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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
As the Air Force’s broader focus shifts to the Pacific and Europe, the U.S. military will rely on aging close air support aircraft to meet the needs of its forces in the Middle East. A-10 Thunderbolt IIs will deploy to the region in April, a ...
Ukraine has lost roughly 60 aircraft so far since Russia's renewed invasion of the country in February 2022, while the Russians have lost 70, according to the top U.S. Air Force commander for Europe. After Russia's larger air force failed to establish air superiority in the ...
The United States has invested more than $45 billion so far in military aid to Ukraine in its war against Russian invaders. Allies have chipped in billions more. Yet among all the advanced weapons provided for the conflict, NATO members have drawn the line at ...
A senior Department of Defense official provided the clearest explanation yet for why the U.S. has declined Ukraine's requests to restock their air force with American-made fighters: It would take too long and cost too much. Providing F-16s could take three to six years for ...
President Joe Biden has made his position clear time and time again: Ukraine will not be receiving multi-role fighter aircraft from the U.S. any time soon. But that has not settled the debate in Congress or within military circles.