Back to news

September 26, 2018 | International, Aerospace

US F-35 fighter jet poised for combat debut

By Barbara Starr and Zachary Cohen, CNN

Washington (CNN)The US Marine Corps' stealth F-35B Lightning fighter jet could fly its first combat mission within days, according to several US defense officials, who told CNN that the fifth-generation aircraft are currently aboard the USS Essex amphibious assault ship and should soon be in a position to conduct airstrikes over Afghanistan.

The USS Essex has already sailed from the Gulf of Aden into the North Arabian Sea and is expected to move into the Persian Gulf in coming days, one official said.

F-35 pilots have been conducting intelligence and surveillance missions in Somalia while on standby to conduct air support for US troops on the ground there if needed.

While available for support, the advanced fighter jet was not used in an airstrike over Somalia on Saturday that killed 18 militants after US and local forces came under attack.

In May, Israel Defense Forces said they were using their version of the F-35 in operational missions, striking at least two unspecified targets in the region.

Full article: https://www.cnn.com/2018/09/25/politics/us-f-35-combat-missions

On the same subject

  • Is Germany’s Puma combat vehicle still tickling the US Army’s interest?

    March 18, 2019 | International, Land

    Is Germany’s Puma combat vehicle still tickling the US Army’s interest?

    By: Sebastian Sprenger COLOGNE, Germany — German and U.S. military officials had planned, then canceled, a demonstration this week of the Bundeswehr's Puma infantry fighting vehicle, as the U.S. Army surveys candidates for its Next-Generation Combat Vehicle program. A German Army spokesman confirmed that an event had been scheduled at the Munster tank-training area for Jeffrey White, a deputy to U.S. Army acquisition chief Bruce Jette. White ended up canceling because of a scheduling conflict, the spokesman told Defense News. Officials on both sides of the Atlantic were tight-lipped about the details of the planned visit and whether another date is being explored. It is also unclear which country initiated the contact, though the government interested in another's hardware would typically lodge the request for a demonstration. The apparent curiosity by the U.S. Army in the Puma evokes memories from 2010 and 2011, when the German vehicle, still largely in the development stage at the time, was a contender for the now-defunct Ground Combat Vehicle program. Boeing and SAIC, along with the German manufacturing consortium of Rheinmetall Defence and Krauss-Maffei Wegmann, had pitched a modified version of the vehicle for the U.S. Army. Contenders for the new Army vehicle program, NGCV, are still getting into position to pounce on a request for proposals. Rheinmetall this time has teamed with Raytheon to offer the Lynx vehicle, unveiled last June at the Eurosatory trade show in Paris. News that the Puma is on the Army's radar brings up the question of how Rheinmetall, a co-developer of the vehicle, would proceed if the Americans were to invite the Puma to join the field of contenders. Another unknown is how Rheinmetall's stated desire to acquire Krauss-Maffei Wegmann is going play out. In any event, it remains to be seen how a German tank design will fare in the race for a high-profile U.S. defense program in the age of President Donald Trump's sour attitude toward Berlin. Trump has repeatedly berated Germany about what he considers lackluster defense spending, and he has threatened to impose tariffs on German cars in retaliation for what he deems unfair trade practices. Full article: https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2019/03/15/is-germanys-puma-combat-vehicle-still-tickling-the-us-armys-interest

  • Lockheed Martin’s Q2 sees sales surge amidst defence demands

    July 31, 2024 | International, Land

    Lockheed Martin’s Q2 sees sales surge amidst defence demands

    Despite a slight dip in earnings, Lockheed Martin's sales growth and advances reveal a promising future.

  • Air Force, Space Force priorities largely supported in funding bill

    December 22, 2022 | International, Aerospace

    Air Force, Space Force priorities largely supported in funding bill

    The Air Force is set to receive more than $216 billion in the fiscal 2023 federal spending bill released Monday.

All news