ISIL

Russia Begins Withdrawal From Syria

Editor’s Note: Russia has announced its withdrawal from Syria. Yes, you read that correctly–Russia is pulling out of Syria. A very, very curious turn of events, wouldn’t you say? According to the Russian government, its goal has been achieved and Daesh has been stopped. I’m not sure what metrics they are basing that assessment on, […]

Gaddafi’s SAMs Now In The Hands Of Daesh?

Editor’s Note: We’ve spoken of Gaddafi’s SAMs before, and the fantastic work performed by Wild Weasels to defeat them during Operation Odyssey Dawn and Operation Unified Protector. Not surprisingly, since Qaddafi’s execution at the hands of rebels, Libya has fallen into a state of utter lawlessness. Daesh is now the strong hand stirring the pot, […]

Broncos Back In The Fight In Syria!

Editor’s Note: The North American Rockwell OV-10 Bronco was developed back in the 1960s specifically for counter-insurgency (COIN) operations, and another one of its primary missions was flying Forward Air Control-Airborne (FAC-A). The airplane can carry up to three tons of external munitions and is able to stay on station for over three hours. A […]

From The Cockpit: The Fist Of The Fleet!

Editor’s Note: FighterSweep Fans, I believe we have the best, most talented, credible team of contributors in aviation journalism. The majority of our writers are pilots, and most of those are either currently or former military aviators. Those who aren’t pilots work in the aviation industry in some capacity or other. So for all of […]

Airstrike Targets Daesh Military Commander

Editor’s Note: It’s always fantastic when we hear news like this. Our men and women continue to handle their business and pursue high-value targets as they present themselves, and this is a fantastic example. Both fixed-wing aircraft and Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPAs) were responsible for this strike, a mission which resulted in the demise of […]

Iraqi assault on ISIS in Mosul still months away

BAGHDAD –  It will take many more months to prepare Iraq’s still struggling military for a long-anticipated assault on the Islamic State group’s biggest stronghold in the country, the city of Mosul, U.S. and Iraqi officials say — and it may not even be possible to retake it this year, despite repeated vows by Prime […]

The B-52 Will Rise Again In Fight Against Daesh!

Editor’s Note: As we recently said, the BUFF may be old and tired, but she’s still an angry girl eager to rise up in the fight against Daesh. With the capacity to rain down seventy thousand pounds of harsh judgement, the thought of the BUFF prowling the airspace above Syria and Iraq was enough to […]

Syrian rebels take major city from ISIS, with U.S. help

Islamic State resistance “melted” away in the strategically important Syrian city of Shaddadi, giving a rag-tag force of Syrian rebels — backed by U.S. air power and special operations troops on the ground — a key victory after only a few days of combat. “We expected a tougher fight inside the city,” said Army Col. Christopher Garver, a U.S. Defense […]

Italy Agrees To U.S. Drone Strikes Over Libya

Editor’s Note: In modern warfare, agreements such as this make life much simpler and allow for a fair amount of flexibility in the breadth and scope of operations conducted. By Italy allowing RPAs to take off and land from Sigonella Air Base in Sicily, the U.S. is now able to conduct unmanned ISR operations in […]

Maryland ANG A-10s To Deploy In Daesh Fight!

Editor’s Note: We can extol the virtues of the Hawg all day long, ladies and gentlemen. The very experienced pilots at the Maryland Air National Guard’s 104th Fighter Squadron will soon be deploying for a rotation supporting Operation Inherent Resolve and taking the fight to Daesh. A-10s have been absolutely crushing it–standard, and we have […]

Daesh (ISIS) fighter numbers indicate they are on the defensive

LONDON (Reuters) – U.S. estimates of the number of Islamic State fighters in Iraq and Syria have been reduced while cuts in their pay are evidence they are on the defensive, a spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition fighting the group said on Monday. But the task of defeating Islamic State is complicated by Russian air […]

Airstrikes Destroy Hundreds Of Millions In Daesh Cash

Editor’s Note: As we have mentioned before, one way to hurt an enemy’s ability to wage war is to deprive them of the means to pay for it. As the U.S. has stepped up its airstrikes against Daesh, one of the main targets has been financial centers. We even shared a video of one such […]