China’s second aircraft carrier enters service — Where do they stand compared to the US?

China’s People’s Liberation Army–Navy just reached a significant milestone in its efforts to develop a globally-capable “blue water” navy, as the nation’s second aircraft carrier entered service on Tuesday. China’s new carrier, dubbed the Shandong, is not only China’s first home-built vessel of its type, it also earns the nation a place in the elite […]

Watch: Russia’s troubled aircraft carrier just burst into flames (again)

Russia’s only aircraft carrier, the long-troubled Admiral Kuznetsov, last saw action in 2016 in support of Pro-Assad forces in Syria. That deployment proved embarrassing for the Russian military: it lost two aircraft as they attempted to land onto the ship’s flight deck. When its rotation was over, the Admiral skulked back to Russian waters spewing […]

Ending the ‘forever wars?’ US to deploy more troops to defend Saudi Arabia from Iran

The Pentagon announced plans to deploy 1,500 more troops to Saudi Arabia on Friday, including two fighter squadrons, one air expeditionary wing, two Patriot missile batteries, and a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system. This decision comes shortly after President Trump announced the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Northern Syria, a move that has […]

China’s new rocket powered drone is a purpose-built carrier killer

Over the past few weeks, images of China’s new supersonic-capable, unarmed reconnaissance drone have begun making their way online, and SOFREP was among the first to notice that the design bears a striking resemblance to a similar platform employed over China by the United States in the 1960s. However, China’s propensity for stealing aircraft designs […]

Ask A Fighter Pilot: Hand Signals On The Flight Deck!

Question: I really enjoy the cruise videos from the Navy guys. There’s just something about the teamwork and precision required by everyone on deck that I find both fascinating and thrilling. I have noticed that different pilots use different hand signals to the deck crew right on takeoff. Sometimes it’s a simple salute and thumbs […]

The US can launch F-35s from way more ships than you might think

The United States employs the largest and most powerful fleet of aircraft carriers in the world, composed largely of the 100,000-plus-ton Nimitz-class and soon adding advanced Ford-class vessels to the operational mix. These ships provide the nation with its most potent force projection capabilities, and along with their accompanying strike groups, each represent more firepower […]

America’s secret aircraft carriers: The US can launch F-35s from more ships than you think

The United States employs the largest and most powerful fleet of aircraft carriers in the world, composed largely of the 100,000-plus-ton Nimitz-class and soon adding advanced Ford-class vessels to the operational mix. These ships provide the nation with its most potent force projection capabilities, and along with their accompanying strike groups, each represent more firepower […]

Breaking: 2 Marine Corps F/A-18 Hornets make contact over 29 Palms, manage to land

Two Marine Corps F/A-18 Hornets reportedly collided in mid-air over Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California on Tuesday. The fighters were reportedly conducting close-air support training when they came into contact with one another, causing what the Marine Corps has classified as a Class A mishap; indicating that the amount of damage […]