Air Force Archives

Aerospace & Defense

Twelve Mach 3 SR-71 Blackbirds Were Lost in Accidents and None to Enemy Fire. ‘Rapid Rabbit’ Nearly Became the Exception Over Hanoi. A Typhoon Did.

SR-71 Blackbird 61-7978 wore white bunny logos on its tails and the nickname "Rapid Rabbit," and in 1972 it used up every ounce of...

Isaac Seitz2 hours ago

A B-21 Raider rejoins with a KC-135 Stratotanker. The B-21 program exemplifies the Department of the Air Force's warfighting-focused acquisition mindset, leveraging digital engineering and modern production to deliver a mature, highly capable system at speed. The B-21's efficiency and flexibility will provide a survivable, unpredictable deterrent force, forming the backbone of America’s future bomber force. (U.S. Air Force photo by Todd Schannuth, image altered for security)

Aerospace & Defense

Chinese Researchers Claim They Found the US Air Force B-21 Raider’s Weak Spots by Simulating a Bomber They’ve Never Seen. The Model Rests on Estimates.

Chinese researchers claim to have found weaknesses in the B-21 Raider without classified documents. A team at the China Aerodynamics Research and Development Center...

Jack Buckby18 hours ago

U.S. Air Force pilot Maj. Brian 'Brass' Burke, 104th Fighter Wing unit conversion officer, flies an F-35A Lightning II over Barnes Air National Guard Base at exactly 1:04PM EST, officially marking the historic first arrival of the fifth-generation fighter aircraft to the Wing, June 11, 2026.

Aerospace & Defense

Swiss Voters Approved CHF 6,000,000,000 to Buy 36 Lockheed Martin F-35A Fighters. Switzerland Is Now Paying CHF 394,000,000 More and Will Receive 30, Because the “Fixed Price” Officials Promised Parliament Was Never Written Into Any Contract.

Switzerland selected the F-35A on the understanding that CHF 6 billion bought 36 aircraft at a locked price. The lock did not exist. Under...

Georgia Gilholy23 hours ago

Aerospace & Defense

The US Air Force Has 76 B-52H Stratofortresses, About 45 B-1B Lancers and 19 Operational B-2 Spirits. The Newest B-52 Was Delivered in 1962, and 10 of the 13 Programs in Its $21,000,000,000 Modernization Are Running Late or Over Budget.

Riyadh is asking allies for military aid against the Houthis. Pakistan and Turkey have declined; the US and Israel are reportedly sharing intelligence. If...

Brandon Weichert23 hours ago

Aerospace & Defense

Canada Scored the Lockheed Martin F-35A at 57.1 Out of 60 Points for Military Capability in Its 2021 Fighter Competition. The Saab Gripen E Scored 19.8. On Mission Performance It Was 97 Percent Against 22 Percent, and Ottawa Is Still Considering Buying Both.

The F-35 price has moved. Canada's Auditor General put the fighter project at C$19 billion in 2022 and C$27.7 billion by 2024, and that...

Georgia Gilholy1 day ago

YF-118G Bird of Prey by Boeing Creative Commons Photo

Aerospace & Defense

Boeing Built One YF-118FG ‘Bird of Prey’ for $67,000,000 and Flew It 38 Times at 300 Miles per Hour. It Never Carried a Weapon or a Radar.

The YF-118G design choices are what made it matter. The engine sat in a shielded position so that radar looking head-on never saw the...

Brandon Weichert1 day ago

Test pilots with the 461st Flight Test Squadron, 412th Test Wing, return to Edwards Air Force Base, California, on January 21 after conducting a TR-3 AIM-120 live fire mission over the Pacific Test Range. The F-35 Integrated Test Force at Edwards is responsible for developmental testing of all three F-35 aircraft variants across the joint-services. (Courtesy Photo)

Aerospace & Defense

The Former Canadian CF-18 Pilot Who Said in 2011 That the F-35 Was “Not the Right Plane for Canada” Is Now the Minister Deciding How Many Canada Buys. Stephen Fuhr Has Committed to 16 of the 88 Jets Ottawa Announced.

Fuhr also runs the Defence Investment Agency, created by Prime Minister Mark Carney last October to cut through a procurement system known for cumbersome...

Georgia Gilholy2 days ago

An F-35A Lightning II assigned to the 4th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, deployed to Kadena Air Base, sit on the flight line during base-wide operational readiness exercise BH 26-1 at Kadena Air Base, Japan, Nov. 3, 2025. Kadena serves as a critical element in deterring potential adversaries through its demonstrated strength and commitment to regional security.

Aerospace & Defense

The Pentagon Is Paying $24,290,000,000 for 296 F-35 Fighters. The Engines Were Not Included. With Them, One F-35A Now Costs $92,000,000.

The Pentagon has put a price on the newest F-35s in today's dollars for the first time. An Air Force F-35A from Lots 18...

Jack Buckby2 days ago

Forty-nine F-16 Vipers and MQ-9 Reapers assigned to the 49th Wing line up on the runway during an elephant walk at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, April 21, 2023. The 49th Wing is the Air Force’s largest F-16 and MQ-9 formal training unit, building combat aircrew pilots and sensor operators ready for any future conflicts. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Victor J. Caputo)

Aerospace & Defense

Ukraine’s F-16s Have Shot Down 2,500 Russian Drones in Two Years. Now Pilots Are Using the 20mm Cannon Because Missiles Are Running Low.

Ukraine waited years for the F-16, and for more than two years the jets have flown combat missions. They never fought the air-superiority campaign...

Jack Buckby2 days ago

Aerospace & Defense

A US Air Force SR-71 Blackbird Came Apart Around Pilot Bill Weaver at Mach 3.2 and 78,000 Feet. He Never Pulled the Handle — the Aircraft Threw Him Out. He Survived and Was Flying Again 2 Weeks Later.

The pressure suit did the work. It kept his blood from boiling at 78,000 feet, fed him oxygen, and its ejection system deployed a...

Isaac Seitz2 days ago

19FortyFive

All posts tagged "Air Force"

Aerospace & Defense

Twelve Mach 3 SR-71 Blackbirds Were Lost in Accidents and None to Enemy Fire. ‘Rapid Rabbit’ Nearly Became the Exception Over Hanoi. A Typhoon Did.

Aerospace & Defense

Chinese Researchers Claim They Found the US Air Force B-21 Raider’s Weak Spots by Simulating a Bomber They’ve Never Seen. The Model Rests on Estimates.

Aerospace & Defense

Swiss Voters Approved CHF 6,000,000,000 to Buy 36 Lockheed Martin F-35A Fighters. Switzerland Is Now Paying CHF 394,000,000 More and Will Receive 30, Because the “Fixed Price” Officials Promised Parliament Was Never Written Into Any Contract.

Aerospace & Defense

The US Air Force Has 76 B-52H Stratofortresses, About 45 B-1B Lancers and 19 Operational B-2 Spirits. The Newest B-52 Was Delivered in 1962, and 10 of the 13 Programs in Its $21,000,000,000 Modernization Are Running Late or Over Budget.

Aerospace & Defense

Canada Scored the Lockheed Martin F-35A at 57.1 Out of 60 Points for Military Capability in Its 2021 Fighter Competition. The Saab Gripen E Scored 19.8. On Mission Performance It Was 97 Percent Against 22 Percent, and Ottawa Is Still Considering Buying Both.

Aerospace & Defense

Boeing Built One YF-118FG ‘Bird of Prey’ for $67,000,000 and Flew It 38 Times at 300 Miles per Hour. It Never Carried a Weapon or a Radar.

Aerospace & Defense

The Former Canadian CF-18 Pilot Who Said in 2011 That the F-35 Was “Not the Right Plane for Canada” Is Now the Minister Deciding How Many Canada Buys. Stephen Fuhr Has Committed to 16 of the 88 Jets Ottawa Announced.

Aerospace & Defense

The Pentagon Is Paying $24,290,000,000 for 296 F-35 Fighters. The Engines Were Not Included. With Them, One F-35A Now Costs $92,000,000.

Aerospace & Defense

Ukraine’s F-16s Have Shot Down 2,500 Russian Drones in Two Years. Now Pilots Are Using the 20mm Cannon Because Missiles Are Running Low.

Aerospace & Defense

A US Air Force SR-71 Blackbird Came Apart Around Pilot Bill Weaver at Mach 3.2 and 78,000 Feet. He Never Pulled the Handle — the Aircraft Threw Him Out. He Survived and Was Flying Again 2 Weeks Later.

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