Why do the Pentagon’s reasons for buying new F-15s keep shifting?

Even among fans of Boeing’s F-15EX initiative, you won’t find anyone who will contend that the F-15 is a superior aircraft to Lockheed Martin’s Joint Strike Fighter. On paper, a new F-15 does offer a number of advantages over the stealth F-35—higher top speed, lower operating costs, larger payload capacity, and greater operational range—but in […]

Why do the Pentagon’s reasons for buying new F-15s keep shifting?

Even among fans of Boeing’s F-15EX initiative, you won’t find anyone who will contend that the F-15 is a superior aircraft to Lockheed Martin’s Joint Strike Fighter. On paper, a new F-15 does offer a number of advantages over the stealth F-35—higher top speed, lower operating costs, larger payload capacity, and greater operational range—but in […]

Civilian passenger injured after ejecting from French fighter jet during takeoff

A 64-year-old man unexpectedly ejected from the rear seat of a Rafale B fighter during takeoff at Saint Dizier-Robinson air base in France. The unnamed man was reportedly a civilian who was invited to fly aboard the fighter during a routine training flight on March 20th. While details remain sparse, the man suffered back injuries […]

Watchdog report: Navy risking troops’ lives by pushing the F-35C into combat

Last month, the United States Navy declared that the carrier-based variant of Lockheed Martin’s Joint Strike Fighter, known as the F-35C, was ready to commence combat operations. Now, a new report from the non-profit, bipartisan Project on Government Oversight (POGO) says that decision contradicts the Navy’s own data regarding the platform. According to POGO, “The […]

The Pic of the Day: A B-2 with a view

A B-2 Spirit bomber, deployed from Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., is prepared for a training mission at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, Jan. 17, 2019. Three B-2 bombers and more than 200 Airmen deployed here in support of U.S. Strategic Command’s Bomber Task Force mission. Bomber aircraft regularly rotate through the Indo-Pacific region to […]

The Dark Knights: F-117 spotted sporting the name of a squadron that shouldn’t exist

A few weeks ago, images began to surface online of an F-117 Nighthawk flying over Nevada and California. Despite being formally retired for more than a decade, a number of these aircraft are consistently maintained in flyable condition, prompting sporadic sightings over the years that never fail to get the aviation community buzzing. This most […]

Civilian passenger unexpectedly ejects from French Rafale B fighter during takeoff

A 64-year-old man unexpectedly ejected from the rear seat of a Rafale B fighter during takeoff at Saint Dizier-Robinson Air Force Base in France. The unnamed man was reportedly a civilian that was invited to fly aboard the fighter during a routine training flight. While details remain sparse, the man suffered back injuries that some […]

The Pic of the Day: F-35 takes off from Nellis Air Force Base

An F-35A Lightning II takes off at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. Feb. 1, 2019. Pilots and maintainers from the 388th Fighter Wing’s 4th Fighter Squadron and 4th Aircraft Maintenance Unit are participating in exercise Red Flag 19-1. This is the wing’s second Red Flag with the F-35A, America’s most advanced multi-role fighter, which brings […]

Watchdog report: Navy risking troops’ lives by pushing the F-35C into combat

Last month, the United States Navy declared that the carrier-based variant of Lockheed Martin’s Joint Strike Fighter, known as the F-35C, was ready to commence combat operations. Now, a new report from the non-profit, bipartisan Project on Government Oversight (POGO) says that decision contradicts the Navy’s own data regarding the platform. According to POGO, “The […]

Why one planning decision could be responsible for so many of the F-35’s woes

It can be tough to find stories about the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter that don’t go out of their way to paint the platform as either an incredibly overpriced boondoggle or the best thing to happen to military air power since the invention of nose-mounted radar. From an editorial standpoint, these “absolute good” and “absolute […]