Reuters reports, “The British government said on Tuesday that it would purchase a dozen F-35A fighter jets capable of firing tactical nuclear weapons in what it described as the biggest expansion of its nuclear deterrent in a generation. The purchase of the Lockheed Martin jets would allow Britain’s air force to carry nuclear weapons for the first time since the end of the Cold War, Downing Street said.”
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Tag: Fighter Jets
Ireland Plans to Buy First Fighter Jets in 50 Years
Aerotime reports, “Ireland’s planned purchase of combat jets and the development of a long-overdue national radar system mark a historic turning point in the country’s approach to air defence, ending decades of reliance on the United Kingdom to protect Irish skies. Since 1998, when the Irish Air Corps disbanded its Light Strike Squadron, which operated aging French Fouga CM170 Magister jets, Ireland has had no combat jets. The country also lacks a primary radar system. Without these capabilities, a ‘secret bilateral pact’ has seen the UK’s Royal Air Force (RAF) tasked with intercepting and responding to aerial threats in Irish airspace.”
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USAF General Says Crewed Warplanes Will Be Needed for Many Years
Defense One reports, “The U.S. military is many years away from letting robots take over the role of human pilots, according to the Air Force official who oversees development of AI piloting technology. ‘There may be someday we can completely rely on robotized warfare’ but ‘it is centuries away,’ said Brig. Gen. Doug Wickert, commander of the 412th Test Wing.”
Full Story (Defense One)