US Air Force Archives

Block 70 F-16 Fighter Lockheed Martin Photo Handout

Aerospace & Defense

Lockheed Martin, the company behind the F-35 and F-22, lost the Air Force’s sixth-generation jet to Boeing and is now pitching a new F-16 — a fourth-generation fighter the service stopped buying 20 years ago — because it needs 460 more jets by 2035 and cannot stand up new stealth lines fast enough

The F-16G would be a good Viper. The argument is whether America can afford to buy the past in order to have enough aircraft...

Brandon WeichertSeptember 17, 2026

A U.S. Air Force F-15EX Eagle II assigned to Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, flies a training mission over southeast United States, March 23, 2026. The 96th Test Wing and 53rd Wing perform developmental and operational test series on the platform including next-generation survivability, radars, sensors and networking capabilities. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Blake Wiles)

Aerospace & Defense

The F-15EX Eagle II Can Carry 29,500 Pounds of Payload and Up to 12 AMRAAMs. It Just Dropped Live Bombs From an Operational Squadron for the First Time, and the Air Force Wants to Grow the Fleet From 129 Jets to 267.

The Boeing F-15EX Eagle II is coming to the US Air Force and will transform how the air service trains, fights and prepares for...

Georgia GilholySeptember 17, 2026

Aerospace & Defense

Israeli Pilots With 24 Air-to-Air Kills Between Them Evaluated the F-14 Tomcat and the F-15 Eagle in 1974 and Reported That the Tomcat Could Barely Outperform an A-4 Skyhawk in a Dogfight. Israel Bought the Eagle. Iran Bought the Tomcat.

France embargoed Israel in 1967 and took its main aircraft supplier away overnight. By 1974 the Israeli Ministry of Defence was asking Washington for...

Isaac SeitzSeptember 16, 2026

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 SeitzSeptember 16, 2026

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 BuckbySeptember 15, 2026

A U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning II climbs during a demonstration at Misawa Range Day at Draughon Range near Misawa Air Base, Japan, Sept. 11, 2026. Advanced fighter capabilities enhance the combat effectiveness and agility of U.S. airpower, strengthening the ability to respond rapidly and maintain security throughout the Pacific. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Angelica Winther)

Aerospace & Defense

The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Flew Well Against Iran for One Reason: The Pentagon Finally Gave It the Parts. The Bill to Keep Doing That Is $13,700,000,000.

The F-35 flew well in Operation Epic Fury, the Iran campaign that opened in March 2026, and Air Combat Command's Brig. Gen. Brian Laidlaw...

Brandon WeichertSeptember 15, 2026

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 GilholySeptember 15, 2026

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 WeichertSeptember 15, 2026

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 GilholySeptember 15, 2026

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 WeichertSeptember 15, 2026

19FortyFive

All posts tagged "US Air Force"

Aerospace & Defense

Aerospace & Defense

The F-15EX Eagle II Can Carry 29,500 Pounds of Payload and Up to 12 AMRAAMs. It Just Dropped Live Bombs From an Operational Squadron for the First Time, and the Air Force Wants to Grow the Fleet From 129 Jets to 267.

Aerospace & Defense

Israeli Pilots With 24 Air-to-Air Kills Between Them Evaluated the F-14 Tomcat and the F-15 Eagle in 1974 and Reported That the Tomcat Could Barely Outperform an A-4 Skyhawk in a Dogfight. Israel Bought the Eagle. Iran Bought the Tomcat.

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

The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Flew Well Against Iran for One Reason: The Pentagon Finally Gave It the Parts. The Bill to Keep Doing That Is $13,700,000,000.

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.

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