What is the best fighter jet in America’s arsenal?

When it comes to American air dominance, no platform gets more attention than the high-cost and high-performance F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. Of course, the F-35’s monopoly on the media’s attention makes a fair amount of sense: by most accounts, it’s the most technologically advanced and expensive aircraft ever to enter the fight, and thanks to […]

Dutch pilot makes emergency landing after shooting up his own F-16

The pilot of a Dutch F-16 reportedly managed to fly into his own trail of cannon fire in January, causing serious damage to the aircraft and forcing him to execute an emergency landing. The F-16 Fighting Falcon is, in many ways, the precursor to America’s new crown jewel, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. Like the […]

Conflict between India and Pakistan shows the dogfighting era is far from over

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 […]

Conflict between India and Pakistan shows the dogfighting era is far from over

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 […]

New technology makes the F-22 deadlier, and the F-35 a bit less special

The Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor, the world’s first ever fifth-generation fighter, is still widely considered to be not only a superior dogfighter to the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter but likely, the most capable air superiority fighter on the planet. Its unique combination of stealth characteristics, speed, and maneuverability set it apart from acrobatic fourth-generation fighters […]

American drone scores first ever air-to-air kill in training

The use of drones has changed the way the U.S. and its competitors conduct combat operations. Yet despite the broad capabilities touted by America’s varied drone aircraft, some combat operations remain too complex for the pilotless planes. For years, air-to-air engagements were among those operations best left to manned aircraft. But a recent announcement from […]