F-35 Archives

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

F/A-XX vs. NGAD: Can the U.S. Navy’s Sixth-Gen Fighter Lead the Way?

Key Points: The U.S. Navy’s F/A-XX sixth-generation fighter is positioned as a practical, cost-effective alternative to the Air Force’s Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD)...

Brent M. EastwoodNovember 24, 2024

U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptors, E-3 Sentrys, C-17 Globemaster IIIs, C-130J Herculeses and C-12F Hurons participate in a close formation taxi known as an elephant walk at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, May 5, 2020. This event displayed the ability of the 3rd Wing, 176th Wing and the 477th Fighter Group to maintain constant readiness throughout COVID-19 by Total Force Integration between active-duty, Guard and Reserve units to continue defending the U.S. homeland and ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Jonathan Valdes Montijo)

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

How the Battle of Khasham Fueled Russia’s Nuclear War Threats in Ukraine

The Battle of Khasham, initiated by Russian mercenaries, only heightened the Kremlin’s deep fears of direct conventional war with a military that currently excels...

Julian McBrideJune 10, 2024

F-35I Adir. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

An Israeli F-35 Shot Down a Cruise Missile–A First for the Joint Strike Fighter

Last week, an Israeli F-35I Adir fighter downed a cruise missile fired by Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen. It was the first known intercept of...

Peter SuciuNovember 7, 2023

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

The F-35 Is The Safest And Most Capable Fighter the U.S Military Has

No major acquisition program is without flaws and missteps. The F-35 program has weathered a number of these. Nonetheless, it has proven to be...

Daniel GoureOctober 12, 2023

F-35 AF-184 flown by Lt. Cdr. Jonathan 'Dos' Beaton, in Owen's Moa, with Whitney and snowcapped Sierra Nevadas in background

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

NATO Is Becoming the Defacto F-35 Stealth Fighter Alliance

NATO member-state Denmark officially became the latest operator of the Lockheed Martin F-35A Lighting II — the conventional takeoff and landing variant of the...

Peter SuciuOctober 2, 2023

U.S. Air Force Maj. Kristin Wolfe performs a demonstration in the F-35A Lightning II during at the Reno Air Races in Reno, Nevada, September 19, 2021. The F-35 Lightning II Demonstration Team is based out of Hill Air Force Base, Utah. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Nicolas Myers)

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

The F-35 Has the Orders Pouring In – and That Could be a Bad Thing

Even if production could be increased, the F-35 program won't run forever. It wouldn't do any of the companies — large or small —...

Peter SuciuOctober 2, 2023

An F-35 Lightning II flies at the Blue Angels Homecoming Air Show at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, Nov. 11, 2022. The NAS Pensacola Blue Angels Homecoming Air Show is one of Pensacola's largest events, attracting 150,000-180,000 spectators during the two-day event. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Trenten Walters)

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

More F-35 Stealth Fighters Will Now Be Close to Russia

The Czech Republic will become the latest NATO member-state to adopt the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter, Prime Minister Petr Fiala announced...

Peter SuciuSeptember 30, 2023