Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security
General Dynamics built the F-16XL fighter prototype with 27 hardpoints. The standard F-16 has 9 hardpoints. The F-16XL had 120% more wing area than...
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General Dynamics built the F-16XL fighter prototype with 27 hardpoints. The standard F-16 has 9 hardpoints. The F-16XL had 120% more wing area than...
The F-16 has long been one of the workhorses of the United States Air Force since it entered service in 1978 — nearly half...
The F-16 Was Designed as a Daytime Air Superiority Fighter — LANTIRN Targeting Pods and Precision Munitions Turned It Into an All-Weather Strike Platform...
Jack Buckby, a New York-based defense researcher and national security analyst, evaluates the "what-if" legacy of the General Dynamics F-16XL. As the U.S. air...
Summary and Key Points: Defense analyst Harrison Kass evaluates the tactical lessons from the F-35 Lightning II’s 2017 Red Flag performance at Nellis AFB....
Christian D. Orr, a senior defense editor and former Air Force Security Forces officer, evaluates the 2026 performance of the F-16 Fighting Falcon ("Viper")...
Summary and Key Points: Christian D. Orr, a veteran defense expert and former Air Force officer, evaluates the historical “Viper vs. Lightning” dogfights of...
Summary and Key Points: Dr. Brent M. Eastwood, a former infantry officer and defense analyst, evaluates the F-35 Lightning II’s transition from Red Flag...
The F-16 Fighting Falcon, first flown in 1974, remains the most prolific and versatile fighter in the global inventory. What began as a lightweight,...
Summary and Key Points: A masterclass in agile fighter design, the F-20 Tigershark was Northrop’s Mach 2 gamble that the world’s allies wanted a...