Featured in Must Read FeaturesBYThomas NewdickMar 9, 2021ShareThe Soviet Union’s Railway-Based Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Had An Inflatable NoseconeThe Soviet Union was the only country to field a fully operational rail-mobile ICBM and it had one highly unusual feature. BYThomas NewdickMar 9, 2021ShareBYJoseph TrevithickMar 8, 2021ShareWait, This Mysterious Heavily-Armored Blue Train Caboose Belongs To The Navy?The Navy is a prolific user of nuclear power and needs to protect nuclear material when traveling by rail. That’s where the armored caboose comes in. BYJoseph TrevithickMar 8, 2021ShareBYThomas NewdickMar 5, 2021ShareYes, The U.S. Navy Also Took The Spitfire Into Battle During World War IIOn the type’s 85th birthday, we celebrate the little-known and short-lived U.S. Navy Spitfire unit that fought a different kind of war over Normandy. BYThomas NewdickMar 5, 2021ShareBYTyler RogowayMar 4, 2021ShareEverything You Ever Wanted To Know About The Navy’s Ever-Evolving Aegis Combat SystemWe go in-depth with Lockheed’s point man on Aegis about the combat system’s revolutionary past, evolving present, and universal future. BYTyler RogowayMar 4, 2021ShareBYJames DeboerFeb 24, 2021ShareHow The World’s First Privately Owned Fleet Of F-16 Aggressor Jets Became A RealityTop Aces has ambitions to disrupt the growing adversary air contractor market with 29 F-16s and a lot of experienced pilots in their cockpits. BYJames DeboerFeb 24, 2021ShareBYTyler RogowayFeb 19, 2021ShareCheck Out This Rare Formation Of Navy Reserve Fighters Over Gorgeous Key WestThe formation included one jet from each of the Navy’s reserve squadrons that belong to the Tactical Support Wing. BYTyler RogowayFeb 19, 2021ShareBYThomas NewdickFeb 19, 2021ShareThere Were Doomsday Ships Ready To Ride Out Nuclear Armageddon Before There Were Doomsday PlanesHad nuclear war broken out, three different presidents could have sought refuge aboard the Navy’s unique ‘Floating White Houses.’ BYThomas NewdickFeb 19, 2021ShareBYJoseph TrevithickFeb 16, 2021ShareHere’s Our Best Look Yet At Russia’s Secretive Space Cannon, The Only Gun Ever Fired In SpaceBased on a design that was intended to protect bombers, the R-23M cannon had an unusual and closely guard design, to begin with. BYJoseph TrevithickFeb 16, 2021ShareBYThomas NewdickFeb 16, 2021ShareTake A Rare Look Inside Russia’s Doomsday Ballistic Missile Warning SystemAs Russia’s early warning network marks 50 years of service, one of its satellite control centers opened its doors. BYThomas NewdickFeb 16, 2021ShareBYThomas NewdickFeb 14, 2021ShareThe Oddly Shaped USS Grayback Was A Cold War Submarine Like No OtherThe remarkable sub’s story includes launching fighter-sized cruise missiles, attempting to rescue Vietnam War PoWs, and getting painted bright orange. BYThomas NewdickFeb 14, 2021ShareBYTyler Rogoway and Joseph TrevithickFeb 13, 2021ShareObscure 23-Year Old Navy SAM Was So Ahead Of Its Time That It’s Still In High Demand TodayThe SM-2 Block IIIB’s dual-mode guidance system is still unique among the missiles the Navy’s fleet uses to defend against aerial threats. BYTyler Rogoway and Joseph TrevithickFeb 13, 2021ShareBYThomas NewdickFeb 12, 2021ShareThere’s One Place In The World Where AC-47 Spooky Gunships Still FlyVeterans of the country’s counterinsurgency campaigns, the Colombian Air Force’s antique Fantasma gunships are still going strong. BYThomas NewdickFeb 12, 2021ShareBYTyler RogowayFeb 5, 2021ShareListen To The Terrifying Mechanical Growl Of A Tu-95 Bear Passing OverheadThe video is one of the best examples of the Tu-95 Bear’s 60,000-horsepower orchestra playing its thunderous fortissimo. BYTyler RogowayFeb 5, 2021ShareBYThomas NewdickFeb 4, 2021ShareFace-Off Over The Aegean: How Greek And Turkish Air Forces Stack UpWith tensions rising over energy reserves in the Aegean Sea, the disgruntled neighbors have air arms that are well-equipped and at high readiness. BYThomas NewdickFeb 4, 2021ShareBYTyler Rogoway and Joseph TrevithickFeb 2, 2021ShareThe B-21 Raider Bomber Combined Test Force Has A Ridiculously Sinister Shakespearean MottoThe team tasked with turning the world’s most advanced and sinister aircraft into a reliable weapon of war has one ominous but relevant motto. BYTyler Rogoway and Joseph TrevithickFeb 2, 2021ShareBYEdward ChangJan 28, 2021ShareHow The Iran Hostage Rescue Was Supposed To Go Down If It Hadn’t Ended Early In DisasterOperation Eagle Claw was amazingly complex with incredible risks at every turn. Here is exactly how it was supposed to go down, step by step. BYEdward ChangJan 28, 2021ShareBYThomas NewdickJan 26, 2021ShareAir Force Fighters Almost Got An Air-Launched Ballistic Missile 40 Years Ago, Now They’re A Hot ItemThe system would have let jet fighters rain guided ballistic missiles down on enemy forces, a concept that has now come of age. BYThomas NewdickJan 26, 2021ShareBYJamie HunterJan 26, 2021ShareFighter Pilots Reveal Why You Don’t Want To Mess With The A-10 Warthog In A DogfightPilots discuss how the A-10 Warthog’s tight turning radius coupled with its big gun means it can sting even the best fighters in a dogfight. BYJamie HunterJan 26, 2021ShareBYThomas NewdickJan 25, 2021ShareThe “Lady Bird Special” Was The Lowliest Of Air Force One AircraftPresident Lyndon B. Johnson used the small King Air to access his beloved ranch in Texas. BYThomas NewdickJan 25, 2021ShareBYStephen WalkerJan 21, 2021ShareThe Truth About Going From Flying Airplanes To HelicoptersThey both fly, but they are essentially very different animals. The good, the bad, and the ugly of going from fixed-wing to rotary-wing flying. BYStephen WalkerJan 21, 2021ShareBYThomas NewdickJan 20, 2021ShareRoyal Air Force Turned A Torpedo Bomber Into A Flying Flamethrower During World War IIWith the weapon installed, the aircraft could spew a terrifying stream of flame behind it, but that doesn’t mean it was effective. BYThomas NewdickJan 20, 2021ShareBYThomas NewdickJan 18, 2021ShareThe Story Of The Jet That Would Have Delivered South Africa’s Nuclear BombThe British-made Buccaneer strike aircraft was adapted to carry apartheid-era South Africa’s guided nuclear bomb. BYThomas NewdickJan 18, 2021ShareBYJamie HunterJan 15, 2021ShareHow British Tornados Used A Special Weapon To Ravage Saddam’s Airfields In Daring Desert Storm RaidsSlamming Iraq’s bases at ultra low level with JP233 runway denial weapons was among the riskiest Royal Air Force combat actions since World War II. BYJamie HunterJan 15, 2021ShareBYThomas NewdickJan 9, 2021ShareThis Stretched Super FB-111 Was A Low-Cost Challenger To The B-1 BomberWith the B-1 canceled, the Air Force looked to a radically revised, truly strategic FB-111 variant that carried more than double the fuel and weapons. BYThomas NewdickJan 9, 2021ShareBYSarah Scoles—Popular ScienceJan 5, 2021ShareAn A-12 Oxcart Spyplane Crashed Near Area 51 In 1967. This Is How One Explorer Found It.Some people hunt for buried gold, a small number of others hunt for bits of titanium laced with aerospace history. BYSarah Scoles—Popular ScienceJan 5, 2021ShareBYTyler RogowayJan 1, 2021ShareBehold The SR-71 Blackbird’s Nest At DawnTwo of the historic SR-71 Blackbird hangars that once lined Beale Air Force’s Base’s main apron are still standing today. BYTyler RogowayJan 1, 2021ShareBYKevin Noonan and Tyler RogowayDec 30, 2020ShareReflections And Wisdom From A Cold War Submarine HunterWe talk about what was and what could have been for the S-3 Viking, and about the future of the Navy’s shrunken sub-hunting force. BYKevin Noonan and Tyler RogowayDec 30, 2020ShareBYKevin Noonan and Tyler RogowayDec 30, 2020ShareFighting World War Three In A Fjord And Chasing Soviet Submarines In The S-3 VikingIt was the twilight of the Cold War and both Kevin Noonan and his S-3 Viking were maturing into more potent and wise weapons of war. BYKevin Noonan and Tyler RogowayDec 30, 2020ShareBYKevin Noonan and Tyler RogowayDec 30, 2020ShareConfessions Of A Submarine Hunting S-3 Viking Crewman During The Twilight Of The Cold WarHow the shadowy art of anti-submarine aerial warfare works and what it was like putting it to use while barreling through the sky in an S-3 Viking. BYKevin Noonan and Tyler RogowayDec 30, 2020ShareBYKevin Noonan and Tyler RogowayDec 30, 2020ShareThe Making Of A Submarine Hunting S-3 Viking CrewmanThis is what it took to become a sub hunter tasked with protecting America’s carrier battle groups at the twilight of the Cold War. BYKevin Noonan and Tyler RogowayDec 30, 2020ShareBYThomas NewdickDec 29, 2020ShareThe Tale Of A World War II British Submarine That Shot Down An Enemy Plane With A TorpedoHistory has almost forgotten the World War II submarine crew that claimed a unique “kill” of an enemy aircraft in the Mediterranean. BYThomas NewdickDec 29, 2020ShareBYTyler RogowayDec 27, 2020ShareThis Is All The Survival Gear That Apache Attack Helicopter Crews Fly Into Combat WithHope for the best, prepare for the worst! BYTyler RogowayDec 27, 2020ShareBYThomas NewdickDec 24, 2020ShareBritain’s Shackleton Radar Plane Was Born As An Already Antiquated Cold War DinosaurThe RAF’s future E-7 early warning aircraft will now be headed for the Shackleton’s old stomping grounds at RAF Lossiemouth. BYThomas NewdickDec 24, 2020ShareBYPatrick KoepkeDec 21, 2020ShareAn Eagle Named Opus: The Legend Of The Air Force’s Most Notorious F-15Aircraft have their own unique personalities. One F-15 Eagle, in particular, had an especially ‘colorful’ disposition and history, to say the least. BYPatrick KoepkeDec 21, 2020ShareBYThomas NewdickDec 17, 2020ShareWatch This Chinese Z-8 Naval Helicopter Fly Just Feet Off The Ground Along A HighwayIt’s not known if this hair-raising maneuver was pre-planned or not, but the big helicopter certainly makes a dramatic impression. BYThomas NewdickDec 17, 2020ShareBYThomas NewdickDec 16, 2020ShareWatch A Russian Navy Submarine Absolutely Soak Onlookers With A Mock Torpedo LaunchThe “water slug” maneuver we see here is the submarine equivalent to firing a blank from a gun. BYThomas NewdickDec 16, 2020ShareBYRobert HopkinsDec 16, 2020ShareChasing Soviet Missiles In The Cobra Ball From A Desolate Rock In The Aleutian IslandsDuring the Cold War, RC-135 Cobra Ball missile test tracking jet crews sat alert at one of the most remote and inhospitable places on earth. BYRobert HopkinsDec 16, 2020ShareBYThomas NewdickDec 15, 2020ShareThe Soviet Union’s Burya Cruise Missile Was A Little-Known Cold War MonsterThe ramjet-powered, thermonuclear-tipped beast of a cruise missile competed with early ICBMs during the Cold War. BYThomas NewdickDec 15, 2020ShareBYJamie HunterDec 15, 2020ShareInside The Air Force’s Elite Aggressor Program With One Of Its Top PilotsJourney into the shadowy world of the aggressors—where they came from, where they’re going, what it takes to become one, and what it’s like being one. BYJamie HunterDec 15, 2020ShareBYTyler Rogoway and Joseph TrevithickDec 11, 2020ShareHere Is What Each Of The Navy’s Ship-Launched Missiles Actually CostsArming America’s fleet of fighting ships is an extremely expensive endeavor. BYTyler Rogoway and Joseph TrevithickDec 11, 2020ShareBYTyler RogowayDec 10, 2020ShareHow The Once Elusive Dream Of Laser Weapons Suddenly Became A RealityOne of Lockheed Martin’s top directed energy minds explains how breakthroughs in communications and industrial tech made laser weapons possible. BYTyler RogowayDec 10, 2020ShareBYThomas NewdickDec 2, 2020ShareThe Untold Story Of How Indonesian And Australian Jets Nearly Came To Blows Over East TimorAmid rising tensions, one Indonesian Air Force Hawk pilot had an intense aerial encounter with an Australian Hornet. BYThomas NewdickDec 2, 2020ShareBYThomas NewdickDec 2, 2020ShareYes, Serbian Air Defenses Did Hit Another F-117 During Operation Allied Force In 1999New details regarding the incident confirm long-standing rumors of an F-117 being damaged by a surface-to-air missile over Serbia. BYThomas NewdickDec 2, 2020ShareBYJamie HunterNov 30, 2020ShareWhat It Is Like Flying The Most Advanced F-15 Eagle Ever BuiltA test pilot’s perspective on Qatari F-15QA trials that will pave the way to deliveries in 2021, and help the development of the USAF’s new F-15EX. BYJamie HunterNov 30, 2020ShareBYJamie HunterNov 27, 2020ShareCheck Out This AC-130 Gunship Pilot Wearing A Scorpion Helmet Mounted DisplayAC-130W pilots get a huge boost in situational awareness and more from the helmet mounted display that is usually found on fighters. BYJamie HunterNov 27, 2020ShareBYJamie HunterNov 27, 2020ShareF-15 Eagle Pilot Explains Exactly How He Downed Three Migs During Two WarsCesar “Rico” Rodriguez gives a remarkable account of how he brought down three enemy fighters, two during Desert Storm and one during Allied Force. BYJamie HunterNov 27, 2020ShareBYTyler RogowayNov 27, 2020ShareThis Shot Of An A-10, F-35, And F-22 Billowing Vapor In Formation Is Absolutely InsanePhotographing three different U.S. Air Force tactical jets with gobs of vapor pouring off of them while flying in formation is far from common. BYTyler RogowayNov 27, 2020ShareBYTyler RogowayNov 27, 2020ShareF-117 Nighthawks Now Appear To Be Flying As Adversaries In Red Flag Aerial War GamesThe F-117 force’s presence over the southwestern U.S. has greatly expanded in recent years. Now it appears to have taken on a formal aggressor role. BYTyler RogowayNov 27, 2020ShareBYTyler RogowayNov 27, 2020ShareTest Pilot Explains The YF-23 Black Widow’s Awesomely Innovative Flight Control SystemThe YF-23 was an amazing combination of cutting-edge innovations that we are still learning about. Its digital flight control system was no different. BYTyler RogowayNov 27, 2020ShareBYThomas NewdickNov 27, 2020ShareHow A Canadian Pilot Became The First Westerner To Fly The Feared MiG-29 FulcrumWith only minutes to prepare, CF-18 Hornet pilot Bob Wade was let loose in the cockpit of one of the Soviet Union’s latest fighter jets. BYThomas NewdickNov 27, 2020ShareBYJamie HunterNov 27, 2020ShareHow F-16 Testers Are Evolving The Jet’s New Radar Beyond The Homeland Defense MissionRapid deployment of a new AESA radar with the Air National Guard is being followed-up with advanced testing for the full suite of F-16 missions. BYJamie HunterNov 27, 2020ShareBYThomas NewdickNov 27, 2020ShareAir Combat Tales From Australia’s Storied Pitch Black Aerial War GamesPast participants recall incredible highlights from the big international exercise that plays out over Australia’s vast Northern Territory. BYThomas NewdickNov 27, 2020ShareBYAaron AmickNov 27, 2020ShareHow Submarine Sonarmen Tirelessly Hunt For Enemies They Can’t Even SeeThe ability to fight and win in the high-stakes game of undersea warfare is all about the art of listening. Here’s how it’s done. BYAaron AmickNov 27, 2020ShareBYThomas NewdickNov 27, 2020ShareWhy Russia’s MiG-35 Is Starting To Look Like A Dead DuckThe latest-generation Fulcrum should have been in service by now, so why isn’t it and what went wrong? BYThomas NewdickNov 27, 2020ShareBYThomas NewdickNov 27, 2020ShareThe British Had A Plan To Drop Anthrax Laced Cattle Feed Over Germany In 1942Biological weapons delivered by RAF Lancaster bombers could have led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands. BYThomas NewdickNov 27, 2020ShareBYJoseph TrevithickNov 27, 2020ShareThis Was The Largest Conventional Explosion America Ever Set OffThe deliberate detonation of nearly 4,750 tons of explosives was meant to simulate the effects of a small nuclear bomb. BYJoseph TrevithickNov 27, 2020ShareBYJamie HunterNov 27, 2020ShareCheck Out This Incredibly Rare Image Of An F-22 Pilot Wearing A Helmet Mounted DisplayWhile initiatives and tests came and went, the F-22 still doesn’t have a helmet-mounted display a decade and a half after being declared operational. BYJamie HunterNov 27, 2020ShareBYJoseph Trevithick and Tyler RogowayNov 27, 2020ShareThis Is The First Photo Ever Of A Stealthy Black Hawk HelicopterAlmost a decade since we learned of the stealth Black Hawks used in the Bin Laden raid, we have seen no images of them or of their lineage, until now. BYJoseph Trevithick and Tyler RogowayNov 27, 2020ShareBYJoseph TrevithickNov 27, 2020ShareThe Only Missile-Toting Ekranoplan Russia Ever Built Just Took Its Last Trip On The CaspianThe sole completed Lun class ekranoplan is now set to go on public display after decades of languishing in disrepair. BYJoseph TrevithickNov 27, 2020ShareBYRobert HopkinsNov 27, 2020ShareHere’s How An EC-135 Crew Pulled Off One Of The Most Jaw-Dropping Air Show Takeoffs EverWith the Cold War ending, one EC-135 airborne command post crew carefully planned to go out on top at their home air show. BYRobert HopkinsNov 27, 2020ShareBYThomas NewdickNov 27, 2020ShareRussia Releases “Tsar Bomba” Test Footage Of The Most Powerful Nuclear Bomb Blast EverThis previously classified film provides a new and fascinating glimpse into the 50-megaton Cold War nuclear test that occurred nearly six decades ago. BYThomas NewdickNov 27, 2020ShareBYCommander Colin 'Farva' PriceNov 27, 2020ShareNavy F/A-18 Squadron Commander’s Take On AI Repeatedly Beating Real Pilot In DogfightEveryone has an opinion when it comes to the stunning results of DARPA’s AlphaDogfight trials, now hear what the skipper of a fighter squadron thinks. BYCommander Colin 'Farva' PriceNov 27, 2020ShareBYJoseph Trevithick and Tyler RogowayNov 27, 2020ShareThe Potentially Revolutionary Celera 500L Aircraft Officially Breaks CoverOtto Aviation aims to disrupt the aviation landscape with a design that flies at jet speeds, but uses a fraction of the gas, and has more range. BYJoseph Trevithick and Tyler RogowayNov 27, 2020ShareBYBrett TingleyNov 27, 2020ShareThe Mysterious Cold War Case Of Unidentified Aircraft Descending On Loring Air Force BaseWhen it comes to cases involving unidentified flying objects, few are as well documented or involve as many people as what occurred at Loring in 1975. BYBrett TingleyNov 27, 2020Share1…456…13
BYThomas NewdickMar 9, 2021ShareThe Soviet Union’s Railway-Based Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Had An Inflatable NoseconeThe Soviet Union was the only country to field a fully operational rail-mobile ICBM and it had one highly unusual feature. BYThomas NewdickMar 9, 2021Share
BYJoseph TrevithickMar 8, 2021ShareWait, This Mysterious Heavily-Armored Blue Train Caboose Belongs To The Navy?The Navy is a prolific user of nuclear power and needs to protect nuclear material when traveling by rail. That’s where the armored caboose comes in. BYJoseph TrevithickMar 8, 2021Share
BYThomas NewdickMar 5, 2021ShareYes, The U.S. Navy Also Took The Spitfire Into Battle During World War IIOn the type’s 85th birthday, we celebrate the little-known and short-lived U.S. Navy Spitfire unit that fought a different kind of war over Normandy. BYThomas NewdickMar 5, 2021Share
BYTyler RogowayMar 4, 2021ShareEverything You Ever Wanted To Know About The Navy’s Ever-Evolving Aegis Combat SystemWe go in-depth with Lockheed’s point man on Aegis about the combat system’s revolutionary past, evolving present, and universal future. BYTyler RogowayMar 4, 2021Share
BYJames DeboerFeb 24, 2021ShareHow The World’s First Privately Owned Fleet Of F-16 Aggressor Jets Became A RealityTop Aces has ambitions to disrupt the growing adversary air contractor market with 29 F-16s and a lot of experienced pilots in their cockpits. BYJames DeboerFeb 24, 2021Share
BYTyler RogowayFeb 19, 2021ShareCheck Out This Rare Formation Of Navy Reserve Fighters Over Gorgeous Key WestThe formation included one jet from each of the Navy’s reserve squadrons that belong to the Tactical Support Wing. BYTyler RogowayFeb 19, 2021Share
BYThomas NewdickFeb 19, 2021ShareThere Were Doomsday Ships Ready To Ride Out Nuclear Armageddon Before There Were Doomsday PlanesHad nuclear war broken out, three different presidents could have sought refuge aboard the Navy’s unique ‘Floating White Houses.’ BYThomas NewdickFeb 19, 2021Share
BYJoseph TrevithickFeb 16, 2021ShareHere’s Our Best Look Yet At Russia’s Secretive Space Cannon, The Only Gun Ever Fired In SpaceBased on a design that was intended to protect bombers, the R-23M cannon had an unusual and closely guard design, to begin with. BYJoseph TrevithickFeb 16, 2021Share
BYThomas NewdickFeb 16, 2021ShareTake A Rare Look Inside Russia’s Doomsday Ballistic Missile Warning SystemAs Russia’s early warning network marks 50 years of service, one of its satellite control centers opened its doors. BYThomas NewdickFeb 16, 2021Share
BYThomas NewdickFeb 14, 2021ShareThe Oddly Shaped USS Grayback Was A Cold War Submarine Like No OtherThe remarkable sub’s story includes launching fighter-sized cruise missiles, attempting to rescue Vietnam War PoWs, and getting painted bright orange. BYThomas NewdickFeb 14, 2021Share
BYTyler Rogoway and Joseph TrevithickFeb 13, 2021ShareObscure 23-Year Old Navy SAM Was So Ahead Of Its Time That It’s Still In High Demand TodayThe SM-2 Block IIIB’s dual-mode guidance system is still unique among the missiles the Navy’s fleet uses to defend against aerial threats. BYTyler Rogoway and Joseph TrevithickFeb 13, 2021Share
BYThomas NewdickFeb 12, 2021ShareThere’s One Place In The World Where AC-47 Spooky Gunships Still FlyVeterans of the country’s counterinsurgency campaigns, the Colombian Air Force’s antique Fantasma gunships are still going strong. BYThomas NewdickFeb 12, 2021Share
BYTyler RogowayFeb 5, 2021ShareListen To The Terrifying Mechanical Growl Of A Tu-95 Bear Passing OverheadThe video is one of the best examples of the Tu-95 Bear’s 60,000-horsepower orchestra playing its thunderous fortissimo. BYTyler RogowayFeb 5, 2021Share
BYThomas NewdickFeb 4, 2021ShareFace-Off Over The Aegean: How Greek And Turkish Air Forces Stack UpWith tensions rising over energy reserves in the Aegean Sea, the disgruntled neighbors have air arms that are well-equipped and at high readiness. BYThomas NewdickFeb 4, 2021Share
BYTyler Rogoway and Joseph TrevithickFeb 2, 2021ShareThe B-21 Raider Bomber Combined Test Force Has A Ridiculously Sinister Shakespearean MottoThe team tasked with turning the world’s most advanced and sinister aircraft into a reliable weapon of war has one ominous but relevant motto. BYTyler Rogoway and Joseph TrevithickFeb 2, 2021Share
BYEdward ChangJan 28, 2021ShareHow The Iran Hostage Rescue Was Supposed To Go Down If It Hadn’t Ended Early In DisasterOperation Eagle Claw was amazingly complex with incredible risks at every turn. Here is exactly how it was supposed to go down, step by step. BYEdward ChangJan 28, 2021Share
BYThomas NewdickJan 26, 2021ShareAir Force Fighters Almost Got An Air-Launched Ballistic Missile 40 Years Ago, Now They’re A Hot ItemThe system would have let jet fighters rain guided ballistic missiles down on enemy forces, a concept that has now come of age. BYThomas NewdickJan 26, 2021Share
BYJamie HunterJan 26, 2021ShareFighter Pilots Reveal Why You Don’t Want To Mess With The A-10 Warthog In A DogfightPilots discuss how the A-10 Warthog’s tight turning radius coupled with its big gun means it can sting even the best fighters in a dogfight. BYJamie HunterJan 26, 2021Share
BYThomas NewdickJan 25, 2021ShareThe “Lady Bird Special” Was The Lowliest Of Air Force One AircraftPresident Lyndon B. Johnson used the small King Air to access his beloved ranch in Texas. BYThomas NewdickJan 25, 2021Share
BYStephen WalkerJan 21, 2021ShareThe Truth About Going From Flying Airplanes To HelicoptersThey both fly, but they are essentially very different animals. The good, the bad, and the ugly of going from fixed-wing to rotary-wing flying. BYStephen WalkerJan 21, 2021Share
BYThomas NewdickJan 20, 2021ShareRoyal Air Force Turned A Torpedo Bomber Into A Flying Flamethrower During World War IIWith the weapon installed, the aircraft could spew a terrifying stream of flame behind it, but that doesn’t mean it was effective. BYThomas NewdickJan 20, 2021Share
BYThomas NewdickJan 18, 2021ShareThe Story Of The Jet That Would Have Delivered South Africa’s Nuclear BombThe British-made Buccaneer strike aircraft was adapted to carry apartheid-era South Africa’s guided nuclear bomb. BYThomas NewdickJan 18, 2021Share
BYJamie HunterJan 15, 2021ShareHow British Tornados Used A Special Weapon To Ravage Saddam’s Airfields In Daring Desert Storm RaidsSlamming Iraq’s bases at ultra low level with JP233 runway denial weapons was among the riskiest Royal Air Force combat actions since World War II. BYJamie HunterJan 15, 2021Share
BYThomas NewdickJan 9, 2021ShareThis Stretched Super FB-111 Was A Low-Cost Challenger To The B-1 BomberWith the B-1 canceled, the Air Force looked to a radically revised, truly strategic FB-111 variant that carried more than double the fuel and weapons. BYThomas NewdickJan 9, 2021Share
BYSarah Scoles—Popular ScienceJan 5, 2021ShareAn A-12 Oxcart Spyplane Crashed Near Area 51 In 1967. This Is How One Explorer Found It.Some people hunt for buried gold, a small number of others hunt for bits of titanium laced with aerospace history. BYSarah Scoles—Popular ScienceJan 5, 2021Share
BYTyler RogowayJan 1, 2021ShareBehold The SR-71 Blackbird’s Nest At DawnTwo of the historic SR-71 Blackbird hangars that once lined Beale Air Force’s Base’s main apron are still standing today. BYTyler RogowayJan 1, 2021Share
BYKevin Noonan and Tyler RogowayDec 30, 2020ShareReflections And Wisdom From A Cold War Submarine HunterWe talk about what was and what could have been for the S-3 Viking, and about the future of the Navy’s shrunken sub-hunting force. BYKevin Noonan and Tyler RogowayDec 30, 2020Share
BYKevin Noonan and Tyler RogowayDec 30, 2020ShareFighting World War Three In A Fjord And Chasing Soviet Submarines In The S-3 VikingIt was the twilight of the Cold War and both Kevin Noonan and his S-3 Viking were maturing into more potent and wise weapons of war. BYKevin Noonan and Tyler RogowayDec 30, 2020Share
BYKevin Noonan and Tyler RogowayDec 30, 2020ShareConfessions Of A Submarine Hunting S-3 Viking Crewman During The Twilight Of The Cold WarHow the shadowy art of anti-submarine aerial warfare works and what it was like putting it to use while barreling through the sky in an S-3 Viking. BYKevin Noonan and Tyler RogowayDec 30, 2020Share
BYKevin Noonan and Tyler RogowayDec 30, 2020ShareThe Making Of A Submarine Hunting S-3 Viking CrewmanThis is what it took to become a sub hunter tasked with protecting America’s carrier battle groups at the twilight of the Cold War. BYKevin Noonan and Tyler RogowayDec 30, 2020Share
BYThomas NewdickDec 29, 2020ShareThe Tale Of A World War II British Submarine That Shot Down An Enemy Plane With A TorpedoHistory has almost forgotten the World War II submarine crew that claimed a unique “kill” of an enemy aircraft in the Mediterranean. BYThomas NewdickDec 29, 2020Share
BYTyler RogowayDec 27, 2020ShareThis Is All The Survival Gear That Apache Attack Helicopter Crews Fly Into Combat WithHope for the best, prepare for the worst! BYTyler RogowayDec 27, 2020Share
BYThomas NewdickDec 24, 2020ShareBritain’s Shackleton Radar Plane Was Born As An Already Antiquated Cold War DinosaurThe RAF’s future E-7 early warning aircraft will now be headed for the Shackleton’s old stomping grounds at RAF Lossiemouth. BYThomas NewdickDec 24, 2020Share
BYPatrick KoepkeDec 21, 2020ShareAn Eagle Named Opus: The Legend Of The Air Force’s Most Notorious F-15Aircraft have their own unique personalities. One F-15 Eagle, in particular, had an especially ‘colorful’ disposition and history, to say the least. BYPatrick KoepkeDec 21, 2020Share
BYThomas NewdickDec 17, 2020ShareWatch This Chinese Z-8 Naval Helicopter Fly Just Feet Off The Ground Along A HighwayIt’s not known if this hair-raising maneuver was pre-planned or not, but the big helicopter certainly makes a dramatic impression. BYThomas NewdickDec 17, 2020Share
BYThomas NewdickDec 16, 2020ShareWatch A Russian Navy Submarine Absolutely Soak Onlookers With A Mock Torpedo LaunchThe “water slug” maneuver we see here is the submarine equivalent to firing a blank from a gun. BYThomas NewdickDec 16, 2020Share
BYRobert HopkinsDec 16, 2020ShareChasing Soviet Missiles In The Cobra Ball From A Desolate Rock In The Aleutian IslandsDuring the Cold War, RC-135 Cobra Ball missile test tracking jet crews sat alert at one of the most remote and inhospitable places on earth. BYRobert HopkinsDec 16, 2020Share
BYThomas NewdickDec 15, 2020ShareThe Soviet Union’s Burya Cruise Missile Was A Little-Known Cold War MonsterThe ramjet-powered, thermonuclear-tipped beast of a cruise missile competed with early ICBMs during the Cold War. BYThomas NewdickDec 15, 2020Share
BYJamie HunterDec 15, 2020ShareInside The Air Force’s Elite Aggressor Program With One Of Its Top PilotsJourney into the shadowy world of the aggressors—where they came from, where they’re going, what it takes to become one, and what it’s like being one. BYJamie HunterDec 15, 2020Share
BYTyler Rogoway and Joseph TrevithickDec 11, 2020ShareHere Is What Each Of The Navy’s Ship-Launched Missiles Actually CostsArming America’s fleet of fighting ships is an extremely expensive endeavor. BYTyler Rogoway and Joseph TrevithickDec 11, 2020Share
BYTyler RogowayDec 10, 2020ShareHow The Once Elusive Dream Of Laser Weapons Suddenly Became A RealityOne of Lockheed Martin’s top directed energy minds explains how breakthroughs in communications and industrial tech made laser weapons possible. BYTyler RogowayDec 10, 2020Share
BYThomas NewdickDec 2, 2020ShareThe Untold Story Of How Indonesian And Australian Jets Nearly Came To Blows Over East TimorAmid rising tensions, one Indonesian Air Force Hawk pilot had an intense aerial encounter with an Australian Hornet. BYThomas NewdickDec 2, 2020Share
BYThomas NewdickDec 2, 2020ShareYes, Serbian Air Defenses Did Hit Another F-117 During Operation Allied Force In 1999New details regarding the incident confirm long-standing rumors of an F-117 being damaged by a surface-to-air missile over Serbia. BYThomas NewdickDec 2, 2020Share
BYJamie HunterNov 30, 2020ShareWhat It Is Like Flying The Most Advanced F-15 Eagle Ever BuiltA test pilot’s perspective on Qatari F-15QA trials that will pave the way to deliveries in 2021, and help the development of the USAF’s new F-15EX. BYJamie HunterNov 30, 2020Share
BYJamie HunterNov 27, 2020ShareCheck Out This AC-130 Gunship Pilot Wearing A Scorpion Helmet Mounted DisplayAC-130W pilots get a huge boost in situational awareness and more from the helmet mounted display that is usually found on fighters. BYJamie HunterNov 27, 2020Share
BYJamie HunterNov 27, 2020ShareF-15 Eagle Pilot Explains Exactly How He Downed Three Migs During Two WarsCesar “Rico” Rodriguez gives a remarkable account of how he brought down three enemy fighters, two during Desert Storm and one during Allied Force. BYJamie HunterNov 27, 2020Share
BYTyler RogowayNov 27, 2020ShareThis Shot Of An A-10, F-35, And F-22 Billowing Vapor In Formation Is Absolutely InsanePhotographing three different U.S. Air Force tactical jets with gobs of vapor pouring off of them while flying in formation is far from common. BYTyler RogowayNov 27, 2020Share
BYTyler RogowayNov 27, 2020ShareF-117 Nighthawks Now Appear To Be Flying As Adversaries In Red Flag Aerial War GamesThe F-117 force’s presence over the southwestern U.S. has greatly expanded in recent years. Now it appears to have taken on a formal aggressor role. BYTyler RogowayNov 27, 2020Share
BYTyler RogowayNov 27, 2020ShareTest Pilot Explains The YF-23 Black Widow’s Awesomely Innovative Flight Control SystemThe YF-23 was an amazing combination of cutting-edge innovations that we are still learning about. Its digital flight control system was no different. BYTyler RogowayNov 27, 2020Share
BYThomas NewdickNov 27, 2020ShareHow A Canadian Pilot Became The First Westerner To Fly The Feared MiG-29 FulcrumWith only minutes to prepare, CF-18 Hornet pilot Bob Wade was let loose in the cockpit of one of the Soviet Union’s latest fighter jets. BYThomas NewdickNov 27, 2020Share
BYJamie HunterNov 27, 2020ShareHow F-16 Testers Are Evolving The Jet’s New Radar Beyond The Homeland Defense MissionRapid deployment of a new AESA radar with the Air National Guard is being followed-up with advanced testing for the full suite of F-16 missions. BYJamie HunterNov 27, 2020Share
BYThomas NewdickNov 27, 2020ShareAir Combat Tales From Australia’s Storied Pitch Black Aerial War GamesPast participants recall incredible highlights from the big international exercise that plays out over Australia’s vast Northern Territory. BYThomas NewdickNov 27, 2020Share
BYAaron AmickNov 27, 2020ShareHow Submarine Sonarmen Tirelessly Hunt For Enemies They Can’t Even SeeThe ability to fight and win in the high-stakes game of undersea warfare is all about the art of listening. Here’s how it’s done. BYAaron AmickNov 27, 2020Share
BYThomas NewdickNov 27, 2020ShareWhy Russia’s MiG-35 Is Starting To Look Like A Dead DuckThe latest-generation Fulcrum should have been in service by now, so why isn’t it and what went wrong? BYThomas NewdickNov 27, 2020Share
BYThomas NewdickNov 27, 2020ShareThe British Had A Plan To Drop Anthrax Laced Cattle Feed Over Germany In 1942Biological weapons delivered by RAF Lancaster bombers could have led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands. BYThomas NewdickNov 27, 2020Share
BYJoseph TrevithickNov 27, 2020ShareThis Was The Largest Conventional Explosion America Ever Set OffThe deliberate detonation of nearly 4,750 tons of explosives was meant to simulate the effects of a small nuclear bomb. BYJoseph TrevithickNov 27, 2020Share
BYJamie HunterNov 27, 2020ShareCheck Out This Incredibly Rare Image Of An F-22 Pilot Wearing A Helmet Mounted DisplayWhile initiatives and tests came and went, the F-22 still doesn’t have a helmet-mounted display a decade and a half after being declared operational. BYJamie HunterNov 27, 2020Share
BYJoseph Trevithick and Tyler RogowayNov 27, 2020ShareThis Is The First Photo Ever Of A Stealthy Black Hawk HelicopterAlmost a decade since we learned of the stealth Black Hawks used in the Bin Laden raid, we have seen no images of them or of their lineage, until now. BYJoseph Trevithick and Tyler RogowayNov 27, 2020Share
BYJoseph TrevithickNov 27, 2020ShareThe Only Missile-Toting Ekranoplan Russia Ever Built Just Took Its Last Trip On The CaspianThe sole completed Lun class ekranoplan is now set to go on public display after decades of languishing in disrepair. BYJoseph TrevithickNov 27, 2020Share
BYRobert HopkinsNov 27, 2020ShareHere’s How An EC-135 Crew Pulled Off One Of The Most Jaw-Dropping Air Show Takeoffs EverWith the Cold War ending, one EC-135 airborne command post crew carefully planned to go out on top at their home air show. BYRobert HopkinsNov 27, 2020Share
BYThomas NewdickNov 27, 2020ShareRussia Releases “Tsar Bomba” Test Footage Of The Most Powerful Nuclear Bomb Blast EverThis previously classified film provides a new and fascinating glimpse into the 50-megaton Cold War nuclear test that occurred nearly six decades ago. BYThomas NewdickNov 27, 2020Share
BYCommander Colin 'Farva' PriceNov 27, 2020ShareNavy F/A-18 Squadron Commander’s Take On AI Repeatedly Beating Real Pilot In DogfightEveryone has an opinion when it comes to the stunning results of DARPA’s AlphaDogfight trials, now hear what the skipper of a fighter squadron thinks. BYCommander Colin 'Farva' PriceNov 27, 2020Share
BYJoseph Trevithick and Tyler RogowayNov 27, 2020ShareThe Potentially Revolutionary Celera 500L Aircraft Officially Breaks CoverOtto Aviation aims to disrupt the aviation landscape with a design that flies at jet speeds, but uses a fraction of the gas, and has more range. BYJoseph Trevithick and Tyler RogowayNov 27, 2020Share
BYBrett TingleyNov 27, 2020ShareThe Mysterious Cold War Case Of Unidentified Aircraft Descending On Loring Air Force BaseWhen it comes to cases involving unidentified flying objects, few are as well documented or involve as many people as what occurred at Loring in 1975. BYBrett TingleyNov 27, 2020Share