Tag: F-16

Turkey to Start ‘New Process’ With US, Erdogan Tells Biden at NATO Summit

Turkey hopes to begin a “new process” with the United States, Turkish President Recep Erdogan said during a meeting with his U.S. counterpart at a landmark NATO summit in Lithuania. Speaking on the summit’s sidelines on July 11, Mr. Erdogan said it was “high time for the [U.S. and Turkish] heads of state to get…


Biden to Move Forward With Sale of F-16 Jets to Turkey After Erdogan Greenlights Sweden’s NATO Bid

The United States will move forward with its plan to transfer F-16 fighter jets to Turkey, the White House said on July 11, shortly after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan withdrew his objection to Sweden joining NATO. “President [Joe] Biden has been clear and unequivocal for months that he supported the transfer of F-16s to Turkey,” U.S….


F-16 Fighters for Ukraine Unlikely to Turn Tide of Battle, Say Experts

Since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine 15 months ago, the West, with the United States at the lead, has provided Kyiv with increasingly sophisticated—and costly—weapons. First, it was HIMARS rocket launchers, then advanced battle tanks and, most recently, American-made Patriot air-defense systems. Each time, the new weapons were touted as “game-changers,” sure to turn…


Netherlands Wants to Give Ukrainian Pilots F-16 Training as Soon as Possible

AMSTERDAM—The Netherlands wants to give Ukrainian pilots F-16 training as soon as possible, Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren said on Wednesday in a letter to parliament. The training would be coordinated with Belgium, Denmark, and the United Kingdom, and other countries could join, Ollongren added. On Tuesday, NATO’s chief Jens Stoltenberg said training Ukrainian pilots…


US Approves F-16 Upgrade After Turkey Eases Stand on NATO

WASHINGTON—The U.S. agreed Monday to sell Turkey $259 million in software it has long sought to upgrade its fleet of U.S. F-16 fighter jets. State Department approval of the sale comes about two weeks after Turkey dropped its objections to Finland joining NATO. Turkey continues to withhold its approval for Sweden to join the military…


Lindsey Graham Urges US to Declare Russia ‘State Sponsor of Terrorism,’ Asks F-16s to Be Sent to Ukraine

Senior U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) is pressuring the Biden administration to declare Russia a “state sponsor of terrorism” and send F-16 fighter jets to aid the Ukrainian military in the Russia-Ukraine war. Sen. Graham’s requests, if granted, represent a significant escalation in military support from the United States to Ukraine. It comes a day…


Sen. Graham Urges US to Declare Russia State Sponsor of Terrorism, Train Ukrainian Pilots on F-16s

U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said the United States should designate Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism and start training Ukrainian pilots on using F-16 fighter jets to aid Kyiv in the Russia-Ukraine war. Graham’s requests, if granted, would represent a significant escalation in military support from the United States to Ukraine. It comes…


Top Democrat Rebuffs Biden’s Potential F-16 Sale to Turkey

The chairman of the U.S. Foreign Relations Committee vowed Friday to hold back the Biden administration’s plan to sell fighter jets to Turkey, unless Ankara improves its human rights record and ceases threatening other NATO allies. “As I have repeatedly made clear, I strongly oppose the Biden administration’s proposed sale of new F-16 aircraft to…


Biden Administration Throws Support Behind Potential F-16 Sale to Turkey

MADRID—The Biden administration threw its support on Wednesday behind the potential sale of U.S. F-16 fighter jets to Turkey, a day after Ankara lifted a veto of NATO membership for Finland and Sweden. Celeste Wallander, Assistant Secretary for Defense for International Security Affairs at Pentagon, told reporters on a call that strong Turkish defense capabilities…


Taiwan Suspends F-16 Training Missions After Jet Crashes

TAIPEI—Taiwan’s air force on Tuesday suspended combat training for its F-16 fleet after a recently upgraded model of the fighter jet crashed into the sea in the latest of a series of accidents. The defense ministry said the F-16V, the most advanced type in Taiwan’s fleet, went missing from radar screens after taking off from…