Category: Aviation

America’s first fifth-generation fighter, the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor, is widely considered to be the best air superiority fighter on the planet. The combination of its low observability and high performance makes it America’s heavyweight contender in the battle for air supremacy, even in the era of the data-fusing F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. While the […]

Mike Doyle is an active Special Weapons and Tactics team member, known as S.W.A.T. He also hosts a podcast called Tactical Tangents that delves into decision making, critical thinking, problem solving, leadership, and teamwork. The mission of the S.W.A.T. team is to provide the police department with the capability to resolve high-risk situations. Examples of […]

A U.S. Air Force F-16CM Fighting Falcon, assigned to the 79th Fighter Squadron, takes off from the flightline during Exercise Red Flag 19-1 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., Jan. 28, 2019. The 79th FS, otherwise known as the “Tigers,” served as an air superiority role, performing various missions intended to test their job proficiency […]

With the exception of one engagement over Syria in 2017, the United States has not found any of its fighters in a good old-fashioned “dogfight” since the early 1990s. Throughout much of the world, the same can be said for most other national militaries. As a result (and bolstered by new fighter technologies), there’s a […]

Flying combat operations with a high degree of efficacy requires a broad skill set and, as some pilots describe it, “supreme confidence” in your ability to manage both the situation and the $90 million worth of supersonic state secrets secured to your ejection seat. America’s fighter pilots average about three times the flight experience of […]

U.S. Air Force Airmen and aircraft from the 75th Fighter Squadron at Moody Air Force Base, Ga., return from supporting Operation Freedom’s Sentinel, Jan. 25, 2019. The A-10C Thunderbolt II, which has an increased loiter time and weapons capabilities, deployed to Southwest Asia in support of ground forces.   U.S. Air Force photo by Airman […]

On Wednesday, Boeing unveiled its Airpower Teaming System, also referred to as “Loyal Wingman,” at the Australian International Airshow at Avalon. The announcement included a display mock-up of the aircraft that is currently in development, as well as some pertinent details about what the Loyal Wingman program offers not only Australia, but allied nations on […]

A C-17 Globemaster III takes off from an airfield in an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia, Jan. 31, 2019. The 386th Expeditionary Medical Group facilitates transfers of ill personnel from across the area of responsibility back to the United States or other locations to receive required care.   U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. […]

Ever since the story broke that the U.S. Air Force was considering the purchase of new F-15 airframes, dubbed the F-15X, pundits and analysts alike have debated why the branch would be willing to devote billions of dollars to procure a fourth-generation aircraft in the era of stealth-capable fifth-generation platforms. Put simply, the question has […]

Following reports of F-117(s) spotted flying in Nevada and Eastern California last week, Dutch aviation magazine “Scramble” is now reporting that four of the retired stealth aircraft were actually conducting classified air strikes over Syria as recently as 2017. Scramble is a magazine published by an aviation society of the same name and dates back […]

The thing about fighter jets is that just about every developed nation in the world has some, and while the capabilities of these aircraft vary greatly from platform to platform, it’s hard to withhold the awe you experience seeing any one of these purpose-built aviation marvels do their thing. And for the most part, those […]

An F-16 Fighting Falcon flies over the coast of Florida during a training sortie during a deployment at Patrick Air Force Base, Feb. 4, 2019. The Patrick AFB training provides the strategic agility needed to fight against a formidable and aggressive adversary in a continually strained fiscal environment.   Air National Guard photo by Senior […]