Christian D. Orr

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

An SR-71 Blackbird Disintegrated at Mach 3. The Pilot Blacked Out. He Woke Up Under a Parachute Falling Toward a Cattle Ranch in New Mexico. His Partner Didn’t Make It

Accidents are an unfortunate fact of life, stemming from the inherently flawed nature of human beings (Homo sapiens), and therefore they afflict even the...

Christian D. OrrApril 11, 2026

A B-52 Stratofortress assigned to the 2nd Bomb Wing takes off for a Red Flag 21-3 training mission at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, July 21, 2021. RF-Nellis 21-3 is unlike any previous Red Flags, as the 414th Combat Training Squadron builds upon the most challenging Red Flags in recent history. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Alexandre Montes)

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

A B-52 Bomber Pilot Was Told Not to Exceed 45 Degrees. He Did 90. His Commander Watched the First Time and Said Nothing. The Second Time, Everyone Died.

Accidents are an unfortunate fact of life, stemming from the imperfect nature of human beings, and therefore they afflict even the best manmade objects,...

Christian D. OrrApril 11, 2026

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

New Air Force F-47 NGAD Stealth Fighter Is a ‘Paradigm Shift’ China, Russia, or Iran Won’t Know How to Match

Ever since the United States Air Force awarded Boeing the F-47 Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) contract, it’s been a big deal (or, to...

Christian D. OrrApril 9, 2026

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

Forget the Trump-Class Battleship: Russia’s Nuclear Kirov-Class Battlecruiser Is Back In Action with Hypersonic Missiles

The battlecruiser is back. Well, okay, maybe not the same battlecruisers that became obsolescent after World War II but still make old-school naval history buffs...

Christian D. OrrApril 8, 2026

P-47 Thunderbolt. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

WWII P-47 Thunderbolt ‘Flying Bathtub’ Destroyed 86,000 Railroad Cars, 9,000 Locomotives, and 6,000 Armored Vehicles — The Two Top American Aces in Europe Refused to Fly Anything Else

The P-47 Was Called the ‘Flying Bathtub’ and Weighed 10,000 Pounds Empty — It Still Shot Down 20 of Hitler’s Messerschmitt 262 Jets This...

Christian D. OrrApril 7, 2026

A U.S. Sailor performs a safety scan of the catapult track as an F/A-18E Super Hornet aircraft positions for launch from the flight deck while underway in the Caribbean Sea, Nov. 25, 2025. U.S. military forces are deployed to the Caribbean in support of Operation Southern Spear, the U.S. Southern Command mission, Department of War-directed operations, and the president’s priorities to disrupt illicit drug trafficking and protect the homeland. (U.S. Navy photo)

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

The USS Gerald R. Ford Aircraft Carrier Has Been to Hell and Back — Extended Deployment, a Shipboard Fire, 200 Sailors Treated for Smoke, and a Stop in Croatia for Repairs

From Venezuela to Iran to a Fire That Sent 200 Sailors for Smoke Treatment — The USS Gerald R. Ford Has Been Pushed Harder...

Christian D. OrrApril 5, 2026

A live fire demonstration of the Army’s newest and most modernized combat vehicle, the M10 Booker, marks the conclusion of the M10 Booker Dedication Ceremony at Aberdeen Proving Ground, in Aberdeen, Md., April 18, 2024. (U.S. Army photo by Christopher Kaufmann)

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

The F-22 Was Cut in Half, the Zumwalt Stealth Fleet Went From 32 to 3, and the M10 Booker Was Killed Entirely — The Pentagon Keeps Canceling Its Own Future

The F-22 Raptor, Zumwalt-Class Stealth Destroyer, and M10 Booker All Share Something In Common – Cancellations One of the cool things about being a...

Christian D. OrrApril 5, 2026

ATLANTIC OCEAN (Oct. 29, 2019) USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) conducts high-speed turns in the Atlantic Ocean. Ford is at sea conducting sea trials following the in port portion of its 15 month post-shakedown availability. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Connor Loessin)

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

USS Gerald R. Ford Is the Most Advanced Aircraft Carrier Ever Built — The U.S. Navy May Have Pushed It Into War Before It Was Ready

The Ford Aircraft Carrier Borrowed Its Vacuum Sewage System From the Cruise Ship Industry — Cruise Ships Don’t Run 19-Hour Combat Operations When the...

Christian D. OrrApril 5, 2026

T-72 Russia Tanks in Ukraine. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

Russia Has Lost 1,200 (Or More) T-72 Tanks in Ukraine — The Cold War’s Most Feared Tank Is Being Destroyed Faster Than Moscow Can Replace Them

How Many T-72 Tanks Have Been Destroyed in Ukraine? Back in the heady days of the Cold War, the Soviet-made T-72 was one of...

Christian D. OrrApril 5, 2026

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

The P-51 Mustang Was an Average Fighter Until Britain Swapped the Engine — The Rolls-Royce Merlin Turned It Into the Best Fighter of World War II

One Engine Change Helped Wpn World War II — The Rolls-Royce Merlin Turned a Mediocre P-51 Mustang Into a 440 MPH Bomber Escort That...

Christian D. OrrApril 5, 2026

19FortyFive

Christian D. Orr

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

An SR-71 Blackbird Disintegrated at Mach 3. The Pilot Blacked Out. He Woke Up Under a Parachute Falling Toward a Cattle Ranch in New Mexico. His Partner Didn’t Make It

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

A B-52 Bomber Pilot Was Told Not to Exceed 45 Degrees. He Did 90. His Commander Watched the First Time and Said Nothing. The Second Time, Everyone Died.

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

New Air Force F-47 NGAD Stealth Fighter Is a ‘Paradigm Shift’ China, Russia, or Iran Won’t Know How to Match

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

Forget the Trump-Class Battleship: Russia’s Nuclear Kirov-Class Battlecruiser Is Back In Action with Hypersonic Missiles

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

WWII P-47 Thunderbolt ‘Flying Bathtub’ Destroyed 86,000 Railroad Cars, 9,000 Locomotives, and 6,000 Armored Vehicles — The Two Top American Aces in Europe Refused to Fly Anything Else

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

The USS Gerald R. Ford Aircraft Carrier Has Been to Hell and Back — Extended Deployment, a Shipboard Fire, 200 Sailors Treated for Smoke, and a Stop in Croatia for Repairs

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

The F-22 Was Cut in Half, the Zumwalt Stealth Fleet Went From 32 to 3, and the M10 Booker Was Killed Entirely — The Pentagon Keeps Canceling Its Own Future

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

USS Gerald R. Ford Is the Most Advanced Aircraft Carrier Ever Built — The U.S. Navy May Have Pushed It Into War Before It Was Ready

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

Russia Has Lost 1,200 (Or More) T-72 Tanks in Ukraine — The Cold War’s Most Feared Tank Is Being Destroyed Faster Than Moscow Can Replace Them

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

The P-51 Mustang Was an Average Fighter Until Britain Swapped the Engine — The Rolls-Royce Merlin Turned It Into the Best Fighter of World War II

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