Brandon J. Weichert

Brandon Weichert

Brandon J. Weichert is the Senior National Security Editor at 19FortyFive.com. He was previously the senior national security editor at The National Interest. Weichert is the host of The National Security Hour on iHeartRadio, where he discusses national security policy every Wednesday at 8 pm Eastern. He hosts a companion show on Rumble entitled "National Security Talk." Weichert consults regularly with various government institutions and private organizations on geopolitical issues. His writings have appeared in numerous publications, among them Popular Mechanics, National Review, MSN, and The American Spectator. And his books include Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, Biohacked: China's Race to Control Life, and The Shadow War: Iran's Quest for Supremacy. Weichert's newest book, A Disaster of Our Own Making: How the West Lost Ukraine, is available for purchase wherever books are sold. He can be followed on Twitter/X at @WeTheBrandon.

150903-N-SS390-354 FALLON, Nev. (Sept. 3, 2015) F-35C Lightning IIs, assigned to the Grim Reapers of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 101, and an F/A-18E/F Super Hornets assigned to the Naval Aviation Warfighter Development Center (NAWDC) fly over Naval Air Station Fallon's (NASF) Range Training Complex. VFA 101, based out of Eglin Air Force Base, is conducting an F-35C cross-country visit to NASF. The purpose is to begin integration of F-35C with the Fallon Range Training Complex and work with NAWDC to refine tactics, techniques and procedures (TTP) of F-35C as it integrates into the carrier air wing. (U.S. Navy photo by Lt. Cmdr. Darin Russell/Released)

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

‘The Deck Might Melt’: The USS Gerald R. Ford Aircraft Carrier Can’t Fly New F-35C Stealth Fighters

Too Hot for the USS Gerald R. Ford: Why the Navy’s Newest Aircrat Carrier Still Can’t Fully Operate the F-35C The USS Gerald R....

Brandon WeichertApril 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

ATLANTIC OCEAN (June 14, 2011) The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) conducts rudder turns during sea trials. Dwight D. Eisenhower completed a nine-month planned incremental availability at Norfolk Naval Ship Yard on June 10 and is scheduled to resume underway operations this summer. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Christopher Stoltz/Released)

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

U.S. Aircraft Carriers Project Power by Getting Close to Enemy Shores — China’s Entire Military Is Built to Make Sure They Can’t Get Close Enough

U.S. Aircraft Carriers Must Stay Beyond Visual Range to Survive China’s Anti-Ship Ballistic Missiles — That Reduces Their Fighter Wings’ Effectiveness The People’s Liberation...

Brandon WeichertApril 3, 2026

Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) departs Naval Station Norfolk for a regularly scheduled deployment. The George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group departed Naval Station Norfolk on March 31, 2026. The strike group, comprised of nearly 5,000 Sailors, provides combatant commanders and America’s civilian leaders increased capacity to underpin American security and economic prosperity, deter adversaries, and project power on a global scale through sustained operations at sea. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jayden Brown)

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

The U.S. Navy Has 11 Aircraft Carriers on Paper — Barely 4 Are Ready to Fight at Any Given Time

The U.S. Navy’s Shipyard Crisis May Lead to Its Defeat in War: Aircraft Carriers Prove It Few experts who have tracked the decline of...

Brandon WeichertApril 3, 2026

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

Russia Built a Carrier Fighter Without a Carrier Fleet — The MiG-29K Is a Strategic Failure That Can Still Hit Mach 2

The MiG-29K Was Built for the Admiral Kuznetsov — Russia’s Only Aircraft Carrier Has Spent More Time in Port Than at Sea Built by...

Brandon WeichertApril 3, 2026

A-10 Warthog At the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force 2025 Image

The Embassy

No One Really Knows When the Iran War Will End

Trump Said the Iran War Will Continue: We Have More Questions Than Answers After His Speech The world was on pins and needles waiting...

Brandon WeichertApril 2, 2026

NGAD artist concept from Northrop Grumman.

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

The F-22 Was Killed Early, the F-35 Took 20 Years, and Now the Pentagon Wants 300 F-47s by the Mid-2030s — Good Luck

The F-47 NGAD Stealth Fighter Won’t Win a War Against China The United States is fully committed to its sixth-generation warplane, the F-47. The...

Brandon WeichertApril 2, 2026

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

The Fastest Combat Aircraft Ever Built Now Carries a Mach 10 Missile With a 1,250-Mile Range — And the West Has No Defense Against It

Russia’s MiG-31 Can Hit over Mach 3 and Now Fires Hypersonic Missiles Russia’s MiG-31 is one of the most iconic warplanes in the world....

Brandon WeichertApril 1, 2026

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

China’s Aircraft Carriers Have a ‘Missile Shield’ the U.S. Navy Can’t Crack

The Chinese Navy’s Aircraft Carriers Are Backed Up By Missiles; The U.S. Navy Has a Clear Challenge To Deal With The People’s Republic of...

Brandon WeichertApril 1, 2026

19FortyFive

Brandon Weichert

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

‘The Deck Might Melt’: The USS Gerald R. Ford Aircraft Carrier Can’t Fly New F-35C Stealth Fighters

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

U.S. Aircraft Carriers Project Power by Getting Close to Enemy Shores — China’s Entire Military Is Built to Make Sure They Can’t Get Close Enough

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

The U.S. Navy Has 11 Aircraft Carriers on Paper — Barely 4 Are Ready to Fight at Any Given Time

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

Russia Built a Carrier Fighter Without a Carrier Fleet — The MiG-29K Is a Strategic Failure That Can Still Hit Mach 2

The Embassy

No One Really Knows When the Iran War Will End

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

The F-22 Was Killed Early, the F-35 Took 20 Years, and Now the Pentagon Wants 300 F-47s by the Mid-2030s — Good Luck

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

The Fastest Combat Aircraft Ever Built Now Carries a Mach 10 Missile With a 1,250-Mile Range — And the West Has No Defense Against It

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

China’s Aircraft Carriers Have a ‘Missile Shield’ the U.S. Navy Can’t Crack

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