LRS-B: Air Force Promises More Info On New Bomber

Editor’s Note: We’re all really anxious to hear more about Northrop-Grumman’s winning LRS-B design, but in all likelihood we’ll have to wait for a little bit. Preparations are underway at different installations to accommodate the new design and its infrastructure, but beyond that, there isn’t much to tell at this point. We’ll see what happens […]

Rafael targets sensor opportunity on F-35I Adir

Editor’s Note: The first Israeli F-35I is currently under construction at Lockheed-Martin’s facilities. One of the IDF-specific requests was their airplanes have space for their own suite of sensor and weapons options. As a result of that request, it comes as no surprise the Israelis are already looking at options for their own goodies to […]

Romania Looking To Buy F-16s From NATO Partners

Editor’s Note: Romania is another example of a NATO partner nation whose Air Force is in dire need of modernization. We’ve talked with our brothers and sisters who have spent time there on deployments, and the reports on the current state of affairs in the Romania have been dismal at best. Hopefully they’re able to […]

Sukhoi’s Hopes for T-50 Fizzle at Singapore Airshow

Editor’s Note: The T-50 or PAK-FA has been labeled as the “Raptor Slayer” since it first appeared on the scene in 2010. Touted as Russia’s first 5th-Generation fighter, and a collaboration between Russia and India, the program has experienced a fair number of delays. The largest problem it has is the lack of a type-specific […]

DoD: Sixth-Generation Fighters Likely To Differ

Editor’s Note: There are a lot of guesses as to what sixth-Generation air dominance will look like, some of which we detailed when the concepts were released a few weeks ago. It’s fair to say there are differing opinions as to what the finish product will look like or act like, but it’s very likely–simply […]

Cold Response: Marines Airlift To Norway!

Editor’s Note: As we have touched on many times before, without the Mobility Air Forces–the heavy airlift capability of aircraft like the C-5 Galaxy and C-17 Globemaster III, as well as aerial refueling tanker support of the KC-135 and KC-10, non-maritime power projection is pretty much a non-start. Operation Cold Response is a fantastic example […]

GAO: Northrop-Grumman LRS-B Contract Award Upheld

Editor’s Note: This is a really big deal, FighterSweep Fans. There has been speculation in the past few days the LRS-B award might be overturned because of accusations of impropriety on the part of Richard Lombardi, who held the top civilian seat in the Air Force’s Acquisitions (AQL) Directorate. Apparently Lombardi failed to mention his […]

Photo Album: F-35 Crosses The Atlantic

As much as we would love to say we took each of these images, we didn’t. All of these photos are courtesy of the Italian Air Force, or Aeronautica Militare. As we mentioned previously, the first Italian F-35A Lightning II, which also happens to be the first foreign-built F-35, arrived in the United States from Italy […]

Tanker Crew Saves F-16 Pilot Over Syria!

Editor’s Note: We like to capitalize on every opportunity to extol the virtues of our mobility folks. It is absolutely the truth when they say “No one kicks ass without tanker gas…no one!” This is the perfect example of how combat airpower works in unison with support assets, where the tanker crew made the call […]

USMC Plans to Improve TacAir Readiness!

[Editor’s Note: Just like her sister services, the USMC is not immune to the budget woes currently wreaking havoc on the Department of Defense. Arguably, the service has been hit just as hard as the Air Force and Navy, with the bulk of the Corps’ fleet of fighters and attack aircraft aging out at a […]

Unmanned Tanker, More F-35Cs In 2017 Navy Budget

[Editor’s Note: Much like the Air Force’s ongoing budget woes, the Navy is in much the same boat. As we all know, the Department of Defense has gone all-in on the Lockheed-Martin F-35 Lightning II. Navy leadership is in a position where it needs to juggle priorities going into the future with the money available. […]

From The Cockpit: Another Raptor B-Course Graduates!

Happy F-22sDay, FighterSweep Fans! What would a Tuesday be without a little Raptor awesomeness? We can’t speak for the rest of you, by the F-22 is definitely a favorite of ours, and this gives you a pretty rare peek inside the life of students learning how to tame the beast. This video comes from the […]