilian riding along in the front seat. It was the ultimate display of how far the Air Force has come in developing a technology with its roots in the 1950s. But it's only a hint of the technology yet to come. The United States is competing to stay ahead of China on AI and its use in weapon systems. The focus on AI has generated public concern that future wars will be fought by machines that select and strike targets without direct human intervention. Officials say this will never happen, at least not on the US side. But there are questions about what a potential adversary would allow, and the military sees no alternative but to get US capabilities fielded fast. Whether you want to call it a race or not, it certainly is, said Adm. Christopher Grady, vice chairman of the

AI-operated fighter jet to fly US Air Force secy in test of drone warplanes

The Air Force is betting a large part of its future air warfare on a fleet more than 1,000 autonomously operated drones, and later this spring its top civilian leader plans to climb into one of those artificial intelligence-operated warplanes and let it take him airborne. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall told senators on Tuesday at a hearing on the service's 2025 budget that he will enter the cockpit of one of the F-16s that the service has converted for drone flight to see for himself how it performs in the air. There will be a pilot with me who will just be watching, as I will be, as the autonomous technology works, Kendall told the Senate Appropriations Committee defense panel members. Hopefully neither he or I will be needed to fly the airplane. Drone warfare has quickly expanded from the sidelines of combat to one of its primary weapons. Drones are a daily threat in Ukraine and in the Middle East. In Ukraine, everyday citizens are targeted by Russian drones but also are ...

Govt clears project to develop AMCA 5th generation stealth fighter aircraft

The project would see the prototype manufactured by industry including the public sector unit Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, they said

French Rafales, marching contingent take part in Republic Day parade

Two Rafale fighter jets flanked by a multi-role tanker transport aircraft of the French Space and Air Force roared through Delhi's sky as India celebrated its 75th Republic Day at a grand parade on Friday with French President Emmanuel Macron gracing it as the chief guest. As soon as around 95 French troops marched down the Kartavya Path at the heart of the national capital, the whizzing warplanes pierced the morning sky making thousands of spectators crane their necks in wonder. A 30-member band contingent from France also drew attention at the grand parade. It was the second time the French armed forces participated in India's Republic Day celebrations. In 2016, French troops became the first foreign military contingent to participate in the biggest ceremonial event of the country. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the guest of honour at the prestigious Bastille Day Parade in Paris in July last year. The Indian Air Force's Rafale fighter jets and a tri-services marching contingen

US, British militaries team up again to bomb sites in Yemen used by Houthis

The US and British militaries bombed multiple sites used by the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen on Monday, the second time the two allies have conducted coordinated retaliatory strikes on an array of the rebels' missile-launching capabilities, several US officials said. According to officials, the US and UK used warship- and submarine-launched Tomahawk missiles and fighter jets to take out Houthi missile storage sites and launchers. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing mission. The joint operation comes about 10 days after US and British warships and fighter jets struck more than 60 targets in 28 locations. That what was the first US military response to what has been a persistent campaign of Houthi drone and missile attacks on commercial ships since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in October.

France submits response to India's tender for buying 26 Rafales for Navy

India issued a letter of request in October for acquisition of 22 single-seat jets and four twin-seat trainers

Japan, UK and Italy join forces to develop new advanced fighter jet

The defence ministers of Japan, Britain and Italy on Thursday signed an agreement to establish a joint organisation to develop a new advanced jet fighter, as the countries push to bolster their cooperation in the face of growing threats from China, Russia and North Korea. The three countries had agreed last year to merge earlier individual plans for Japan's Mitsubishi F-X to succeed the retiring F-2s developed with the United States and Britain's Tempest to produce the new combat aircraft for deployment in 2035. Japan, which is rapidly building up its military, hopes to have greater capability to counter China's rising assertiveness and allow Britain a bigger presence in the Indo-Pacific region. Defense Minister Minoru Kihara at a joint news conference with his British and Italian counterparts, Grant Shapps and Guido Crosett, said that co-developing a high performance fighter aircraft is indispensable to securing air superiority and enabling effective deterrence at a time Japan ..

Nigeria, Philippines, Argentina showing interest in procuring Tejas: HAL

Nigeria, Philippines, Argentina and Egypt have shown interest in procuring indigenously-developed Tejas Light Combat aircraft, CB Ananthakrishnan, the Chairman and Managing Director of the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, said on Wednesday. Ananthakrishnan said talks are on with these countries for the possible procurement. "Nigeria, Philippines and Egypt are keen to procure Tejas Light Combat aircraft," Ananthakrishnan told PTI on the sidelines of an event. On how India will proceed with the supply of the Tejas jets to Argentina if the procurement fructifies as the aircraft has some components sourced from the United Kingdom, the Chairman and Managing Director of Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) said a way would be found out in such a scenario. After the 1982 Falklands War, the UK imposed an embargo on military sales to Argentina and especially prevented supply of hardware manufactured by it. In view of the British restrictions, it is perceived that supply of military hardware comprisin

PM Modi unveils fighter jet used in 1971 war at Raj Bhavan in Ranchi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday unveiled a decommissioned MiG-211 fighter jet that was used in the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War at the Raj Bhavan here. Jharkhand Governor CP Radhakrishnan and Chief Minister Hemant Soren were also present on the occasion. "Today, our most respected Honourable Prime Minister Shri. @narendramodi Ji inaugurated the Mikoyan Gurevich (MiG-211) fighter jet aircraft at Raj Bhavan which was inducted into the Indian Air Force in 1964 and successfully used in the Bangladesh Liberation War," Radhakrishnan wrote on 'X'. The PM also met the family members of the governor at Raj Bhavan. "Inspite of his busy schedule, I am deeply grateful to our dear most respected Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji for meeting my family today at Raj Bhavan. Deeply moved and touched by the love and affection he showered on my family specially my grand children. I thank him from the bottom of my heart," Radhakrishnan said. He also shared photographs of the ..

India gives LoR to France for buying 26 Rafale-M fighter jets for Navy

As per the proposal, the Indian Navy will get 22 single-seated Rafale Marine aircraft along with four trainer aircraft

Fighter jets, drones turn New Delhi into a fortress for G20 Summit

At the heart of the project is locking down New Delhi, the city's small bureaucratic center, where the summit will take place Saturday and Sunday

Russian fighter jet strikes another American drone over Syria: White House

A Russian fighter jet fired flares and struck another U.S. drone over Syrian airspace on Wednesday, the White House said, in a continued string of harassing maneuvers that have ratcheted up tensions between the global powers. It's the sixth reported incident this month, and the second in the past 24 hours, in which the United States has said Russian warplanes have flown dangerously close to American manned and unmanned aircraft, putting crews and the planes at risk and raising questions as to what the U.S. may need to do in response. Two U.S. officials confirmed that the strike damaged the MQ-9 Reaper drone. The officials were not authorized to publicly discuss the matter and spoke on condition of anonymity. "We've seen the reports, the early reports, of a second Russian fighter aircraft this week flying dangerously close to our drone" on a mission to counter Islamic State militants in Syria, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said. She did not provide other details, but

Russian fighter jet flies dangerously close to US warplane over Syria

A Russian fighter jet flew very close to a US surveillance aircraft over Syria, forcing it to go through the turbulent wake and putting the lives of the four American crew members in danger, US officials said Monday. The officials said the incident, which happened just before noon EDT on Sunday, was a significant escalation in what has been a string of encounters between US and Russian aircraft in Syria in recent weeks. The intercept by the Russian Su-35 impeded the US crew's ability to safely operate their MC-12 aircraft, the officials said, calling it a new level of unsafe behaviour that could result in an accident or loss of life. In recent weeks, Russian fighter jets have repeatedly harassed US unmanned MQ-9 drones, but the latest incident raised alarms because it endangered American lives. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details of a military operation, would not say how close the Russian jet got to the US warplane. The MC-12, which is a twin-engin

US sending jets to Gulf region to protect ships from Iranian seizures

The U.S. is sending additional fighter jets and a warship to the Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman to increase security in the wake of Iranian attempts to seize commercial ships there. The Pentagon said Monday that the USS Thomas Hudner, a destroyer, and a number of F-35 fighter jets will be heading to the area. The Hudner had been in the Red Sea. Defense officials last week announced the deployment of F-16s to the area over the past weekend, and there have been A-10 attack aircraft there for nearly two weeks in response to the Iranian activity. The latest deployments come after Iran tried to seize two oil tankers near the strait early this month, opening fire on one of them. The aircraft are intended to give air cover for the commercial ships moving through the waterway and increase the military's visibility in the area, as a deterrent to Iran. The U.S. Navy said in both instances the Iranian naval vessels backed off when the USS McFaul, a guided-missile destroyer, arrived on the

China sends large group of warplanes towards Taiwan in forceful display

China sent navy ships and a large group of warplanes, including fighter jets and bombers, toward Taiwan over two days, the island's defense ministry said on Wednesday, before its annual military exercises aimed at defending itself against a possible invasion. The Chinese People's Liberation Army sent 38 warplanes and 9 navy vessels around Taiwan, between 6 a.m. Tuesday to 6 a.m. Wednesday. From Wednesday morning until noon time, the military flew another 30 planes, among which included J-10 and J-16 fighters. Of these, 32 crossed the midline of the Taiwan Strait, an unofficial boundary that had been considered a buffer between the island and mainland. Later on Wednesday, another 23 planes crossed the midline. Taiwan is scheduled to hold the annual Han Guang exercise later this month, in which its military will hold combat readiness drills against preventing an invasion. It will also conduct the annual Wan'an exercises aimed at preparing civilians for natural disasters and practicing

India likely to sign €3 bn fighter jet deal with France in Modi's arms push

Nearly three dozen Rafale-Marine fighters will be sold to Indian Navy for use on its locally manufactured aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant, according to senior officials familiar with developments

US-India defence cooperation: Fighter jet engines to ship repairs

HAL-GE's India plant could eventually produce close to a 1,000 F414 engines