GABORONE, April 27 (Xinhua) -- An army pilot lost his life in a BF5 fighter aircraft crash which occurred on Friday in Gaborone, capital of Botswana, during the Botswana Defence Force (BDF) Day Celebration rehearsals, said a statement issued by Botswana Defence Force.

The army spokesperson major Fana Maswabi confirmed the incident but refused to release the names of the deceased until his next of kin have been informed.

"As a matter of urgency, the Commander has directed the appointment of an investigating team to examine the cause of the crash," Maswabi said.

The BDF will continue with its 41st anniversary celebrations on Saturday.</s>Baku. 14 January. REPORT.AZ/ JAS 39 GRIPEN fighter jet crashed on a runway during an airshow for Children’s Day in Hat Yai, Songkhla province, Saturday morning, forcing a temporary closure of the airport.

Report informs citing the TASS, according to local media reports, the pilot identified as Sqn Ldr Dilokrit Pattavee was killed during the 9.27am incident.

A Thai military air show for children was marred by tragedy Saturday when a fighter jet plunged from the sky and burst into flames, killing the pilot. The audience evacuated. A committee to investigate the incident was created.

Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha expressed condolences to the family of the deceased pilot.</s>BERLIN (AP) — European plane maker Airbus and France's Dassault Aviation have agreed to join forces in developing and producing a new European fighter jet.

The two companies' announcement at an air show in Berlin Wednesday follows a decision in principle last year by the French and German governments to develop a new fighter jet together.

The new aircraft is slated at first to complement and then replace the Eurofighter and Rafale aircraft currently in use, between 2035 and 2040.

Dirk Hoke, the CEO of Airbus' defense and space division, said that "never before has Europe been more determined to safeguard and foster its political and industrial autonomy and sovereignty in the defense sector."

He said the "the schedule is tight" and the companies need to start work immediately on a project roadmap.</s>The French and German governments Thursday pledged to jointly build a new combat jet in the face of rising military tensions with Russia.

But the commitment to build the fighter aircraft, which would cost billions of dollars to develop and buy, also has another target: Washington.

Germany and France hope the new plane that would not enter...</s>The Turkish Aerospace Industries Inc. (TAI) and ASELSAN, which are among the leading defense companies in the country, yesterday signed a preliminary agreement of cooperation regarding the production of the National Fighter Jet, the TF-X, a project of critical importance for the domestic defense industry. The deal took place at the Eurasia Airshow, the largest aviation event in Turkey and held under the auspices of the presidency. The two tech giants develop critical systems such as national radar, electronic warfare and electro-optical systems for the aircraft.

The fifth-generation fighter jet, one of the country's largest design projects announced by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, will be realized within a project-based incentive system. Preliminary design activities received a TL 4.8 billion (around $1.18 billion) incentive certificate under the incentive program. The project will employ 3,200 people, with an indirect employment contribution estimated to be around 11,200.

TAI continues its preliminary design works for the production of modern aircraft designed with domestic capabilities and that can replace the F-16 aircraft, which are in the inventory of the Turkish Air Forces Command and are considered to be gradually deactivated as of the 2030s.

Within the scope of the project, it is aimed to develop the needed critical task systems locally and for them to be integrated into the jet to gain full operational capability at appropriate stages in the progress of the project.

Such systems play an important role in the success of the national combat jet, which is, with the product and technology development weight, Turkey's biggest and most challenging research and development (R&D) project.

Speaking to Turkish daily Dünya last week, TAI General Manager Temel Kotil said they will work with British BAE Systems, which plays various roles in the design of F-35 aircraft. "We have foreseen a four-year period for the preliminary design phase. In this phase, the structure of the plane will be determined. The development of engineering, technology, testing infrastructures and certification processes of the aircraft and the acquisition of capability for the design of the fighter jet are steps of this phase," Kotil said.

He also explained that the first TF-X prototype should be ready for its first flight in 2023. "The TF-X is a fifth-generation invisible plane that can reach supersonic speeds with afterburners," Kotil said. "We want to get all of the kinks worked out and have it ready by 2029 and put into service for the Turkish Armed Forces in 2031."

As a result of the works in technology areas such as low appearance internal weapons bay, high maneuverability, enhanced situational awareness and sensor fusion, all of which should be included in the new generation aircraft, Turkey will, after the U.S., Russia and China, take its place among the countries in the world that have the infrastructure and technology to produce the fifth-generation fighter jet.</s>LAKE HAVASU CITY, Ariz. - A military jet went down at Lake Havasu Airport on Tuesday morning.

According to the United States Air Force, an F-16C aircraft assigned to the 56th Fighter Wing at Luke Air Force Base in Glendale, Arizona diverted and attempted to land at the Lake Havasu Airport around 10:30 a.m. local time.

Lake Havasu Fire said the pilot of the plane was able to eject and is expected to be okay. The incident occurred during a routine training exercise.

Lake Havasu Airport is located about three and a half hours northwest of Phoenix near the state border with California.
A Botswanan CF-5 fighter jet crashes in Gaborone, killing the pilot.