Jonathan Derden

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Trilateral Exercise: Sharpening The Sword

“In order to assure an adequate national defense, it is necessary — and sufficient — to be in a position in case of war to conquer the command of the air.” – Italian General Giulio Douhet, The Command of the Air Early on in the age of the airplane, convincing leaders air power was key […]

Burner Friday: Royal Air Force Tornado GR4

The UK’s Royal Air Force, having been a background player in the fight against Daesh, recently began their first strikes in Syria following a Parliament vote in favor of the campaign. Within hours, five-hundred-pound Paveway bombs fell with the most forceful of intentions from Panavia Tornado GR4 fighter-bombers onto Daesh-controlled oil fields. The swing-wing Tornado, affectionately known as the […]

The Mighty Ike Hosts The Joint Strike Fighter!

In October 2015, a pair of Lockheed Martin F-35Cs from the US Navy’s Air Test and Evaluation Squadron Two Three (VX-23) and a test team from Patuxent River deployed aboard the USS Eisenhower (CVN-69) for the test period dubbed Developmental Test II. The “Mighty Ike” steamed off the mid-Atlantic seaboard while the two F-35Cs and […]

Happy Birthday To The Swamp Fox!

Sixty-nine years ago today, the National Guard Bureau handed down the charter formally recognizing the 157th Fighter Squadron as a unit of the South Carolina Air National Guard. The Swamp Fox was born. From the beginning, the 157FS was based at Congaree Air Station east of Columbia, a Joint National Guard base now named McEntire […]

From The Cockpit: Strike Fighter Ball 2015 (Atlantic)

We’ve seen what the Navy’s west coast Hornet squadrons have offered up for their video this year – it was stunning work and set the bar high. However, not to be outdone by their longitudinally challenged brethren out west, Strike Fighter Wing Atlantic (SWFL) now has their very own 2015 video honoring the Hornet/Super Hornet squadrons […]

AirAsia Airbus Crash Report Released

The National Transportation Safety Committee (NTSC) of Indonesia has released their final report on the December 2014 crash of Indonesia AirAsia flight QZ8501, which plunged into the Java Sea while enroute from Surabaya to Singapore-Changi International. As with any accident, this crash occurred after a series of cascading events took place, ultimately resulting in the […]