F-16

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Off Alaska, More Activity in the Sky

NORAD says it intercepted 4 Russian fighter aircraft in international airspace that didn't pose threat

(Newser) - On Friday, an unidentified object was shot down off the coast of Alaska; on Monday, there was even more activity in the air near the Last Frontier—this time, a group of Russian fighter jets and strategic bombers intercepted by the US military in international airspace, according to the North...

Ukraine May Be Flying US F-16s Before Long

The West relented on supplying tanks, and fighter jets may be next

(Newser) - After much delay and consternation, the US and Germany agreed to give Ukraine heavy tanks in its fight against Russia. Expect a similar scenario to play out over fighter jets, according to reports at Politico , Reuters , and the UK Financial Times . "The next natural step would be fighters,"...

Widow of F-16 Pilot Blames His Death on Counterfeit Parts

David Schmitz's ejection seat failed in 2020

(Newser) - F-16 pilot David Schmitz was killed in June 2020 when his nighttime landing at a South Carolina base went wrong. Now the 32-year-old's widow has filed a federal lawsuit blaming counterfeit parts in his ejection seat for causing his death, reports the Air Force Times . Valerie Schmitz has sued...

Armed F-16 Slams Into Warehouse
Armed F-16 Slams
Into Warehouse
May 18, 2019 10:35 AM CDT

Armed F-16 Slams Into Warehouse

13 people are hurt, but no lives are lost

(Newser) - An F-16 fighter jet slammed into a California warehouse Thursday loaded with live ammunition—but while 13 people were hurt, it appears none of the ammo went off, CNN reports. A fact sheet on the jet says it can carry a cannon with missiles and 500 rounds. The jet apparently...

Mechanic's Mistake Destroys Multi-Million Dollar Fighter Jet

A blast from a Vulcan cannon destroyed another jet

(Newser) - With mechanics like these, who needs enemies? While servicing a fighter jet at a Belgian airfield, a mechanic accidentally fired a Vulcan cannon mounted on the aircraft and destroyed another F-16 jet that was on the tarmac ( see images here ). Authorities at Florennes airfield are investigating the Thursday...

Fighter Jet Crashes Near Maryland Homes

Pilot ditched in nearby woods

(Newser) - A fighter pilot on a training mission ditched his jet in a wooded area Wednesday so that the plane would avoid crashing into a suburban Washington, DC, neighborhood, the military says. The F-16C, which military officials said was at least 30 years old and worth $20 million, went down about...

Model F-16 Wows Crowd at North Korea's First Air Show

Officials aren't saying where they got it

(Newser) - Now here's something you don't see every day: an F-16 fighter jet buzzing through the skies of North Korea and launching fireworks. The plane roaring over people's heads at the country's first air show Sunday was actually a remote-controlled mock-up of the fabled US Air Force...

F-16 Crashes in Arizona
 F-16 Crashes in Arizona 
Jan 21, 2016 2:53 PM CST

F-16 Crashes in Arizona

Pilot's condition unknown

(Newser) - An F-16 fighter jet from Luke Air Force Base near Phoenix crashed Thursday in a remote area of northwestern Arizona. There was no immediate word on pilot's condition and a search and rescue operation was underway, officials said. The crash occurred at about 8:45am in rugged terrain near...

2 Dead After F-16, Cessna Collide in Midair

Fighter pilot ejects safely

(Newser) - An F-16 fighter jet and a small plane collided in midair this morning in South Carolina, with two people aboard the Cessna 150 killed, reports AP . The F-16 pilot ejected safely and is reportedly uninjured. The crash rained debris over a wide area in Berkeley County, about 20 miles northwest...

Iraq Military Pilot Killed —in Arizona Crash

He was training on F-16s

(Newser) - Iraq's military is reporting the death of one its pilots in a training mission, with the unusual detail that it occurred a long way from home—in Arizona to be exact. Brig. Gen. Rasid Mohammed Sadeeq crashed Wednesday in an F-16 Fighting Falcon about 5 miles from the Douglas...

Moroccan F-16 Goes MIA Ahead of Yemen Ceasefire

So far Yemen has remained relatively tight-lipped about the missing fighter jet

(Newser) - A Moroccan F-16 fighter jet taking part in a Saudi-led coalition targeting Shiite rebels in Yemen has gone missing, the North African nation's military said today, a day ahead of the start of a proposed five-day humanitarian ceasefire. It wasn't immediately clear what happened to the jet, which...

Greek F-16 Crash in Spain Exercise Kills 10

Another 13 injured in NATO training exercise accident

(Newser) - A Greek F-16 fighter jet crashed into other planes on the ground during NATO training in southeastern Spain today, killing at least 10 people, Spain's Defense Ministry says. Another 13 people were injured in the incident at the Los Llanos base, which sent flames and a plume of black...

F-16 Takes Off— With No One Inside

Retired jets retrofitted into drones for Air Force training

(Newser) - Yesterday's fighter jets are today's drones. Or that's the hope of Boeing and the US Air Force, which have retrofitted retired F-16s to fly as unmanned aerial vehicles, the BBC reports. One of the six new pilot-less planes made the first test flight last week, with two...

US Arms Sales Hog 75% of Global Market

Washington's overseas sales tripled last year

(Newser) - America's weapon sales abroad last year skyrocketed to $66.3 billion, triple the 2010 figure of $21.4 billion, according to a nonpartisan report. US sales accounted for more than three-quarters of the $85.3 billion market and marked a record high for sales in a year, blowing away...

US Grounds F-16 Squadron After Japan Crash

With Japanese worried over fighter safety, US looks to reassure

(Newser) - The entire F-16 squadron has been grounded for safety checks following a crash of one of the jets off Japan yesterday, reports AP . The fighter craft crashed while flying to Alaska Sunday morning, falling into the ocean 250 miles from the coast of Hokkaido, Japan's northernmost main island. The...

In $3B Deal, Iraq to Buy Fighter Jets From US

But delivery likely won't happen til 2013, which could keep our troops on the hook

(Newser) - Iraq has signed an estimated $3 billion deal to buy 18 fighter jets from the United States, officials said today, in a crucial step to protect its airspace alone after years of relying on help from American pilots. But the F-16s aren't expected to arrive in Iraq until next...

Iraq Wants US to Sell It 36 F-16s

Expanded deal is under discussion

(Newser) - As the Dec. 31 US troop withdrawal deadline looms, Iraq is looking to purchase as many as 36 US fighter jets and other air-defense systems. The purchase, which will cost billions, could help cement ties between Iraq and the US and, Washington hopes, keep Iran at bay. The move comes...

Cockpit Recorder No Help in Northwest Flight Probe
Cockpit Recorder No Help in Northwest Flight Probe
runaway plane
Oct 23, 2009 3:30 PM CDT

Cockpit Recorder No Help in Northwest Flight Probe

Device captures just half an hour; record of 78-minute gap lost

(Newser) - Because the aircraft has an old cockpit voice recorder, the world may never know why the pilots of Northwest Flight 188 lost contact with ground control for 78 minutes. The recorder on the Airbus A320 has a maximum memory of 30 minutes, after which it tapes over itself. So investigators...

US Pilot Missing After F-16s Collide

Coast Guard searches waters off South Carolina

(Newser) - The Coast Guard is searching off the coast of South Carolina for the pilot of an F-16 involved in a collision with another fighter jet last night during a training exercise. The other pilot involved managed to safely return to Shaw Air Force Base and is being examined by doctors....

Pentagon Seeks $15.2B Fighter Sale to Israel

US maker Lockheed Martin still developing next-generation jet

(Newser) - The Defense Department said today it wants to sell up to 75 fighter jets to Israel in a $15.2 billion deal for the aircraft expected to be the mainstay of air power in the US and several other nations for decades. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency said it notified...

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