Fightersweep

The introduction of drones has, in many ways, changed the face of warfare. Between long duration loitering, reconnaissance and even direct fire support, drones have already proven their value on the battlefield. It seems likely that, in the years to come, we’ll only see more autonomous aircraft in the skies above our war fighters. However, […]

At the close of 2018, it seemed that 2019 might finally be the year Lockheed Martin’s flagship F-35 Joint Strike Fighter would start beating back the critics and proving the most expensive weapons platform in history was worth the cost and delays. With F-35s finally entering the fight with both the Israeli military and the […]

U.S. Air Force Capt. Jacob Impellizzeri, the Pacific Air Forces’ F-16 Fighting Falcon Demonstration Team commander, performs during the Tsuiki Air Festival at Tsuiki Air Base, Japan, Nov. 25, 2018. Impellizzeri executed 17 maneuvers during the 20-minute display of the F-16’s capabilities.   U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Xiomara M. Martinez

Today we are going to look at the process of becoming a Naval Aviator, specifically a Strike Fighter Pilot in the F/A-18 Hornet/Super Hornet community! We will look at all of the phases of the process, from commissioning all the way to the fleet, illustrating see why those pilot who wear the Wings of Gold […]

Could small, loitering munitions be the future of close air support (CAS)? The U.S. military has been experimenting with the notion for some time. The first-ever loitering munition to enter the U.S. military’s arsenal was the AeroVironment Switchblade in 2012. The Switchblade is a small and light unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that can be launched […]

The latest Pentagon assessment of the F-35 program has reached the media, and with the long-delayed fighter finally entering combat operations with the Marine Corps late last year, one would think the report would offer some good news for the most advanced fighter on the planet. Unfortunately, it doesn’t. In fact, those first F-35s to […]

A U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet peels away from a 28th Expeditionary Aerial Refueling Squadron KC-135 Stratotanker after refueling during a mission in support of Operation Freedom Sentinel over Afghanistan, Dec. 14, 2018. The Super Hornet is deployed to highlight the mobility, flexibility and power projection capabilities of the U.S. Navy.   U.S. Air Force […]

When I was a kid, blessed with my ignorance of geopolitics and the looming rise of terrorism, I was aware of only a few legitimate threats to my safety and well-being. Rocky, I was aware, had already successfully defused the Cold War through the art of boxing, which left only looming concerns about clowns, quicksand […]

A little while back, Fighter Sweep ask asked about what it’s really like to take a fighter up above the Mach barrier. We asked C.W. Lemoine, author and former F-16 and F/A-18 pilot to break it down for us. Here’s what he had to say: Dear Fightersweep, What’s it like going supersonic? That has to […]

U.S. Navy Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Handling) 3rd Class Ashley Crescimanno, from Albany, New York, directs an F/A-18E Super Hornet, assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 97, on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) in the Arabian Gulf, Jan. 17, 2019, during exercise Intrepid Sentinel. Intrepid Sentinel brings together […]

There are two surefire ways to gather a crowd and get them looking at the sky: one’s an air show and the other is fireworks. Unless you’re the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), that is–they’ve combined both into one hell of a light show. On January 26th, as the nation gathered to celebrate Australia Day, […]

In separate incidents, two medical transportation aircraft went down in Ohio and Alaska–one rotor wing and one fixed wing. In total, all six of the flight crew members involved in the incidents are presumed dead. It’s not believed either aircraft carried patients at the time of the crashes. On Tuesday, Ohio State Highway Patrol confirmed […]