The Pic of the Day: Red Rippers prepare to launch aboard the USS Harry S. Truman

F/A-18F Super Hornets, assigned to the “Red Rippers” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 11, prepare to launch aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) in the Atlantic Ocean, Dec. 14, 2018. Since deploying in April, the Sailors of the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group flew combat operations in support of […]

The media loved to hate the F-35 until the F-15X came along

If you type “F-35” into Google, you’ll find tens of thousands of links to stories and posts that either characterize the F-35 program as the future of military aviation or the poster child for wasteful spending. The truth, as is so often the case, is likely somewhere in between, where ineffectual procurement strategies and Lockheed […]

The Pic of the Day: Merry Christmas from Fighter Sweep

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good fight! Image caption: Santa Claus pays a surprise visit to family members from the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds during the team’s annual holiday party at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, 15 Dec. 2018. The Thunderbirds spend up to 220 days per year on road representing U.S. […]

Could the B-21 Raider be the answer to the Navy’s anti-ship missile problem?

As the United States Navy works to address looming concerns about the capability gap created by Chinese and Russian hypersonic capable anti-ship missiles, the solution to their problem may actually come from the U.S. Air Force. Advanced anti-ship missiles capable of traveling at speeds in excess of Mach 5 (the “hypersonic” barrier) are too fast […]

The Pic of the Day: F-22 gets a drink over Hawaii

A Hawaii Air National Guard F-22 Raptor, from the 199th Fighter Squadron, flies away from a Wisconsin Air National Guard KC-135 Stratotanker Dec. 11, 2018, after receiving an air-to-air refueling during fighter-exercise Sentry Aloha near the Hawaiian Islands. Sentry Aloha provides tailored, cost effective and realistic combat training for U.S. Air Force, Air National Guard […]

War with China could mean ‘hot loading’ F-35Bs in the field without returning to a carrier

Diplomatic tensions between the United States and China have risen throughout the developing trade predicament between leaders, but in the nearby South China Sea, American and Chinese forces have long been staring one another down from either side of the horizon. The People’s Liberation Army’s massive modernization and reorganization effort, which has included the launch […]

The Pic of the Day: Super Hornet comes in for a landing

An F/A-18E Super Hornet, assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 97, prepares to land on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) in the Arabian Sea, Dec. 16, 2018. The John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations in support of […]

The Pic of the Day: Thunderbirds putting on a show

The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds execute a maneuver while visitors watch from Falcon Stadium after the graduation ceremonies of the Class of 2009. This was the 51st graduating class, and consisted of 1,046 newly commissioned 2nd Lieutenants.   (US Air Force photo by Dennis Rogers)

The Pic of the Day: F-15’s after burners aglow

A F-15 Strike Eagle assigned to the 390th Fighter Squadron, Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, conducts an after burner run during exercise Maple Flag 42 at 4 Wing Cold Lake, Canada, June 9, 2009. Maple Flag is a Canadian-sponsored and Air Combat Command supported exercise, that provides aircrew simulated air and ground combat training […]

The Pic of the Day: B-2 Spirit takes off from Whiteman Air Force Base

WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. – A B-2 bomber takes off early morning at full throttle June 29, while another B-2 waits at the other end of the runway. The B-2 Stealth’s are participating in day to day operations at Whiteman Air Force Base.   (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Carlin Leslie)