10/23/2024 Iraqi Rafale fighter jets will not enjoy air supremacy  French media said that Iraq is still interested in purchasing France’s top-tier Dassault Rafale multirole fighter aircraft to use them in air patrol operations. The lack of Meteor air-to-air missiles beyond visual range will limit the aircraft’s overall effectiveness as air superiority fighters for Baghdad, according to Forbes. On October 18, the French weekly business journal La Tribune published an article about Iraq’s ongoing interest in the Rafale. |
10/23/2024 An aviation nation needs a national air power enterprise .jpg) Australia needs to bring the civil, military and industrial components of aviation policy into a coherent whole. It should view the sector as a national enterprise to promote mutual support among its various parts. The civilian aviation workforce could be seen as a defence asset, for example, and various efforts to support aerospace manufacturing could be better coordinated to create a stronger industry. |
10/23/2024 North Korean fighter pilots allegedly sent to Russia  North Korea might have dispatched fighter pilots to Russia, who are capable of flying Russian military aircraft and could participate in the war against Ukraine, according to Newsweek. The agency said that North Korea has not only sent ground forces to Russia but may have deployed fighter pilots to Vladivostok last month. |
10/23/2024 South Korea’s KF-21 and Lockheed Martin’s F-16 shortlisted for Philippines fighter jet contract. .jpg) The defense market in the Philippines is intensifying as two major competitors, South Korea's KF-21 and the American F-16 from Lockheed Martin, have been shortlisted for the Philippine government’s multirole fighter (MRF) aircraft procurement project. According to an article from The Korea Economic Daily published on October 18, 2024, the KF-21 is considered a strong contender for meeting the Philippines' needs. With an estimated budget of 400 billion Philippine pesos ($6.95 billion). |
10/22/2024 JAS-39 Gripen: After ‘Downing’ Rafale Fighters In South America, Can Saab Stun Dassault For Indian MRFA Deal?  Swedish aircraft maker Saab has made an appealing offer to deliver the first Gripen E/F within three years if awarded the contract. Taking the conversation forward, Saab Campaign Director and Head of Gripen for India Programme (Business Area Aeronautics) Kent-Ake Molin asserted that the Swedish firm was already exploring manufacturing opportunities in India to serve local and global markets with complete transfer of technology. |
10/22/2024 US Navy aviators killed in stateside Growler fighter jet crash flew combat strike missions off a carrier in the Red Sea fight  The two US Navy aviators who were killed in a fighter jet crash in the United States last week had recently returned from flying combat missions against the Houthis. Lt. Cmdr. Lyndsay Evans and Lt. Serena Wileman were killed when their EA-18G Growler crashed during a training flight near Washington's Mount Rainier on October 15, the Navy said Monday. |
10/22/2024 A US F-35 stealth fighter just landed on a destroyer Japan turned into an aircraft carrier for the first time off the California coast  A US F-35 stealth fighter jet landed aboard Japan's new destroyer-turned-aircraft carrier for the first time off the coast of California, the US military said, sharing photos of the event. It's a major step in integrating the F-35B short-takeoff/vertical landing variant used by the US Marine Corps and the British Royal Navy on its carriers into Japan's self-defense forces. |
10/21/2024 Taiwan tracks 19 Chinese military aircraft, 6 naval ships  The Ministry of National Defense (MND) tracked 19 Chinese military aircraft and six naval vessels around Taiwan between 6 a.m. on Thursday (Oct. 17) and 6 a.m. on Friday. Of the 19 People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, 15 crossed the Taiwan Strait median line in the nation’s northern, central, and southwestern air defense identification zone (ADIZ), according to the MND. |
10/21/2024 India’s 5th-Gen Aircraft: U.S., France ‘Battle’ For Lucrative Aero-Engine Contract; Who Holds The Edge?  As the battle to power India’s 5th-generation fighter jet heats up, French aero-engine maker Safran is increasing its footprint in India. India has partnered with the US to build engines for Light Combat Aircraft, LCA MK1A and LCA MK2. However, the US firm is reluctant to part with the 100 percent technology. French Safran sees this as an opportunity to bolster defense ties with India. |
10/21/2024 2 Navy aviators are declared dead after a fighter jet crashed in Washington state  Two crew members who were missing following the crash of a fighter jet in mountainous terrain in Washington state during a routine training flight have been declared dead, the U.S. Navy said Sunday. The EA-18G Growler jet from the Electronic Attack Squadron crashed east of Mount Rainier on Tuesday afternoon, according to Naval Air Station Whidbey Island. Search teams, including a U.S. Navy MH-60S helicopter, launched from the air station to try to find the crew and crash site. |