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SECRET//NO BORING kickass intel on military tech happenings--from insiders for insiders. NEWSLETTER | PODCAST
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Did you know you can get smart on defense happenings while being entertained?
Our fighter-pilot insights + salt + wit =
The best damn national defense newsletter, read by thousands of professionals and enthusiasts each week.
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Do you know what a "dihedral transwing eVTOL"
#drone
is?
We didn't, until we saw this from
@pterodynamics
.
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Ignoring the fact that the target was a balloon...
the F-22's 58,000 AIM-9X shot against the ~60,000 foot target may be the highest altitude air-to-air kill in history.
We don't even do test shots that high. Shout out to
@RaytheonDefense
for a product that works outside specs!
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Good first look at the asymmetric paint job of the new F-35 Aggressor Squadron at Nellis AFB.
@Aviation_Intel
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"U.S. military quietly revokes planned contract for small nuclear plant at Alaska Air Force base"
Company is Oklo, a SPAC whose chairman is sama.
Conspiracy theorists unite!
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For those wondering how an IR missile can shoot down a drone, welcome to the 21st century, where missiles have Imaging IR seekers with focal plane arrays.
Here is one of the very few public pictures of the AIM-9X seeker image. This is probably 15 years old.
Tracking a QF-4.
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There are days we give people the benefit of the doubt.
Then there are days like this.
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One more for National Aviation Day.
This one's from
@LockheedMartin
and shows the past and present of Air Force's Plant 4 at Fort Worth TX.
Why this is familiar...
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TIL:
1) The
@usairforce
has an F-15C with a 104 tail number...
2) They used the opportunity to do something unique with it that most of the population will miss. The subtle "-0" is intentional.
What a nod to the Eagles 104-0 air-to-air record. Bonus: tail 104 also has a green
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Personal post: flew my final flight in the Air Force.
#finiflight
F-15EX sortie.
1.5 Mach.
50K feet.
Inverted.
Wouldn't have it any other way.
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A CH-53K recently sling-loaded an F-35C.
No-so-fun fact: The helicopter costs more than the fighter jet.
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What happened to Canada's Air Force?
We sat down with
@billieflynn
to find out.
WARNING: This interview is full of spicy takes and truth bombs from insiders that you won't find anywhere else.
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Check out our latest episode -- a one-of-a-kind combined interview with Anduril and General Atomics on the Air Force's Collaborative Combat Program!
If you're into defense technology, innovation, drones, and autonomy--this one's for you.
@anduriltech
@GeneralAtomics
@usairforce
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Jetzero emerged from stealth mode with a Blended Wing Design (BWB) aircraft to challenge Boeing and Airbus.
Also key is the decision to compete in the defense market with a transport/tanker to compete in the US Air Force's NGAS (Next-Generation Air-Refueling System) program.
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First F-15EX lands to begin test. A little detail most media won't catch: the patches on the pilot and the WSO. It's an Easter Egg...
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From our latest pod:
DYK about
#NAFO
and the army of cartoon dogs?
#UkraineRussianWar
#UkraineWillWin
#Ukraine
@vc
@thesamparr
@ShaanVP
@Official_NAFO
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IG summary of some of the recent F-15EX news, since pictures tell a better story than words in this case.
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The
@WarOnTheRocks
staff holiday reading list is out! 📚
My recommendations are on strategy and why air forces fail. 👇
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Vanilla Unmanned breaks world record, flies for >8 days without refueling or solar panels.
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#OTD
2008 the F-117 Nighthawk was officially "retired" by
@usairforce
after 27 years of service.
#OTD
2022 the F-117 Nighthawk remains in service for test and training, 14 years after it was "retired."
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Check out
@Albedo
space-based thermal imagery at night. They just got an AFWERX SBIR contract to mature the way they do it. Here's the trick:
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#OTD
56 years ago, legendary fighter pilot Robin Olds led Operation Bolo over North Vietnam.
Its wildly successful use of deception makes it one of the most popular missions of the entire air war.
Here's what you need to know: 🧵
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By now, most people know the story behind the F-22's FRANK callsign.
But DTK that the squadron's mascot is a toy Eagle named Frank? The 27th FS used to maintain a flight log for him, and he's hitched plenty of rides over the years.
We know because we've flown him before.
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F-15EX with a 12 AIM-120 loadout....plus 3 AGM-158 JASSM.
Nbd.
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Left: The $600 remove-before-flight covers on the F-35’s air data ports. They are difficult to use, the pins break, and the rubber seals fail.
Right: Air Force maintainers invented a $45 3D-printed cover to replace it. It has no moving parts and stands up to the weather.
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Nothing slaps as hard as aviation timeline comparisons.
The first flight of the SR-71 took place just seven years after the US Air Force retired its last P-51 Mustang.
Let that sink in for a minute.
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Funny looking AIM-120 you have there.
This day in history! On Oct. 30, 2013, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program achieved a milestone with the successful live-fire launch of an AIM-120 missile.
#unitedstatesairforce
#airforcetestcenter
Full Article:
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Santa escort mission has commenced.
Sleep tight, knowing the big man is safe and executing.
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@AJ_Piplica
You asked...we delivered.
@hermeuscorp
real-life Chimera engine test compared to the
@TopGunMovie
scram jet scene.
The podcast drops tomorrow!
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#OTD
80 years ago the Doolittle Raid occurred. You can read our summary of the mission here
#DYK
: The Doolittle Raid went from from idea to execution in 98 days.
Speed is an overlooked part of
#innovation
.
@GenCQBrownJr
@ACC_Commander
@usairforce
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One thing you can do with Google Earth's new time-lapse feature: Look at military bases in Afghanistan over the 20-year war.
Bagram 2001-2021.
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A friendly reminder for those attempting to have a
#Ukraine
platform-centric fighter jet debate: this is a JASSM stealth cruise missile being loaded on an F-16.
The rails in the air matter just as much as what those rails are attached to.
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OFFICIAL from
@usairforce
:
- Barnes ANG, MA will get 18 F-35As.
- NASJRB New Orleans, LA will get 18 F-15EXs.
- Fresno ANG, CA will get 18 F-15EXs.
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#OTD
2003 The
@usairforce
tested the first GBU-43.
The 21,600 lb bomb is officially known as the Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB), but everyone just calls it the Mother of All Bombs.
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Gotta love defense ads that get creative with metrics because they can't disclose capabilities.
It's hard to tell if the new version is that good....or the current version is that bad.
"BAE is under contract to deliver Block 4 EW capabilities for future F35, which will significantly upgrade AN/ASQ239. Block 4 EW will improve sensing and signal-processing capabilities & boost the ability to detect low-observable threats & more threats simultaneously" ~ BAE
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0
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Quicksink video of an air-delivered bomb creating torpedo-like sub-surface effects.
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Russia fighter aircraft makers MiG & Sukhoi are planning to merge.
I propose the Western World start referring to the new company as MiGSuks.
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Now is as good a time as ever to highlight the time a few US Air Force F-16 fighter pilots formed a band and wrote a hilarious song about the fictitious story when one of them accidentally started WW3...while enforcing a no-fly zone.
#dosgringos
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F-22 just shot down a 3rd object.
Dear China: please only play during our normal business hours M-F.
Signed,
Everyone in defense media
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Spicy take: all US Air Force 4-star commander's assigned gov car should be based on the average age of the aircraft fleet under their command.
Here us out...🧵
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ICYMI: Last week we dug into the US Air Force’s E-7 Wedgetail plan. 🧵
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The Nordic Air Commanders’ Intent announcement is a week old, but a picture is helpful to understand the strategic geography and geometry in play.
Denmark, Finland, Norway & Sweden agreed to operate their air forces as a combined fleet of 250 fighter jets for air defense.
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@Aviation_Intel
* 32 early block F-22s, not 52. But the point remains.
Small fleet dynamics means it is not a foundational strategic advantage in a major theater war.
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ICYMI: This week we unpacked Light Attack. You can read the full newsletter for free at in the archive.
Or just sign up and get it delivered to your inbox every Sunday morning.
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Brace for impact: the future is coming faster than you think.
@PalantirTech
launched a new AI-based defense platform.
Yesterday Palantir announced its Artificial Intelligence Platform.
Here's how it transforms the future of military and defence:
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The Air Force is testing a jamming pod on the MQ-9
"Electronic attack on the MQ-9 is a compelling capability. 15 hours of persistent noise integrated with a large force package will affect an adversary"
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Proof that Santa delivers presents to the naughty list....
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South Korea flew its 3rd KF-21 fighter prototype.
Elements of F-35 in the front; F-18/F-22/F-15 in the back.
Does that make it a fighter mullet?
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Gen. Wolters: my dream is that she grows up to be a U.S. citizen and flies for the US Air Force.
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Boom.
NEWS: We're excited to officially announce that we're expanding our launch fleet with the acquisition of Virgin Orbit's modified Boeing 747. Read more:
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We're not sure why this hasn't happened yet on the internet, but it was inevitable.
@JeremiahWeed
@Diageo_News
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Proof that pilot humor transcends languages.
This Taiwanese Air Force pilot patch is going viral in Taiwan.
It depicts a black bear punching Winnie the Pooh — representing Chinese President Xi Jinping.
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Good guys: B-21, NGAD, F-22, and F-35.
Bad guys: Probably intended to be Chinese J-31s, though they look like F-35s were used instead.
Nice Space Invaders vibe though--a nod to the unit's video-game-esque JSE mission.
Edwards AFB Test Squadron’s New Patch Teases 6th Generation Aircraft Silhouette. Read more here:
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0
3
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Blue Force Tech revealed the 1st-ever picture of their in-development carbon fiber fighter drone that will fly adversary air to help train human pilots.
This is an engine test validating the digital engineering of the inlet and exhaust.
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Our latest episode is on a key air defense from
@RaytheonDefen__
that is active in Ukraine...
and protects the Washington DC 24/7...
and it repurchases missiles from fighter jets.
NASAMS.
Check it out! 👇
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The drama surrounding Navy's EA-18G Next Gen Jammer Low Band (NGJ-LB) program.
AKA why the warfighter is still waiting on equipment that helps them do their job.
China doesn't have this problem.
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Here's how Russia's sortie rates compare to other major operations.
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This week's newsletter is worth the share - one of the most badass fighter pilots in
@usairforce
history.
You've likely never heard of him.
#BlackHistoryMonth
#BlackHistoryMonth2024
#military
#history
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Why didn't the F-22 shoot the balloon with its 20mm gun?
We have the answer:
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Val Kilmer is trending, which is a good time to call out that Iceman from Top Gun didn't have email or internet...
...but if he did, he'd be digging our newsletter and podcast.
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For those who still don't think the game is rapidly changing, imagine if these existed 15 years ago in Afghanistan--on either side.
The payload turret is gyro-stabilized, has target tracking algorithms, and can support an assault rifle, sniper rifle, or a 40mm launcher.
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F-15EX: big, can't go into the same rooms as F-35, but larger sensors see more, deep magazine (guns in walls), massive carnage
F-35: small, goes into rooms EX can't fit, decent sensing, limited com (radio), limited magazine (handgun/automatic weapon)
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ICYMI:
@usairforce
conducted another Rapid Dragon test--aka dropping cruise missiles out of cargo planes.
Our $.02 🧵
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#OTD
1965 the
@airforce
Wild Weasal mission had its first successful mission.
@ACC_Commander
@aircombatcmd
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2
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This is gold.
@Doctrine_Man
and
@KeraRolsen
would be proud.
1/ Here is how the abomination that is the AT-ST came about. Spoiler alert, it comes down to compromises & mission creep.
"Initial Requirement: We need a small dropship deliverable armored sentry tower (ST) for forward operating bases with space for 4 sentries"
An early sketch:
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0
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ICYMI: this weekend we covered the rationale behind the
@usairforce
proposed retirements of some of its F-22 Raptors. Here's the zoomed-out infographic for perspective.
Read the newsletter here:
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9
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T-7A first flight!
And it's off....
The first USAF T-7A Red Hawk EMD aircraft with a military pilot just took off from St Louis.
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2
20
That lean tells us all we need to know.
Bye, Felicia.
#Ukraine
: Overnight, Ukrainian USVs (Kamikaze Sea Drones) attacked the Russian port of Novorossiysk, hitting the "Olenegorsky Gornyk" Project 775 large landing ship of the Russian navy- causing it to list due to internal flooding.
The full extent of the damage is so far unclear.
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@GarethJennings3
This article has some great analysis around why this approach is a dead end:
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You see all the posts and comments about the current US airstrikes in Iraq and Syria?
Pause. They are missing the real lesson--a tragedy and historic inflection point.
Here it is 👇
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Imagine if these were the command vehicles on Air Force bases. That's how old the aircraft are.
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Photo bomb(er).
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@aircombatcmd
@ACC_Commander
@Aviation_Intel
was Frank in the cockpit for the shot?
Please let this be true.
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Defense tech small biz shoutout:
Check out Phenix Solutions' Heavy Lift VTOL drone.
It's designed to transport 1,500 lbs for 300 miles.
They were recently awarded an Air Force SBIR Phase 2 contract to refine the production process for scale.
#drone
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DoD: we need to bring in more small disruptive companies to help us innovate.
Also DoD: Obligations to the "Big Five" grew by 21% in FY20, the highest level in two decades.
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This picture is not real. Generative AI created this image with just 5 words.
We're posting it as a hint for this weekend's topic.
Note: If you look closely, you can see that this particular AI tool doesn't do symmetry very well.
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Boeing: Our KC-46 tanker has a rear-facing remote vision system to guide our refueling boom.
Lockheed: Hold my beer.
This is the front view of the
@NASA
X-59 QueSST (Quiet SuperSonic Technology) X plane. It uses a 4K camera so the pilot can see forward.
h/t
@Aviation_Intel
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Keen eyes at
#AFA
#AWS24
may have seen a few Air Force officers wearing this new patch.
#AFAColorado
@Aviation_Intel
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@usairforce
and
@AFResearchLab
are putting 3D-printed microvanes on the tail of C-17s (and other
@AirMobilityCmd
aircraft). It reduces fuel consumption 1%, which really adds up across the fleet.
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Could this be the ultimate Turing test?
I mean, not even humans can make sense of the Pentagon's acquisition process. 🤣
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The date is Oct 31, 2037 and you're scheduled to fly a night sortie on a nearly 100 year-old B-52 that is rumored to be haunted. Have fun!
(s/o to SSgt. Alexander Riedel for this great 2018 photo)
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