What it is, and why NATO calls it “Skyfall” Russia’s 9M730 Burevestnik is a nuclear-powered, nuclear-capable cruise missile built to fly low, wander far, and thread around air defenses. NATO’s reporting name for it is SSC-X-9 Skyfall. NATO uses short, standardized “reporting… [Read more…]
What it is, and why NATO calls it “Skyfall” Russia’s 9M730 Burevestnik is a nuclear-powered, nuclear-capable cruise missile built to fly low, wander far, and thread around air defenses. NATO’s reporting name for it is SSC-X-9 Skyfall. NATO uses short, standardized “reporting names” so allied crews and analysts can talk about foreign systems clearly over radios and in shared … [Read more…]
“Today, we are opening an entirely new and truly meaningful chapter in our…relations between Ukraine and Sweden…for Ukraine to acquire a substantial fleet of Swedish-made, fighter jets—Gripens. These are great aircraft, strong, aviation platforms capable of performing a wide range of missions…the future contract will enable us to obtain at least 100 of these jets.” — Volodymyr … [Read more…]
“Together with our NATO and European allies, we’re building a wall of F-35s, a shield of over 700 aircraft, securing our European skies. That wall is not a symbol of aggression, but of determination. It says loud and clear: the skies over Europe belong to those who defend freedom, not to those who seek to destroy it.”— General Frederik Vansina, Chief of Defense of the Belgian … [Read more…]
“Mako, named after the fastest shark in the seas, puts air-launched, hypersonic mass on critical targets at operationally significant ranges when every second counts. Its all-digital, open and mature design…using innovative techniques that lower cost and accelerate schedule. Mako puts customers on a fast track to fielding a game-changing, hypersonic capability.” — Lockheed … [Read more…]
“Fly on and fight on to the last drop of blood and the last drop of fuel, to the last beat of the heart.”— Captain Manfred von Richthofen, 1917. On Sunday, April 21, 1918, Rittmeister (Cavalry Captain) Manfred Albrecht Freiherr (literally, “Free-Lord,” meaning “independent nobleman”) von Richthofen, age 25, the fabled “Red Baron” of the First World War, Germany’s … [Read more…]
President Trump has selected U.S. Army Lieutenant General Michele H. Bredenkamp to run the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, the Pentagon’s combat support agency for maps, imagery, and targeting intelligence. Multiple trade outlets reported the White House move in early September, citing Pentagon announcements. Who she is Bredenkamp is a career Army intelligence … [Read more…]
Our friends at Barrett Firearms have rolled out a new Precision Grenadier System line built around a 30×42 mm, semi-automatic, magazine-fed “grenade rifle” that can crack defilade cover and knock down low-flying drones. It’s the same disruptive idea that just won the U.S. Army’s xTech Soldier Lethality competition alongside partner MARS, Inc., and Barrett recently took it to … [Read more…]
In one of the most exciting scenes in 2008's "The Dark Knight," Batman infiltrated a secure building and captured a criminal who had fled the United States. He made his escape by deploying a balloon tethered to him that was snatched out mid-air by a passing aircraft. The whole scene seemed like classic super-hero fodder -- after all, there's no way a human being could actually … [Read more…]
“Seventy strikes on Russian territory have targeted fuel and lubricant production, explosives, and other elements of the Russian military-industrial complex…The DeepStrike program is part of a broader effort to disrupt Russia’s war machine and critical, industrial infrastructure, to weaken the aggressor’s operational capabilities.” — The New Voice of Ukraine, October 10, … [Read more…]
Mountain Home Air Force Base is about to host a new kind of neighbor: a Qatar Emiri Air Force training squadron learning to fly and sustain one of the most sophisticated Eagles on the planet, the F-15QA. Strip away the social-media noise, and the picture gets simple fast. This is not a foreign base in the United States. It is a U.S. Air Force program, on a U.S. Air Force … [Read more…]
“The current capabilities of the F-16 in the C/D versions are good, but not adequate to counter present threats after these 20 years. We must enhance our…capabilities.” — Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, Polish Minister of National Defense, August 13, 2025. The Republic of Poland is strategically located on the front lines of Eastern Europe, sharing a common, 130-mile border with … [Read more…]
The White House has picked a fighter pilot with Pacific mileage and stateside command cred to run the Air Force. Gen. Kenneth S. Wilsbach has been nominated to become the next Chief of Staff of the Air Force, succeeding Gen. David Allvin, who plans to retire near the start of November. Multiple outlets reported the nomination on September 29 and September 30. The choice puts a … [Read more…]
