Stealth aircraft

Lockheed Martin Corp has won a preliminary contract valued at up to $5.37 billion to build a ninth batch of 55 F-35 jets for the U.S. military and its allies, the U.S. Defense Department said on Nov. 3.

Top Norwegian officials on Sept.21 underscored their commitment to buying up to 52 Lockheed Martin Corp F-35 fighter jets in coming years, saying the stealthy jet's capabilities provided an important counterweight to Russia's military buildup and increased military flights in the region. 

With parliamentary elections scheduled for Nov. 1 and defense bureaucracy at a near standstill, some military planners are questioning the wisdom of a controversial Turkish defense contract for the construction of the country's first long-range air and anti-missile defense system.

The United States soon will deploy F-22 Raptors in Europe, sending the stealth fighter jets to reassure NATO partners concerned about Russia's actions in Ukraine, a Pentagon official said on Aug. 24.

High ranking official of the U.S. Air Force Deborah Lee James says the current situation with Russia “the biggest threat” on her mind, RT is reporting.

She also "hinted at a possible display of power that could see American military aircraft, including F-22 Raptor fighter jets, deployed to Europe."

Lockheed Martin Corp has won a contract valued at $920 million to start buying materials and parts for a tenth batch of 94 F-35 fighter jets, the Pentagon announced on June 4.

Israel is to purchase 14 F-35 stealth fighters from US aerospace giant Lockheed Martin at a cost of around $110 million each, the defence ministry said Feb. 22.        

Turkey is planning to buy four more F-35 Joint Strike Fighters from the U.S., in addition to the two it had already ordered, the country's defense industry agency 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.

State television aired footage Nov. 12 of the test flight of a drone which Iran says it reverse engineered from a US aircraft that came down over its territory in 2011.
      
The 30-second clip, broadcast before the midday news and filmed from a helicopter as well as from the ground, showed a delta-winged aircraft in flight.