Summary: Debate surrounds the future viability of aircraft carriers due to advancements in military technology like hypersonic missiles and drones, yet major powers like the U.S. and China continue robust investments in these vessels. The U.S. is developing Ford-class carriers, while maintaining its fleet of Nimitz-class carriers, and China is expanding its carrier capabilities with the Fujian and plans for another. These investments reflect a belief in the carriers' enduring strategic value. Aircraft carriers... Читать дальше...
Every month, the F-35 Joint Program Office releases updates about the Joint Strike Fighter program.
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Summary: The USS Nautilus, launched in 1954, marked the advent of nuclear-powered submarines, revolutionizing naval operations with extended submerged capabilities. Today, the world's navies operate over 160 vessels powered by nuclear reactors, including the U.S. with its dominant fleet of nuclear aircraft carriers. While nuclear power offers strategic military advantages, it also raises significant ecological concerns, especially considering historical accidents like the USS Thresher's sinking in 1962. Читать дальше...
The U.S. Air Force is shrinking and will continue to shrink.
The Fiscal Year 2025 budget shows that the Air Force will divest 250 aircraft (while buying just 91), reducing its fleet to below 5,000 aircraft for the first time in the history of the service branch, begging the question: how small is too small?
Examining US Global Commitments and U.S. Air Force Size
Detractors are concerned that the US Air Force, by shrinking below 5,000 aircraft, is trending towards a force... Читать дальше...
Summary: The B-52 Stratofortress, the longest-serving aircraft in U.S. military history, first took to the skies in 1952, a year marked by significant global and cultural events. Originally designed to operate alongside aircraft that have long been retired, the B-52 remains active 71 years later, now flying with modern jets like the F-22 and F-35. Despite its age, the B-52 has undergone numerous upgrades, maintaining its role thanks to its strategic design features like swept wings, podded jet engines, and a unique stabilization system. Читать дальше...
Summary: The U.S. Navy is facing significant challenges with the construction of its latest submarines, including the Columbia-class ships and Block V variants of the Virginia class, due to supplier issues, delays, and spiraling costs. The first Columbia-class submarine's delivery may be postponed by a year to FY 2028, jeopardizing U.S. nuclear deterrence capabilities as these submarines are vital, carrying over half of the nation’s operational nuclear arsenal. Delays are attributed to production issues... Читать дальше...
Summary: The USS John C. Stennis (CVN-74), a Nimitz-class supercarrier of the U.S. Navy, recently exited drydock, marking a key phase in its extensive Refueling and Complex Overhaul (RCOH) at HII-Newport News Shipbuilding in Virginia. This overhaul includes significant upgrades to both internal systems and external structures, such as the propulsion plant, aircraft launch and recovery equipment, and living spaces. With more than 65% of the RCOH completed, the Stennis is on track to rejoin the... Читать дальше...
Summary: In March 2024, six Royal Air Force Eurofighter Typhoons were deployed to Romania's Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base for NATO's enhanced Air Policing mission, marking 30 years since the Typhoon's first flight. Developed by Germany, Great Britain, Italy, and Spain, these multi-role combat aircraft will undertake air policing missions alongside the Romanian Air Force until August 2024. This deployment, the RAF's fifth in Romania since 2014, underscores NATO's commitment to securing its airspace in response to security challenges... Читать дальше...
Summary: The final flight of the U.S. Navy's Grumman F-14 Tomcat occurred on September 22, 2006, concluding its service era. Renowned for its role in "Top Gun," the Tomcat remains beloved among aviation enthusiasts. Despite a 2008 DoD ban on F-14 part sales due to Iranian purchase attempts, several Tomcats are preserved in museums. The last F-14D to fly, BuNu 164603, now resides at the Cradle of Aviation Museum in New York, restored to its former glory. This museum also houses the third-built and oldest surviving F-14... Читать дальше...
