April 2026

An A-10 Thunderbolt II takes off to provide close-air support to ground troops in Iraq April 25 from Al Asad Air Base, Iraq. The 438th Air Expeditionary Group A-10s perform 10 sorties daily, with 900 sorties in this last four months. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Cecilio M. Ricardo Jr.)

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

A-10 Warthog Was 162 Aircraft Away From Extinction — Then the Iran War Started and the ‘Thunderbolt II’ Became Indispensable Again

The A-10 Is the Only Aircraft in History Designed Around Its Gun — A 30mm GAU-8 Avenger Gatling That Fires 3,900 Rounds Per Minute...

Steve BalestrieriApril 6, 2026

Image: Creative Commons. An artist's conception of the X-43A Hypersonic Experimental Vehicle, or "Hyper-X" in flight. The X-43A was developed to flight test a dual-mode ramjet/scramjet propulsion system at speeds from Mach 7 up to Mach 10 (7 to 10 times the speed of sound, which varies with temperature and altitude).

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

The X-43A Flew at Nearly 2 Miles Per Second — It Remains the Fastest Air-Breathing Aircraft Ever Built and the Record Has Stood for 22 Years

7,346 MPH — The X-43A Was So Fast It Could Cross the Atlantic Ocean in 25 Minutes and Nobody Has Built Anything Faster As...

Jack BuckbyApril 6, 2026

USS Kingsville (LCS 36) points its bow toward the harbor at Naval Surface Warfare Center, Port Hueneme Division in California on a recent morning as the ship arrives from its homeport of San Diego. The Independence-variant littoral combat ship features a trimaran hull design, which allows it to reach speeds much greater than destroyers and cruisers, as well as to operate in shallower waters closer to shore. (U.S. Navy photo by Eric Parsons)

The Embassy

The Strait of Hormuz Is Already Closed — If the Houthis Shut Down Bab el-Mandeb and the Red Sea the Global Economy Could Fall Into a Depression

The Houthis Held Back for 5 Weeks — They’re Running a Calibrated Escalation Strategy Designed by Iran for Maximum Leverage The Yemen-based, Iran-backed Houthis...

Brandon WeichertApril 6, 2026

The guided missile destroyer USS Nitze (DDG 94) fires its MK-45 5 inch gun during a Surface Warfare Advanced Tactical Training (SWATT) exercise. Nitze is part of Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 26 which supports Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 10. SWATT is led by the Naval Surface and Mine Warfighting Development Center (SMWDC) and is designed to increase warfighting proficiency, lethality, and interoperability or participating units. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Bryan Valek)

Trillions - 19FortyFive

The U.S. Navy Has No Way to Reopen the Strait of Hormuz

The U.S. Military Could Force Ships Through the Strait of Hormuz — It Can’t Make Insurers, Shippers, or Energy Markets Believe It’s Safe On...

Brandon WeichertApril 6, 2026

The Challenger 3 Main Battle tank. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

148 Challenger 3 Tanks vs the 1,400 Europe Would Need Without America — Britain’s Tank Force Was Sized for a NATO That May Not Exist Much Longer

Britain Is Spending £800 Million to Convert 148 Old Challenger 2s Into Challenger 3s — Europe May Need 10 Times That Many Tanks if...

Jack BuckbyApril 6, 2026

The Embassy

The U.S. Military Can’t Reopen the Strait of Hormuz by Force, Can’t Afford a Ground War, and Can’t Wait Iran Out — Diplomacy Is the Only Path Left

Iran Doesn’t Need to Win the War — It Just Needs to Keep the Strait of Hormuz Closed Long Enough for Americans to Turn...

Brent M. EastwoodApril 6, 2026

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

Only a Nuclear Airburst at 80,000 Feet Could Stop the SR-71 Blackbird — No Conventional Missile or Fighter Ever Had a Chance

SR-71 Blackbird Pilot David Peters: ‘Very Few Missiles Could Make Up 36 or More Miles Per Minute’ The iconic SR-71 Blackbird was America’s spy...

Steve BalestrieriApril 6, 2026

The Embassy

For Putin, the Iran War Is About Ukraine — Bleeding America, Splitting NATO, and Keeping Tehran’s Regime Alive All Serve One Purpose

Russia Is Providing Iran With Satellite Imagery, Targeting Data, Intelligence Support, and Drone Deliveries In aiding Iranian strikes, Russia reverts to an old playbook...

Daniel KochisApril 6, 2026

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

The Largest Defense Budget in U.S. History Won’t Fix the Problem — The Pentagon Spends 99% on the Same Contractors Building the Same Old Weapons

$1.5 Trillion Is the Largest Defense Budget in History — It Doesn’t Matter If 99% Goes to Legacy Systems and Less Than 1% Goes...

Rachel HoffApril 6, 2026

Navy Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Rafael Peralta (DDG 115) transits the North Pacific Ocean, March 10, 2026. Rafael Peralta is forward-deployed and assigned to Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 15, the Navy's largest DESRON and the U.S. 7th Fleet's principal surface force. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Ryre Arciaga)

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

Iran Has Up to 6,000 Sea Mines and Hundreds of Boats to Deploy Them — A Single Mine Can Threaten a Multi-Billion-Dollar Warship

Iran Has Threatened to Mine the Entire Persian Gulf — The Houthis Could Extend Mining to the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb Strait Just...

Andy PerryApril 6, 2026

19FortyFive

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

A-10 Warthog Was 162 Aircraft Away From Extinction — Then the Iran War Started and the ‘Thunderbolt II’ Became Indispensable Again

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

The X-43A Flew at Nearly 2 Miles Per Second — It Remains the Fastest Air-Breathing Aircraft Ever Built and the Record Has Stood for 22 Years

The Embassy

The Strait of Hormuz Is Already Closed — If the Houthis Shut Down Bab el-Mandeb and the Red Sea the Global Economy Could Fall Into a Depression

Trillions - 19FortyFive

The U.S. Navy Has No Way to Reopen the Strait of Hormuz

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

148 Challenger 3 Tanks vs the 1,400 Europe Would Need Without America — Britain’s Tank Force Was Sized for a NATO That May Not Exist Much Longer

The Embassy

The U.S. Military Can’t Reopen the Strait of Hormuz by Force, Can’t Afford a Ground War, and Can’t Wait Iran Out — Diplomacy Is the Only Path Left

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

Only a Nuclear Airburst at 80,000 Feet Could Stop the SR-71 Blackbird — No Conventional Missile or Fighter Ever Had a Chance

The Embassy

For Putin, the Iran War Is About Ukraine — Bleeding America, Splitting NATO, and Keeping Tehran’s Regime Alive All Serve One Purpose

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

The Largest Defense Budget in U.S. History Won’t Fix the Problem — The Pentagon Spends 99% on the Same Contractors Building the Same Old Weapons

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

Iran Has Up to 6,000 Sea Mines and Hundreds of Boats to Deploy Them — A Single Mine Can Threaten a Multi-Billion-Dollar Warship

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