US forces Israeli company to back out of Indian Air Force fighter jet bid

October 6th, 2009 Israel scrambles warplanes over nuclear facilityJERUSALEM — Israel's air force scrambled fighter jets Tuesday after a small civilian aircraft flew into restricted airspace near the country's heavily guarded and secretive Dimona nuclear reactor, security officials said Tuesday. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity surrounding the Dimona nuclear reactor.

September 25th, 2009 QUITO - Ecuador is in talks to purchase 12 Cheetah C fighter jets from South Africa for the armed forces, a media report said citing Defence Minister Javier Ponce. Ecuador Air Force has recommended the purchase of South African warplanes due to its low cost, the El Universo daily reported.

September 13th, 2009 Son of late Israeli astronaut dies in plane crashJERUSALEM — The son of an Israeli astronaut who died in the space shuttle Columbia disaster six years ago was killed Sunday when his F-16 warplane crashed on a routine training flight, the Israeli military said. The military identified the dead pilot as Capt.

September 13th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Two NATO fighter jets reportedly flew inside Pakistan's airspace for nearly two hours on Saturday. The airspace violation took place in different parts of the Khyber Agency bordering the Afghan border.

September 13th, 2009 JERUSALEM - An Israeli F-16A fighter jet crashed in the West Bank Sunday afternoon, killing a son of late Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon who died in the 2003 Columbia spaceship tragedy, the Israeli army said. "The aircraft crashed during a routine flight as part of the advanced pilot training course," said the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in a statement, adding that search and rescue teams found debris of the fighter in the hills near the West Bank city of Hebron.

August 20th, 2009 ZHUKOVSKY - The Russian Air Force chief Thursday acknowledged faults in the engine of the fifth-generation fighter jet currently being developed in the country. The Advanced Front-Line Aviation Complex plane is set to replace the Russian Air Force's fourth-generation fighters, namely, the Su-27 Flanker and the MiG-29 Fulcrum.

August 16th, 2009 MOSCOW - Two Russian Su- 27 fighter jets collided during a training exercise Sunday killing one pilot, a media report said. "According to updated information, one of the three pilots was killed in the air disaster," the Interfax news agency said quoting air force spokesman Vladimir Drik.

August 14th, 2009 NIZHNY NOVOGORD - Production of MiG-35 multirole fighters offered for sale to India cannot start before 2013 or 2014, a Russian aircraft maker has said. "We have begun testing the MiG-35 fighter for the Indian tender," Alexander Karezin, general director of the Sokol company based in Nizhny Novgorod, said Thursday.

August 2nd, 2009 JERUSALEM - The Israeli Air Force is planning to purchase South Korea's T-50 Golden Eagle fighter jets in a bid to replace its ageing Skyhawk fleet, the Ha'aretz daily reported Sunday. A three-member delegation of the Israeli Air Force is expected to visit Seoul next week to discuss the matter with their South Korean counterparts.

July 11th, 2009 MOSCOW - Israel has ordered at least 25 US F-35 stealth fighter aircraft to counter any potential threat from the delivery of Russian advanced air defence systems to Iran and Syria, an Israeli daily said. Tel Aviv earlier said the purchase of F-35 fighters would effectively eliminate the threat from Russian-made S-300 air defence systems because a series of computer simulations had clearly demonstrated that new US stealth fighters outperform the Russian missiles.

June 21st, 2009 LONDON - European defence ministers are meeting in Spain Monday ahead of the start of Indian trials for a new generation of fighter aircraft in a multi-billion-pound deal eyed by major manufacturers across the world. Although the summit in Seville is expected to focus on the fate of the European A400M military transport aircraft, there is reported to be mounting interest in the Indian competition that is set to begin next month and expected to last a year.

May 29th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - A Chinese-built FT-7 fighter of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) crashed into a house Friday in Punjab province, killing one woman on the ground and injuring at least six people. The two pilots, however, ejected to safety.

May 6th, 2009 NEW YORK - Pictures of an ill-conceived photo-operation, designed to capture one of the president's planes near national landmarks like the Statue of Liberty, will be kept under wraps. As part of a photo-op carried out by the US Defense Department, a 747 and supersonic jet fighter might have buzzed the Manhattan skyline, and panicked New Yorkers on April 27, fearful of a terrorist attack reminiscent of 9/11.

March 12th, 2009 JERUSALEM - A Bollywood-style dance film produced by an Israeli arms company-Rafael Advanced Defense Systems - has been described in the blogosphere as possibly one of the worst marketing films in history. The film, produced by Rafael for the Aero India Expo held in Bangalore last month, features actors in full Bollywood costume singing in English about bolstering Indo-Israeli defense ties.

January 26th, 2009 GAZA/JERUSALEM - One Israeli soldier was killed and three others wounded Tuesday morning near the border between Israel and the central Gaza Strip, Palestinian and Israeli sources said. Residents in the area east of central Gaza said a bomb detonated near the fence of the border.