The RIO or Radar Intercept Officer Any fighter aircraft’s normal mission is to intercept an airborne target. Finding a target on the radar is the first step in intercepting it.…
The Red Tails are the third ANG unit slated to transition to the F-35A Lightning II On December 5, 2023, three F-35A Lightning II fighter jets were delivered to the…
The Dec. 7, 1941, Japanese raid on Pearl Harbor One of history’s major turning points was the Japanese raid on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. In a single, well-thought-out…
Exercise: Red Flag In order to lessen pilots’ susceptibility and high loss rate in their first five combat missions, the US Air Force planned to offer realistic operational training within…
The KC-135Q It’s impossible to overemphasize the essential role played by the KC-135Q tanker crews, without whom successful prosecution of the SR-71 Blackbird mission would have been impossible. As told…
James Stockdale James Bond Stockdale, US Naval Academy Class of ’47, is the embodiment of leadership and inspiration, as well as the perfect naval aviator. Admiral Stockdale is one of…
The F-14 Tomcat When it came to Cold War fighter jets, the US Navy’s Grumman F-14 Tomcat was unmatched overall. Six long-range AIM-54A Phoenix missiles could be guided by the…
The UH-1 Huey The UH-1 “Iroquois” helicopter, also known as the “Huey” for the phonetic sound of its original designation, HU-1, served as the Army’s workhorse during the Vietnam War.…
The F-5 shown in the photos of this article is a captured F-5E that was made up in Soviet markings for testing purposes, not a faux “MiG-28” from Top Gun…
The F-15 Streak Eagle On November 9, 2023, the National Museum of the US Air Force stated on Facebook that the F-15 Streak Eagle would be painted bare metal to…