DefenceTalkCroatia took delivery Thursday of six Rafale fighter jets it has bought from France in the country’s biggest arms purchase since its 1991 war of independence. The used warplanes — the first part of a 12-jet deal — touched down in the capital Zagreb, heralding a major overall of Croatia’s air force, which is replacing […]https://www.defencetalk.com/croatia-gets-french-fighter-jets-in-major-arms-purchase-80236 ..read more

DefenceTalkJapan’s cabinet on Tuesday eased strict transfer rules for military equipment to allow the export of next-generation fighter jets being developed with Britain and Italy. The three countries are pooling their know-how in cutting-edge air combat technology to develop the jet, which they hope will be ready by 2035. Government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi said the […]https://www.defencetalk.com/japans-cabinet-approves-fighter-jet-exports-80163 ..read more

DefenceTalkA drone crashed near a village in the Israel-annexed Golan Heights, Israel’s army said Thursday, after an Iraqi armed group with links to Hamas militants claimed responsibility for an attack in the area. Israeli media reported that a drone probably carrying explosives launched from Syria was shot down late Wednesday evening south of the settlement […]https://www.defencetalk.com/drone-crashes-in-israel-annexed-golan-heights-80116 ..read more

DefenceTalkJapan, Britain and Italy signed Thursday a treaty formalizing plans to jointly develop a next-generation fighter jet to pool resources and better face new threats. “This combat air aircraft, due to take to the skies by 2035, aims to harness next-generation technologies and become one of the world’s most advanced, interoperable, adaptable and connected fighter […]https://www.defencetalk.com/japan-uk-italy-sign-joint-fighter-jet-treaty-80108 ..read more

DefenceTalkA US F-16 fighter jet crashed Monday in South Korea during a routine training exercise after experiencing “an in-flight emergency”, the US military said, adding the pilot had been rescued. The incident involving an F-16 Fighting Falcon assigned to the 8th Fighter Wing happened early Monday over the Yellow Sea, the US Air Force said […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-f-16-fighter-jet-crashes-in-south-korea-during-training-exercise-80092 ..read more

DefenceTalkChina would probably gain air superiority very quickly in any attack on Taiwan, something Russia crucially failed to do in its invasion of Ukraine last year, leaked US intelligence documents show, according to media reports Saturday. The classified documents, allegedly leaked by a US national guardsman in the worst US security breach in a decade, […]https://www.defencetalk.com/china-would-gain-swift-air-superiority-over-taiwan-us-leaks-show-80019 ..read more

DefenceTalkIran has finalized a deal to buy Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets from Russia, state media reported, as defence cooperation between the two countries deepens. The air force of sanctions-hit Iran has an ageing fleet of aircraft and has struggled to acquire spare parts to keep its warplanes in the air. In a statement to the […]https://www.defencetalk.com/iran-says-deal-reached-to-buy-russian-su-35-fighter-jets-79934 ..read more

DefenceTalkTwo American F-16 warplanes intercepted four Russian aircraft near Alaska, the joint US-Canadian North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) said Tuesday. The “routine” intercept of the Russian planes — which included Tu-95 bomber and Su-35 fighter aircraft — occurred Monday, NORAD said in a statement. “Russian aircraft remained in international airspace and did not enter […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-jets-intercept-russian-aircraft-near-alaska-79847 ..read more

DefenceTalkPoland is not in talks to send F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, a deputy defence minister said Tuesday, a day after the US ruled out delivering fighter jets to the war-torn country. “There are no official discussions on transferring F-16s at the moment,” Poland’s Wojciech Skurkiewicz told AFP. Poland currently has 48 American-made F-16 warplanes. […]https://www.defencetalk.com/poland-not-in-talks-to-send-f-16s-to-ukraine-79813 ..read more

DefenceTalkTwo Indian Air Force fighter jets crashed Saturday, killing one pilot and injuring two others, in an apparent mid-air collision while on exercises south of the capital New Delhi. The crash is the latest in a string of military aircraft accidents at a time when the government is trying to modernise its armed forces and […]https://www.defencetalk.com/two-indian-military-jets-crash-one-pilot-killed-79801 ..read more