Fighter aircraft

Turkey is setting its sights on the ambitious target of producing its own local fighter jet to become "fully independent" in its ground, naval and air defense, National Defense Minister İsmet Yılmaz has said.

The Pentagon on Dec. 12 said Italy and Turkey would provide initial heavy maintenance of Lockheed Martin Corp's new F-35 fighter jet and its engine in Europe from 2018, paving the way for billions of dollars in work by companies there.

Two fighter pilots of the Hellenic Air Force were reported as being safe and well on Thursday after their jet went down off the southern coast of Crete earlier in the day.

The pilots, who were flying the F16 jet as part of an educational exercise, ejected from the craft before it nosedived into the sea. They were rescued shortly after.

Bulgaria's armed forces must soon reduce their dependence of Russian equipment and maintenance or face the risk of ‘catastrophic consequences,' Velizar Shalamanov has told the BBC.

An impressive air show marked the the 102nd anniversary of Bulgaria's Air Force at Sofia Vrazhdebna airport on Saturday.

A culmination of the event that attracted thousands of visitors was Pugachev's Cobra manoeuvre performed by a MiG 29 jet fighter.

Greece is in talks with the US and Bulgaria about selling some of its old F-16 fighter jets to Sofia and leasing new ones from Washington, Kathimerini understands.

Bulgaria must choose new fighter planes for its air force in the next six months, caretaker Defence Minister Velizar Shalamanov said during an international conference at Sofia's Defence Academy.

The country can choose among three offers - new Gripen fighters, used Eurofighter from Italy or used F16 from Portugal - and according to Shalamanov nothing is predetermined.

ISIL fighters were closing in on a key Syrian town near the Turkish border, despite multiple US air strikes

Alliance forces have started air combat exercises MACE XVI in Slovakia with 14 member states participating, the country's Defense Minister says.

As many as 660 personnel is expected to attend, and two non-NATO countries of the Partnership for Peace
program have also joined, Martina Belkovska was quoted by the Global Post as saying.

French fighter jets took off from the UAE on Monday as France joined Britain in conducting spy flights over Iraq in support of US air strikes against Islamic State militants.

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