Stealth

Sometimes it can be tough to appreciate the logic behind which defense technologies the United States Government deems suitable for export. The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, for instance, is regularly touted as the most advanced aircraft ever developed, but Uncle Sam is happy to distribute them willingly to paying nations with friendly relations to help […]

The two premier fifth-generation fighter jets on the planet squared off over Norway on Wednesday in a mock dogfight that saw U.S. pilots manning the nimble F-22 Raptor and Norwegian pilots behind the stick of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. While the F-35 is widely touted as the most advanced aircraft on the planet, the […]

The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter may be the future of the force, but as Lockheed Martin and the U.S. Air Force work to find ways to reduce not only procurement costs but also the immense expense associated with day to day operations, the capabilities the aircraft can bring to bear in a combat zone are […]

On Monday the U.K. revealed their concept for a next-generation fighter that seemed to borrow heavily from the U.S. led F-35 program with one notable difference: they claim this new jet will be functional both as a manned and unmanned aircraft. The new fighter, which U.K. Secretary of Defense Gavin Williamson called the Tempest, will be a […]

As SOFREP has discussed in the past, Russia’s limited defense budget has forced them to adopt a unique strategy when it comes to new weapons development. Instead of looking to compete with the military might of the United States directly in every category, they have opted to invest heavily into specific programs that seem as […]

When it comes to fighter jets, the modern world is currently amid a transition. The combat-proven fighters we’ve grown to know and love over the years are reaching the ends of their operational lifespans, and while update programs are underway for many of them, technological strides made in the years since these platforms first took […]

China’s Navy has undergone a period of rapid expansion in recent years. With more than twenty new vessels launched in the past 18 months, the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) seems intent on first dominating the South China Sea and eventually, making the transition toward a globally capable blue water navy. Nowhere is that push […]

On Saturday, Russia announced their intentions to formally enter the world of fifth generation fighters with the first official order of their advanced Sukhoi Su-57, a platform intended to serve as a challenge for America’s fleets of fifth generation F-35 Joint Strike Fighters and F-22 Raptors. “The first contract for 12 aircraft has been agreed […]

The fielding of hypersonic anti-ship missiles by America’s competitors have created a pressing need for the U.S. military to adjust its peer warfare strategy. America’s fleet of Nimitz and Ford class super carriers serve as the nation’s primary method of force projection the world over, but when held at bay a thousand miles from enemy […]

The transition from diesel to nuclear powered propulsion systems in submarines was not only about efficiency as it had been in large surface vessels like carriers — it was also a significant leap ahead in stealth capability. Submarines traveling through enemy waters maintain careful sound discipline, aware that the noise produced by the vessel can […]

The United States has spent years touting the Lockheed Martin sourced F-35 as the most advanced combat aircraft ever devised — which resulted in some ruffled feathers when Lockheed pitched an F-35/F-22 hybrid fighter it claimed would be superior to the incredibly expensive (and perpetually troubled) F-35 program. The thing is, despite being chock-full of […]

For around a decade, rumors have swirled about China’s advanced unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) with the most-metal of names, the Dark Sword. It’s been no secret that the Dark Sword has been in development, but for the most part, that development has been slow going. Artist’s renderings, scale models, and a whole lot of […]