The War Zone

A strong offense for the world of defense.

Aggressors: Fights on!
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By Tyler Rogoway Aug 15, 2020

Bunker Talk: Let's Chat About All The Stories We Did And Didn't Cover This Week

We can talk about buried ballistic missiles, geopolitics, Chinese bomber deployments, flying Soviet fighters for the first time—you know, no big whoop.
By Tyler Rogoway Aug 14, 2020

Portland Air National Guard Base Will Be Home To The First Operational F-15EX Eagle Unit

The 142nd Fighter Wing will transition to the F-15EX after the schoolhouse in Klamath Falls receives the type.
By Tyler Rogoway Aug 14, 2020

Test Pilot Explains The YF-23 Black Widow's Awesomely Innovative Flight Control System

The YF-23 was an amazing combination of cutting-edge innovations that we are still learning about. Its digital flight control system was no different.
By Thomas Newdick Aug 14, 2020

How A Canadian Pilot Became The First Westerner To Fly The Feared MiG-29 Fulcrum

With only minutes to prepare, CF-18 Hornet pilot Bob Wade was let loose in the cockpit of one of the Soviet Union’s latest fighter jets.
By Joseph Trevithick Aug 14, 2020

The Navy Now Has A Submarine Aggressor Squadron

The unit is intended to provide Navy submariners and anti-submarine forces with an opponent that fights just like a wide range of potential foes.
By Tyler Rogoway and Joseph Trevithick Aug 13, 2020

Is The Stargazer Air-Launch Mothership About To Test A Secretive Air Force Payload?

Typically used to launch rockets to put small satellites in orbit, Stargazer may be working on a classified hypersonic or space launch program.
By Jamie Hunter Aug 13, 2020

How F-16 Testers Are Evolving The Jet's New Radar Beyond The Homeland Defense Mission

Rapid deployment of a new AESA radar with the Air National Guard is being followed-up with advanced testing for the full suite of F-16 missions.
By Thomas Newdick and Joseph Trevithick Aug 12, 2020

Marine MV-22 Ospreys Flew In An RQ-21 Drone Unit During An Exercise For The First Time

The exercise highlights the growing importance of drones in the Marine Corps' expeditionary operations plans.
By Jamie Hunter Aug 12, 2020

Check Out These Images Of Russia's Second Su-57 Felon Fighter Under Construction

The latest Felon was shown off on Air Force Day in Russia, months after the first production aircraft crashed.
By Thomas Newdick Aug 12, 2020

Air Combat Tales From Australia’s Storied Pitch Black Aerial War Games

Past participants recall incredible highlights from the big international exercise that plays out over Australia’s vast Northern Territory.
By Thomas Newdick Aug 12, 2020

China Deployed Bombers To One Of Its South China Sea Islands For The First Time According To Photo

The H-6J's visit to Woody Island would be yet more evidence of China’s expanding military activities in a disputed and strategically vital region.
By Aaron Amick Aug 12, 2020

How Submarine Sonarmen Tirelessly Hunt For Enemies They Can't Even See

The ability to fight and win in the high-stakes game of undersea warfare is all about the art of listening. Here's how it's done.
By Joseph Trevithick Aug 11, 2020

Amphibious Assault Ship USS Essex Carries Load Of Gorgeous World War II Warbirds To Hawaii

The antique aircraft hitched a ride on the USS Essex to Hawaii where they will help mark the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II.
By Joseph Trevithick Aug 11, 2020

B-21 Raider Stealth Bomber Is "Starting To Look Like An Airplane"

The Air Force has said that it is aiming for the prototype to take its first flight in December 2021, but that this milestone could be delayed.
By Thomas Newdick Aug 11, 2020

Chinese Z-10A Attack Helicopter Shows Off New Missile During Live-Fire Exercise

The latest footage suggests that the weapon could be integral to a hunter-killer attack helicopter team concept of operations.
By Joseph Trevithick Aug 11, 2020

South Korea Officially Unveils Plan For F-35B Light Carrier

Though still described as an amphibious warship, it will be focused on aviation operations and will lack a well deck.
By Jamie Hunter Aug 11, 2020

Trio Of B-2 Stealth Bombers Deploy To The Remote Island Outpost Of Diego Garcia

Forward deploying the B-2s to the Indian Ocean puts them well within reach of hotspots in the Middle East and Asia. 
By Jamie Hunter Aug 10, 2020

British A400M Transport Gets Tasked With Low-Level Patrols To Track Migrant Boats From France

Airbus Atlas patrols the English Channel for hours as Royal Air Force steps in to help police busy sea lanes.
By Thomas Newdick Aug 10, 2020

Watch Chinese Frogmen Fire Their Special Underwater Guns

Not many countries field specialist underwater firearms. Now we have a chance to see these exotic weapons in the hands of China’s naval commandos.
By Jamie Hunter and Thomas Newdick Aug 10, 2020

Israel Now Has Two Combat Ready F-35 Squadrons

With a storied past, 116 Squadron becomes the second combat-coded “Adir” unit in the Israeli Air Force.
By Joseph Trevithick Aug 10, 2020

Iran Touts Buried "Missile Farms" Like Ones The United States Explored During The Cold War

Placing the launchers underground, even at a shallow depth, could help make the missiles harder to target and destroy.
By Jamie Hunter and Tyler Rogoway Aug 10, 2020

Chinese Fighters Cross Into Taiwan’s Side Of The Strait As High-Level U.S. Visit Begins

The Chinese fighters emerged over the channel as U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar was about to meet with Taiwan's president.
By Tyler Rogoway Aug 9, 2020

Night Stalker MH-47 Emerges With Mystery Modifications During Training In Colorado

The 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment has been flying out of Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport for weeks, but the new gear is a surprise.
By Tyler Rogoway Aug 9, 2020

Check Out This B-52 Stratofortress Carrying Two AGM-183 Hypersonic Test Missiles

The USAF just completed the last captive carry flight of what's slated to become the service's first hypersonic weapon. Launch tests are next. 
By Thomas Newdick Aug 8, 2020

Why Russia’s MiG-35 Is Starting To Look Like A Dead Duck

The latest-generation Fulcrum should have been in service by now, so why isn’t it and what went wrong?
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