The Pic of the Day: Landing the Harrier at sea

The Pic of the Day: Landing the Harrier at sea

A U.S. Marine Corps AV-8B Harrier aircraft attached to Marine Attack Squadron 211, embarked aboard the forward-deployed amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2), lands on the ship?s flight deck during a mock amphibious assault exercise in support of Talisman Sabre 2009 while under way in the Coral Sea July 16, 2009. Talisman Sabre is […]

Meet NATO’s top pilot: Greek Captain Kosmas Xalaris

Meet NATO’s top pilot: Greek Captain Kosmas Xalaris

A Hellenic Air Force (HAF) pilot has been named NATO’s Best Warrior for 2018. Captain Kosmas Xalaris was voted by his NATO colleagues as the best overall pilot in the Tactical Leadership Programme (TLP). The competition happened between September 10 and October 4, during the 3rd Air Training Series for 2018. The Greek pilots participated […]

Government projections say America’s next fighter could cost $300 million per plane — here’s why that’s misleading

Government projections say America’s next fighter could cost $300 million per plane — here’s why that’s misleading

The Congressional Budget Office released a new report recently that indicated that America’s forthcoming air-superiority fighter, currently known only as the Penetrating Counter Air (PCA) program, could cost as much as $300 million per air frame. As a result, headlines painting the program as yet another example of rampant and unchecked government spending have flooded […]

The Pic of the Day: F-15 releases flares

The Pic of the Day: F-15 releases flares

A U.S. Air Force F-15C Eagle aircraft from the 44th Fighter Squadron out of Kadena Air Base, Japan, releases a flare over Okinawa, Japan, July 22, 2009, during a total solar eclipse. (DoD photo by Airman 1st Class Chad Warren, U.S. Air Force/Released)

Why the future of military aviation isn’t unmanned — at least for now

Why the future of military aviation isn’t unmanned — at least for now

With a rapidly developing military drone industry growing in prominence the world over, and heavyweight defense contractors like Northrop Grumman devoting a large portion of their overall R&D programs to unmanned aerial vehicles, it’s easy to see that the future of military aviation will be largely unmanned. The benefits of such a transition are extensive, […]

The Pic of the Day: Landing a Greyhound on a carrier

The Pic of the Day: Landing a Greyhound on a carrier

A U.S. Navy C-2A Greyhound, assigned to the ‘Rawhides’ of Fleet Logistic Support Squadron (VRC) 40, lands aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) in the Mediterranean Sea Nov. 25, 2018. Currently operating in the U.S. Sixth Fleet area of operations, Harry S. Truman will continue to foster cooperation with regional […]

Watch: Ever wonder how they test ejection seats? With rocket trains, of course

Watch: Ever wonder how they test ejection seats? With rocket trains, of course

Having to eject from an aircraft is never a good day — even when everything goes well. The human body just isn’t designed to withstand the sort of punishment a fighter pilot experiences when he or she makes the decision to ditch, but thanks to a great deal of research and experimentation, humanity has somehow […]