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The U.S. Navy Tried to Turn Whale Songs Into Secret Code
Cold War

The U.S. Navy Tried to Turn Whale Songs Into Secret Code

The Cold War project cooked up an ingenious but overly complicated method for submarines to send covert messages.

The State Department’s Armored Vehicle Program Is a Mess
U.S. Homeland

The State Department’s Armored Vehicle Program Is a Mess

Contractors dumping broken cars into the sea, zombie fleets of unused vehicles, poor maintenance, and drivers without proper training are just a few signs of major trouble.

This Small, Obscure U.S. Navy Unit Hunts Terrorists and Smugglers
U.S. Navy

This Small, Obscure U.S. Navy Unit Hunts Terrorists and Smugglers

In 2015, the Navy Expeditionary Intelligence Command's specialized teams produced nearly 1,000 "high value" reports for commanders around the world.

Watch These Old World War II Bombers Launch Target Drones
Cold War

Watch These Old World War II Bombers Launch Target Drones

Early in the Cold War, the Royal Canadian Air Force modified two iconic Lancasters to carry early unmanned aircraft.

F-22 Now Has AIM-9X But Still No Helmet Mounted Display To Use With It
F-22

F-22 Now Has AIM-9X But Still No Helmet Mounted Display To Use With It

The Raptor will never reach its full potential without a helmet mounted display, something that was promised with the jet nearly 30 years ago.

During the Vietnam War, the U.S. Army Turned Hueys Into “Mad Bombers”
Vietnam War

During the Vietnam War, the U.S. Army Turned Hueys Into “Mad Bombers”

Choppers dropped modified mortar bombs on communist insurgents.

Letters Of Last Resort Are Post-Apocalyptic Orders for UK Vanguard Sub Crews
United Kingdom

Letters Of Last Resort Are Post-Apocalyptic Orders for UK Vanguard Sub Crews

The Prime Minister writes hand-penned orders to Royal Navy ballistic missile submarine captains explaining what to do following a sneak nuclear attack that wipes out the United Kingdom government.

How To Fight To Win In The F-14, A-4 and F-5 At The Navy’s Topgun School
Confessions Of Series

How To Fight To Win In The F-14, A-4 and F-5 At The Navy’s Topgun School

A Topgun student who later became an instructor tells us all about how to fly the Tomcat, Skyhawk and Tiger II in a dogfight and what it was like to both learn and teach at the legendary school.

Japan Goes Back To The Future With Lithium-Ion Battery Powered Submarines
Japan

Japan Goes Back To The Future With Lithium-Ion Battery Powered Submarines

Diesel electric submarines may be on the verge of returning to their simpler roots with the help of lithium-ion batteries.

The Pentagon Has Slowly Fallen In Love With H&K’s Take On The AR-15
M16/AR15/M4 Pattern

The Pentagon Has Slowly Fallen In Love With H&K’s Take On The AR-15

The HK416 and its derivatives are quickly becoming the combat rifle that all others are judged by—and the Pentagon is having a hard time denying that fact.

Have Submarine-Launched Anti-Aircraft Missiles Finally Come Of Age?
Maritime Surface-To-Air Missiles

Have Submarine-Launched Anti-Aircraft Missiles Finally Come Of Age?

A submarine that can fire back at an aircraft hunting it certainly sounds intriguing, but is such a capability really relevant?

This Primer On Midcourse Intercept Ballistic Missile Defense Is Marvelous
Ground-Based Midcourse Defense

This Primer On Midcourse Intercept Ballistic Missile Defense Is Marvelous

You will be using the term "threat cloud" all day after watching this.

This Is A Rare Shot Of POTUS Inside A Sensitive Compartmented Info Facility
Secret Service

This Is A Rare Shot Of POTUS Inside A Sensitive Compartmented Info Facility

It's like the real world version of Agent Smart's "Cone Of Silence."

A Helicopter Crash Almost Kept Gene Cernan From Going To The Moon
People

A Helicopter Crash Almost Kept Gene Cernan From Going To The Moon

Cernan became one of the greats, but it took a little bit of luck to get there.

The Air Force Desperately Needs A Stealth Tanker
U.S. Air Force

The Air Force Desperately Needs A Stealth Tanker

Fielding a stealthy tanker would go a long way to remedy the USAF's near-sighted practice of betting heavily on relatively short-ranged stealth fighters, but it won't be cheap.

Why the B-2 Stealth Bomber Was Used to Strike ISIS Camps in Libya
Egypt

Why the B-2 Stealth Bomber Was Used to Strike ISIS Camps in Libya

America's most valuable stealth combat aircraft might have seemed like an odd choice to bomb a target whose air defenses were neutered in 2011. It wasn't.

Aircraft Carrier “Bow Prongs” and Why They Are Disappearing
USS Enterprise (CVN-65)

Aircraft Carrier “Bow Prongs” and Why They Are Disappearing

The supercarrier's silhouette hasn't changed much over the past 50 years, but one utilitarian staple of the flight deck has gone the way of the dodo bird.

ISIS Drone Dropping Bomblet On Abrams Tank Is A Sign Of What’s To Come
Iraq

ISIS Drone Dropping Bomblet On Abrams Tank Is A Sign Of What’s To Come

This is a threat that has been building for years—and it's just the beginning.

Reagan Invited Thatcher To Join The Top Secret F-117 Program
Cold War

Reagan Invited Thatcher To Join The Top Secret F-117 Program

The UK Ministry Of Defense was invited to join the highly elite stealth combat aircraft club far earlier than anyone previously realized.

John Glenn’s Combat Nickname Was “Old Magnet Ass” For All The Right Reasons
People

John Glenn’s Combat Nickname Was “Old Magnet Ass” For All The Right Reasons

He was a daring flying leatherneck before he donned a spacesuit for NASA.