In face of Iran’s continued development of a nuclear capability, the Israeli Air Force has developed a new capability to be able to fly its F-35 stealth fighter jets from Israel to the Islamic Republic without requiring mid-air refueling.
The U.S. military launched interceptor missiles during an attack by Yemen‘s Houthi rebels that targeted the United Arab Emirates during a visit by Israel’s president, the second-such time American troops have opened fire, officials said.
The United States intends to move forward with the sale of 50 F-35 stealth fighters jets to the United Arab Emirates but there must be a clear understanding of “Emirati obligations,” a US official said on Tuesday as progress on the sale slows.
Six Israeli F-35 stealth fighters landed in Italy last week to take part in a two-week air exercise in Italy with its air force, alongside those of the United States and United Kingdom, in the largest and farthest drill that the aircraft have taken part in to date, the military said Sunday.
The newly inaugurated Biden administration announced Wednesday it has temporarily suspended arms sales to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia, DW reports. Noting it is standard practice for a new administration to review arms deals worth billions of dollars, a US State Department official described the suspension as “routine administrative action.”
Defense Minister Benny Gantz lauded an agreement signed with the United States last week, saying it ensured Israel has the capabilities necessary to confront the threats it faces, during a visit to Tel Aviv by US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper on Thursday.
Reuters has learned that the US and the United Arab Emirates hope to have a letter of agreement on the sale of American of F-35 stealth fighter jets to the Arab state in time for UAE National Day on December 2. A close ally of America, the UAE has long been interested in purchasing the jets and was promised it would be able to do so upon normalizing relations with Israel.
The Israeli and American militaries conducted a joint exercise with their F-35 stealth fighter jets over southern Israel on Sunday, simulating in-air combat and attacks from the ground, following a delay needed to sort out how to hold such a drill during the coronavirus pandemic.
Russia and Turkey are working on a contract for the delivery of a new batch of Russian S-400 missile systems, the Interfax news agency cited a senior official at a Russian military cooperation agency as saying on Friday.
Turkish F-16 warplanes will fly over the country’s capital Ankara on Monday to test its new Russian S-400 missile defenses, Turkish media said, despite pressure from Washington for Turkey to drop the system.
Turkey would retaliate against what it called an unacceptable threat of US sanctions over Ankara’s purchase of Russian S-400 missile defenses, its foreign minister said on Monday, adding he thinks US President Donald Trump wants to avoid such measures.
The Israeli Air Force opened a second squadron of F-35 stealth fighter jets, The Jerusalem Post learned on Thursday.
Israel is the first country in the world to have flown the U.S.-made F-35 stealth fighter jet in combat, the commander of the Israeli air force said on Tuesday in remarks carried by the IDF’s official Twitter account.
A dozen U.S. F-22 and F-35 stealth fighter jets have arrived in South Korea for a regular joint exercise with South Korean forces, a defense ministry source said Sunday.
Two additional F-35 stealth fighter jets lifted off from the US on Wednesday morning on their way to Israel, the sixth and seventh planes to be delivered out of the 50 Israel has purchased from the US to upgrade the capabilities of its air force.
The United States on Thursday flew some of its most advanced warplanes to South Korea to take part in bombing drills aimed at intimidating North Korea, after Pyongyang fired a midrange ballistic missile over Japan earlier this week, South Korea’s military said.
The Israeli Defense Ministry has completed the acquisition process of 17 more F-35 stealth jets. The purchase is part of a larger deal to buy a total of 50 F-35 planes, which will enter service in the Israeli Air Force in two squadrons. The initial order of 33 F-35 jets is expected to be completely delivered by 2021.