Despite US Threats, Another Ally Mulls Russia’s S-400

Despite US Threats, Another Ally Mulls Russia’s S-400
Despite US Threats, Another Ally Mulls Russia’s S-400

Another US ally — and host of a critical Middle Eastern air base — is considering buying a high-tech Russian missile system. What can Washington do about it?

Saudis Rock US Alliance, Say They’ll Buy Russia’s Top Plane Killer, S-400

Saudis Rock US Alliance, Say They’ll Buy Russia’s Top Plane Killer, S-400
Saudis Rock US Alliance, Say They’ll Buy Russia’s Top Plane Killer, S-400

WASHINGTON: That rumble under your feet you sensed this morning was the earthquake caused by the decision of one of America’s closest allies, Saudis Arabia, to join Turkey in buying Russia’s vaunted S-400 surface to air missile system. The announcement carried extra diplomatic weight as Saudi King Salman was visiting Russia when the Saudis made…

Stealth Necessary But Not Sufficient: Add EW, Intel, Tactics

Stealth Necessary But Not Sufficient: Add EW, Intel, Tactics
Stealth Necessary But Not Sufficient: Add EW, Intel, Tactics

CAPITOL HILL: Stealth was sold as something close to magic when it first appeared. And, as usually happens when extraordinary claims are made, the blowback was intense. Skeptics pointed to its vulnerability to large-scale, land-based radars, to the fact it wasn’t invisible to the naked eye, to the costs and difficulties of maintaining the expensive…

At Red Flag ‘It’s Tough To Be Legacy Aircraft In An LO World’

At Red Flag ‘It’s Tough To Be Legacy Aircraft In An LO World’
At Red Flag ‘It’s Tough To Be Legacy Aircraft In An LO World’

WASHINGTON: “You get whacked a lot.” Those are the words of someone who should know, the leader of the aggressor squadron at Red Flag, the man who tries to kill U.S. forces. Lt. Col. Tyler Lewis, commander of the 57th Adversary Tactics Support Squadron at Nellis Air Force Base, echoed comments we’ve heard before, that…

F-35A Looks A Lock For IOC OK; CAS As Good As F-16

F-35A Looks A Lock For IOC OK; CAS As Good As F-16
F-35A Looks A Lock For IOC OK; CAS As Good As F-16

WASHINGTON: All the boxes are ticked for the Air Force to declare the F-35A ready for combat. The final clearance hasn’t been given by the man who will decide, Air Combat Command’s Gen. Hawk Carlisle, but he has received all the data on the planes, pilots and maintainers, said Lt. Col. Steven Anderson, 388th Maintenance…

F-35 Could Be Deployed To Mideast Soon; Brexit Dominates NATO Summit

F-35 Could Be Deployed To Mideast Soon; Brexit Dominates NATO Summit
F-35 Could Be Deployed To Mideast Soon; Brexit Dominates NATO Summit

LONDON: Gen. Hawk Carlisle, head of Air Combat Command, pulled no punches when I asked him at the Royal International Air Tattoo if the F-35’s flying displays in Britain should be read as a signal to Russia. “Yes. You bet.” Several generals at the Royal International Air Tattoo agreed with Carlisle’s view that the plane’s appearance at RIAT and…

Close Air Support Summit Sparks Nod To Textron’s Scorpion

Close Air Support Summit Sparks Nod To Textron’s Scorpion
Close Air Support Summit Sparks Nod To Textron’s Scorpion

PENTAGON: Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh. Marine Commandant Gen. Joseph Dunford. National Guard Bureau Chief Army Gen. Frank Grass. Gen. Hawk Carlisle, head of Air Force Air Combat Command. That’s a lot of stars and command authority gathered in one place and they all came together at…

Chinese Air Chief Tells Lockheed ‘I Love’ The F-35

Chinese Air Chief Tells Lockheed ‘I Love’ The F-35
Chinese Air Chief Tells Lockheed ‘I Love’ The F-35

WASHINGTON: It is a story that tells a great deal about the sophistication of Chinese military leaders, as well as why air shows happen. Steve O’Bryan, one of Lockheed Martin’s top executives for the F-35 program, was seated across the table from the chief of China’s air force almost two years ago at the gala…

Missing Libya Missiles Already Smuggled Out, U.S. Searches for Them

Washington: A number of sophisticated shoulder-fired missiles looted from Libyan armories have already been smuggled out of the North African country and we don’t know where they’ve gone, a top U.S. general said today. Africa Command chief Gen. Carter Ham said his organization picked up “worrying indicators” that some of the unaccounted for Libyan stockpiles…

White House Believes 20,000 Sophisticated Missiles Missing in Libya

Washington: News reports appear to confirm weeks of worries by senior White House and congressional officials that large numbers of shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles have gone missing in Libya. ABC News is reporting that a secret White House meeting discussed the disappearance of 20,000 “portable, heat-seeking” missiles. They quote Tommy Vietor, spokesman for the National Security…