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Belgium has selected the Lockheed Martin F-35A to fill a 34-aircraft requirement to replace its fleet of F-16s
Belgian defence minister Steven Vandeput announced the decision on 25 October at a media briefing, making Belgium the 13th partner in the programme.
Vandeput says the acquisition is around €500 million ($560 million) less than the €4 billion budgeted for. Deliveries are due to begin in 2023.
In January, the US State Department approved the possible sale of 34 F-35s to Belgium, valuing it at $6.53 billion.
“Alongside the economic and industrial benefits, the enhanced interoperability and transformational capabilities the F-35 brings to Belgium are unmatched,” says Lockheed.
“With stealth technology, advanced sensors, weapons capacity and range, the F-35 is the most capable, survivable and connected fighter aircraft ever built enabling pilots to perform their mission and return home safely.”
The decision sees the F-35 defeat the Dassault Rafale and Eurofighter Typhoon for the requirement. Saab withdrew its Gripen NG from the deal in mid-2017. Three months prior to this, Boeing withdrew its F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet, stating that it did not “see an opportunity to compete on a truly level playing field,” due to a perceived preference for the F-35.
The export package includes 38 Pratt & Whitney F135 engines, including four spares, plus the full suite of electronic warfare and command and control systems, along with Lockheed’s “autonomic” sustainment and logistic services.
Flight Fleets Analyzer shows that Belgium operates 52 F-16s, of which 44 are single-seat F-16As and nine are two-seat F-16Bs. The average age of the fleet is 31.2 years, with aircraft ages ranging from 27.1 to 36 years.

Read more of military aviation news at...... http://dfighteraircraft.com.ng/

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Pakistan appears to have a second international customer for its domestically assembled Aeronautical Complex/Chengdu Aerospace Corporation (PAC/CAC) JF-17 “Thunder” multirole fighter jet afterMyanmar.
According to local media reports, the Pakistani government’s Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) has approved a $184.3 million sovereign guarantee covering the delivery of three PAC/CAC JF-17 Thunder fighter jets to the Nigerian Air Force under a recently signed contract.
This is the first confirmation that a contract between Pakistan and Nigeria for the procurement of JF-17 fighter jets has been concluded, although Flight Global reportedearlier this year that the Nigerian 2018 defense budget included $36 million earmarked as partial payment for the three fighter jets.
Pakistan and Nigeria purportedlyinked a memorandum of understanding for the purchase back in 2016. Notably, Nigeria’s 2016 federal budget reportedly allocated $25 million for three JF-17 fighter jets and $9 million for 10 PAC Super Mushshak trainer aircraft, a PAC licence-built variant of the Saab MFI-17 Supporter aircraft.
Powered by a Russian designed but Chinese license-built Klimov RD-93 (a RD-33 derivative) turbofan engine, the JF-17, a light-weight single engine multirole combat aircraft, has a combat radius of up to 1,200 kilometers without refueling and can reach a maximum speed of up to Mach 1.6. The aircraft is capable of carrying a weapons payload of over 3.5 tons and can be armed with a variety of air-to-air, air-to-surface, and anti-ship missiles.
The JF-17 was developed to replace the Pakistan Air Force’s (PAF) fleet of Dassault Mirage III/5 fighter jets by the 2020s. As I explained earlier this year:
The PAF is expected to induct 150 JF-17 combat aircraft over the next years, split into three productions blocks: Block I, Block II, and Block-III. PAC has so far produced 50 Block I aircraft and 50 Block II JF-17s. Twelve more Block II JF-17 aircraft are expected to be rolled out in 2018. Pakistan is estimated to be capable of assembling up to 25 JF-17 aircraft per year without technical or logistical assistance from China. (PAC produces 58 percent of the airframe and CAC 42 percent.) Once the Block-II JF-17 order is complete this year, PAC will switch to producing the aircraft’s most advanced version.
The two-seat trainer variant of the JF-17, designated JF-17B, could be the basis for the JF-17 Block III variant. The PAF’s JF-17 is also slated to be retrofitted with a Chinese-made active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar system, according to Chinese media reports. The latest version of the aircraft will also feature a new electronic warfare suite.

Read more of aviation news at http://dfighteraircraft.com.ng/

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The Syrian Air Defense Force accidentally shot down a Russian intelligence gathering aircraft over the Mediterranean Sea yesterday. The incident occurred as the Syrians were fending off a raid by Israeli fighter jets. The Russian government blamed Israel for launching the raid, while the Israelis blamed the Syrians for firing indiscriminately.
According to Russian state media, the Il-20M aircraft “went off the radar” at the same time an Israeli air strike was taking place in Syria. The Israeli Defense Forces confirmed it did strike targets inside Syria, and was quoted by the Jerusalem Post as stating it, “targeted advanced weapons systems and infrastructure belonging to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Read more at.............
https://thefighteraircraft./2018/09/21/syrian-air-defenses-shot-down-a-russian-spy-plane-using-russian-missiles/

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Seven years ago, Microsoft founder Paul Allen started a company with a bold idea: build one of the biggest aircraft ever to fly, and then use it to launch satellites into orbit. Now just months before the airplane flies the first time, some are wondering where the customers are for such an aircraft. Could the airplane end up flying secret missions for the military and intelligence community?
Built by aviation firm Scaled Composites, Stratolaunch is the largest aircraft in the world by wingspan. The giant plane’s wings stretch a jaw-dropping 385 feet, 25 feet longer than a football field.

Read more.........
https://thefighteraircraft./2018/08/26/question-arises-if-the-stratolaunch-will-fly-secret-missions-for-u-s-military/

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Seven years ago, Microsoft founder Paul Allen started a company with a bold idea: build one of the biggest aircraft ever to fly, and then use it to launch satellites into orbit. Now just months before the airplane flies the first time, some are wondering where the customers are for such an aircraft. Could the airplane end up flying secret missions for the military and intelligence community?
Built by aviation firm Scaled Composites, Stratolaunch is the largest aircraft in the world by wingspan.

Read more at.......................
https://thefighteraircraft./2018/08/26/question-arises-if-the-stratolaunch-will-fly-secret-missions-for-u-s-military/

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The U.S. Navy’s horrible fighter availability rate is gradually improving thanks to increased funding for fighter maintenance. At one point in 2017, just one in three F/A-18 Super Hornet fighters was available, a number that’s increased to nearly half of all fighters. The problem is in large part due to past budget shortfalls and delayed introduction of the F-35 fighter jet.
The U.S. Navy has 546 F/A-18E and F/A-18F Super Hornet fighters, larger, beefier, slightly stealthier versions of the original F/A-18 Hornet.

Really more at............................
https://thefighteraircraft./2018/08/21/u-s-navy-fighter-shortage-is-finally-getting-some-new-improvement/

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A C-5M Super Galaxy landed without its nose gear at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland a few months ago, the first incident of its kind in years. Now, there’s footage of the incident.
The C-5 was on a routine training mission over the Alamo City when it came in for a landing on March 15 with a crew of 11 on board.
The flight was a training mission that involved pilots, flight engineers and loadmasters.

Read more at.........................................
https://thefighteraircraft./2018/08/17/u-s-airforce-pilot-lands-massive-c-5m-galaxy-without-its-nose-gear/

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A pair of C-130 transport aircraft low through the smoke of a forest fire before spraying fire retardant on the smoldering ground below. The big transports fly along what appears to be northern California’s Trinity River, through choking smoke, with patches of brightly burning flames visible on the ground.
Northern California’s Carr fire, first reported on July 23rd, has burned more than 177,000 acres, destroyed more than 1,000 houses, and killed eight, including two firefighters.

Read more at................................
https://thefighteraircraft./2018/08/10/c-130-flies-through-smoke-to-stop-forest-wildfire/

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The US Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) granted a $49.1 million contract to UES Inc. to help research and develop technologies to counter laser attacks on aircraft.
Laser attacks are rising this year as China’s military forces have allegedly used beams to blind and harass US military pilots flying near Chinese territorial claims in the South China Sea and a military base in Djibouti, according to the Department of Defense.

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https://thefighteraircraft./2018/08/15/u-s-airforce-undergoes-development-on-anti-laser-glasses-and-visors-for-pilots/

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The Israeli military shot down a Syrian attack jet that strayed into Israeli airspace. The Syrian Arab Air Force jet briefly crossed the border between the two countries before it was shot down by a Patriot missile. Meanwhile, an Israeli F-35 Joint Strike Fighter mysteriously popped up on an aircraft flight tracking website, a strange development considering the stealthy aircraft is normally undetectable.
The former incident took place on July 23rd. According to CNN, the Israeli Defense Forces tracked a Syrian warplane taking off from the T-4 military airfield. The aircraft flew towards Israel and penetrated a mile into Israeli airspace.

Read more of this at............ ............
https://thefighteraircraft./2018/07/26/s yrian-attack-jet-shot-down-after-crossing-isreal-borders/

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Russia is prepping a new unmanned combat aircraft set to fly later this year. The twenty ton Okhotnik (“Hunter”) unmanned air combat vehicle is as heavy as a manned fighter jet and meant for dangerous, high risk strike and reconnaissance missions. According to the state-owned TASSnews agency, the aircraft will fly for the first time sometime in 2018.
Russia lags behind the United States in unmanned aircraft technology but the new Hunter drone could help change that.

Read more at........... https://thefighteraircraft./2018/07/17/new-sixth-generation-russian-combat-drone-set-to-fly-this-year/

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Russia is prepping a new unmanned combat aircraft set to fly later this year. The twenty ton Okhotnik (“Hunter”) unmanned air combat vehicle is as heavy as a manned fighter jet and meant for dangerous, high risk strike and reconnaissance missions. According to the state-owned TASSnews agency, the aircraft will fly for the first time sometime in 2018.
Russia lags behind the United States in unmanned aircraft technology but the new Hunter drone could help change that.

Read more at........... https://thefighteraircraft./2018/07/17/new-sixth-generation-russian-combat-drone-set-to-fly-this-year/

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https://thefighteraircraft./2018/07/21/boeings-new-f-15x-program-can-carry-over-a-score-of-missiles/

Boeing is quietly proposing a new version of the world-famous F-15 Eagle that combines an updated airframe with an unprecedented number of anti-air missiles. The F-15X would carry more than two dozen air-to-air missiles, more three times more than most fighter jets. According to DefenseOne, the Air Force is considering the proposal.

Read more

https://thefighteraircraft./2018/07/21/boeings-new-f-15x-program-can-carry-over-a-score-of-missiles/

Both services have new fighter planes in the works and are trying not to repeat the mistakes of the F-35 program.

The announcement of the United Kingdom’s new Tempest fighter project marks yet another new fighter program set to delivery in the 2030s. In addition to Tempest, a new Japanese fighter, a Franco-German project, and whatever China and Russia are surely working on, the United States has not one but two fighter jets.
These two programs will probably stay separate and turn into separate planes thanks to the miserable experience of the F-35. A new article by DefenseNewsbreaks down what is known and unknown about the new two new fighters........... Read more at........ fightershttps://thefighteraircraft./2018/07/19/things-you-dont-know-about-the-next-generation-fighter-jets-of-u-s-navy-and-airforce/

The United Kingdom has announced the country's first entirely British fighter in decades. The new tempest fighter project will primarily involve British defence contractors, forging a plane that could be used for domestic use and export. The British government says the fighter should be ready for service by 2035.
U.K. Defence secretary Gavin Williamson introduced a full-sized model of the new Tempest multi-role fighter today at the fanborough Air show.............. Read more at https://thefighteraircraft./2018/07/17/u-k-introduces-new-fighter-jet-known-as-the-tempest/

U.S. defense giant Northrop Grumman says it is "very interested " in Japan's F-3 program to build the nation a new fighter jet, setting up Northrop to compete against Lockheed Martin. Such a........... read more at https://thefighteraircraft./2018/07/11/now-northrop-grumman-wants-to-help-japan-build-its-new-fighter-jet/