F-35

Gunnar Jeanette is a professional race car driver. At the age of 18 he became the youngest ever driver to finish the 24 hours of Le Mans. He has since raced there an additional seven times. He also competed in the American Le Mans Series, the Rolex Sports Car Series, and the World Endurance Championship—winning […]

B-1B Lancers sit on the flightline during sunset at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, June 27, 2018. The BONE is currently deployed to the U.S. Air Forces Central Command’s AOR supporting a wide range of operations.   U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Ted Nichols

Once upon a time, long before I found my way to writing for publications like Fighter Sweep, I was a punk kid with a wrench in my hand, sitting around pit lane at race tracks like Limerock, Laguna Seca, and Road Atlanta. Eventually, I’d leave those days behind to serve in the U.S. Marine Corps, […]

Ever since news first broke that the Air Force was being pressured by Pentagon officials to procure new F-15 airframes in 2020, pundits, lawmakers and defense officials alike have protested in the name of America’s most advanced fighter platform, the F-35. Now, with the Air Force’s F-35 order looking like it will be short of […]

Capt. Andrew “Dojo” Olson, F-35 Heritage Flight Team pilot and commander, performs a high-speed pass during the Canadian International Air Show in Toronto, Sept. 1, 2018.   U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Alexander Cook

Although it’s becoming increasingly apparent Russia’s foray into the world of fifth-generation fighters, the Sukhoi Su-57, will likely never be fielded in sufficient numbers to represent any real strategic value, Moscow is already looking toward the “stealth” fighter’s replacement. The Su-57, widely touted in Russian media as a match for America’s F-22 Raptor and F-35 […]

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 […]

Ever since news first broke that the Air Force was being pressured by Pentagon officials to procure new F-15 airframes in 2020, pundits, lawmakers and defense officials alike have protested in the name of America’s most advanced fighter platform, the F-35. Now, with the Air Force’s F-35 order looking like it will be short of […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]