Tag: U.S. Navy

Prior to last June, a U.S. aircraft hasn’t been forced to shoot down a manned enemy aircraft since a pair of Air Force F-15’s defeated two Serbian MiG 29’s in 1999. With that significant a gap in combat operations of that sort, one could be forgiven for fist pumping a bit about the Navy’s F/A-18E […]

Prior to the introduction of America’s new Ford class of carriers, America’s fleet of Nimitz class vessels held the distinction of being the largest and most technologically advanced aircraft carriers on the planet. In fact, new and massive as the USS Gerald R. Ford may be, it still weighs just about the same as its […]

Prior to the introduction of America’s new Ford class of carriers, America’s fleet of Nimitz class vessels held the distinction of being the largest and most technologically advanced aircraft carriers on the planet. In fact, new and massive as the USS Gerald R. Ford may be, it still weighs just about the same as its […]

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 […]

For decades now, the U.S. Navy‘s submarine force has served as an addition to the nation’s already formidable ability to project power onto foreign shores, serving as a submersible launch platform for the Navy‘s workhorse Tomahawk cruise missiles. These submarines weren’t toothless when it came to other ships, of course, relying on torpedoes to serve […]

Back in 2016, Fighter Sweep contributer C.W. Lemoine was asked what actually goes into a full fledged fighter mission by one of our readers. Lemoine, who aside from being an author also has plenty of seat time aboard both F-16s and F/A-18s, took the time to break down exactly what goes into each combat flight, […]

Tensions in the South China Sea have been rising steadily in recent years, thanks to China’s declared sovereignty over the entirety of the massive waterway, despite competing claims from no fewer than five other nations with established international norms on their side. The United States, in particular, has taken issue with China’s claimed ownership of […]

The world was a different place in 1986. Mike Tyson won his first title that year, making him the youngest man ever to do so. A brand new Ford Mustang cost less than $7,500, and Tom Cruise was the face of what may have been the most successful military recruitment campaign in U.S. history. Here […]

The South China Sea is among both the most heavily traversed and heavily contested waterways on the planet. With an estimated one-third of all global commerce crossing the expansive body of water at some point and significant natural resources beneath the surface, it’s no small wonder then that a nation like China, eager to exercise […]

The United States Navy is moving forward with plans to develop a hypersonic weapon that meets the requirements set forth by the Pentagon for what has been called a “conventional prompt global strike mission.” Notably, this new missile platform is being developed for deployment on both surface vessels and aboard submarines, as the Navy seeks […]

With the Russian Navy placing an increased emphasis on its submarine fleet, the United States has taken a number of steps meant to curb the Russian advance throughout the Arctic and Northern Atlantic. But longstanding issues caused by budgetary delays, sequestration, and repeated cuts continue to haunt the force. The re-establishment of the once defunct […]

NATO training exercise Trident Juncture, a massive two-week show of force being held in the North and Baltic Seas off the coast of Norway, is set to be the largest of its kind since the heyday of the Cold War — and with good reason. As Russia’s surface fleet suffers setback after setback, the redirection […]