Fox One, Fox Two, Fox Three — Decoded
Share this story Quick Facts Fox One Semi-active radar-guided missile launch (e.g. AIM-7 Sparrow) Fox Two Infrared/heat-seeking missile launch (e.g. AIM-9 Sidewinder) Fox Three Active radar-guided missile launch (e.g. AIM-120 AMRAAM) Origin NATO brevity code system...
F-117 Shootdown: The Night Stealth Died
Share this story Quick Facts Date March 27, 1999 Aircraft Lockheed F-117A Nighthawk (serial 82-0806, callsign “Vega 31”) Pilot Lt. Col. Dale Zelko, USAF Weapon Isayev S-125 Neva/Pechora (NATO: SA-3 Goa) surface-to-air missile Fired By 3rd Battery, 250th Air Defence...
Afterburners: The Controlled Explosion Behind Every Fighter
Share this story Quick Facts What It Is A secondary combustion system that injects raw fuel into a jet engine’s exhaust Thrust Increase 40–70% above maximum dry (non-afterburning) thrust Fuel Penalty Fuel consumption roughly triples during afterburner use Duration...
SR-71’s Final Speed Record Still Stands
Share this story Quick Facts Aircraft Lockheed SR-71A Blackbird (tail number 61-7972) Record Los Angeles to Washington, D.C. in 64 minutes 20 seconds Date March 6, 1990 (final operational flight) Distance 2,299 miles (3,701 km) Average Speed 2,145 mph (Mach 3.2+) Crew...
Night Witches: Soviet Women Who Bombed by Moonlight
Share this story Quick Facts Unit 588th Night Bomber Regiment, Soviet Air Forces Nickname Nachthexen (“Night Witches”) — given by terrified German soldiers Aircraft Polikarpov Po-2 biplane (1920s design, wood and canvas) Personnel All-female — pilots, navigators,...
NATO’s Biggest Spring Drill Since the Cold War
Share this story Quick Facts Exercises AURORA 26 (Swedish-led) + DEFENDER-Europe 26 (US-led) Scale 15,500+ personnel (6,000 US troops) across eight countries Region Scandinavia, Baltic States, Northern Europe Timing April 2026 Focus Rapid reinforcement of NATO’s...
MQ-25 Stingray Taxis Itself on the Tarmac
Share this story Quick Facts Aircraft Boeing MQ-25A Stingray Type Carrier-based autonomous aerial refuelling drone Milestone Completed autonomous taxi tests at MidAmerica Airport (January 29, 2026) Next Step First flight of production-representative aircraft (2026)...
B-21 Raider Quietly Advances Flight Testing
Share this story Quick Facts Aircraft Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider Type Long-range stealth strategic bomber First Flight November 10, 2023 Test Aircraft Flying Two (with two additional deliveries planned for 2026) Production Site Air Force Plant 42, Palmdale,...
Marines Want the Valkyrie — Both Ways
Share this story Quick Facts Aircraft Kratos XQ-58A Valkyrie Type Autonomous combat drone / Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) Programme Marine Corps MUX TACAIR Launch Methods Rocket-assisted (portable rail) and conventional runway takeoff Speed High subsonic (Mach...
“Super Typhoon” Gets the Green Light
Share this story Quick Facts Programme Eurofighter Typhoon Aerodynamic Modification Kit (AMK) Partners Eurofighter GmbH, NETMA (NATO Eurofighter and Tornado Management Agency) Key Changes Leading-edge root extensions (LERX), fuselage strakes, enlarged flaperons Lift...
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