Evidence seems to be mounting that Russian air and missile defenses aren’t effective

Evidence seems to be mounting that Russian air and missile defenses aren’t effective

Last week, members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard fired 20 rockets into the Israeli controlled Golan Heights. Four of the incoming rockets were intercepted and the remaining 16 resulted in zero casualties and little damage to Israeli equipment. As ineffective as the attack was strategically, it had far-reaching symbolic implications. In response, Israel launched a […]

Repairs on the USS Gerald R. Ford engines and elevators to cost another $120 million

Repairs on the USS Gerald R. Ford engines and elevators to cost another $120 million

Last week, SOFREP reported on a previously undisclosed breakdown of the Navy’s newest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, that took place in during sea trials in January of this year. The issue, determined to be a manufacturing defect in the GE sourced main thrust bearings, resulted in two separate breakdowns, the second of […]

Boeing has plans to turn the B-1B into a gun ship, but is it a flight of fancy?

Boeing has plans to turn the B-1B into a gun ship, but is it a flight of fancy?

On May 8th of this year, Boeing was granted a patent that shows a number of potential cannon configurations for legendary supersonic bomber, the B-1B Lancer. The patent’s details range from conformal pods that house turrets to a suspension system that would allow massive cannons to be lowered from the bomber’s payload doors. While the […]

Twitter Diplomacy: How Russia’s Foreign Ministry uses social media like a millennial

Twitter Diplomacy: How Russia’s Foreign Ministry uses social media like a millennial

In this line of work, you grow pretty accustomed to reading between the lines in diplomatic correspondence. Aside from President Trump, most national figures and diplomats have a way of dancing around a subject through clever phrasing and word choices, ensuring that even the most damning of accusations are delivered in a manner that retains […]

US scrambles F-22s to intercept Russian bombers near Alaska again — you shouldn’t dismiss it

US scrambles F-22s to intercept Russian bombers near Alaska again — you shouldn’t dismiss it

Russia’s Tu-95 Bear long range bombers are not an entirely uncommon presence near American or allied airspace. These long range, heavy payload bombers are often flown within other country’s Air Defense Identification Zones, prompting a response from domestic intercept fighters tasked with identifying and escorting the Russian aircraft away from their sovereign airspace. While not […]

Old Man Fitness: What does ‘Old Man Fitness’ actually mean?

Old Man Fitness: What does ‘Old Man Fitness’ actually mean?

For many of us, fitness isn’t just a form of escape or a means to an athletic end — in some ways, it’s also a constant source of anxiety. As I get older (and the odometer on my injuries continues to climb) my body responds to workouts differently, my results become less pronounced, and the […]

Drone bodyguards and missile interceptors: The Navy’s plan to defend their unarmed aircraft

Drone bodyguards and missile interceptors: The Navy’s plan to defend their unarmed aircraft

Last week, a Russian Su-27 fighter intercepted an unarmed U.S. Navy P-8 surveillance plane while flying in international airspace over the increasingly contested Baltic Sea. The intercept, like many before it, was characterized as “unprofessional” by American Defense Officials, but received little fanfare in the American media. Why? Well, in short, it’s because these sorts […]

More problems for the Navy’s newest carrier — now it’s the propulsion system

More problems for the Navy’s newest carrier — now it’s the propulsion system

A previously undisclosed issue with the Navy’s newest and most advanced aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, forced it to return to port during shakedown testing in January, the branch admitted this week. For the second time, an issue with the carrier, which cost just short of $13 billion to build, has raised questions […]

Russia claims its unmanned drone-tank has seen combat in Syria — but has it?

Russia claims its unmanned drone-tank has seen combat in Syria — but has it?

Russia has been providing Bashar al Assad’s Syrian regime with direct military support throughout the past seven years of the nation’s ongoing civil war, which has provided Russia with a testing ground to feature some of their more advanced weapons systems and platforms. Everything from Russia’s latest cruise missile, the Kalibr, to their oft-touted but […]