The War Zone

A strong offense for the world of defense.

Aircraft Carrier Rainbow
Latest Articles
By Joseph Trevithick Oct 23, 2021

The Air Force Has A Plan To Make Jet Fuel Out Of Thin Air

A new carbon transformation process could be game-changing for the Air Force, which spends billions annually to buy fuel and ship it around the world.
By brian o'rourke and tyler rogoway Oct 23, 2021

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

Hunker down in the bunker.
By Tyler Rogoway Oct 22, 2021

This Is Our First Look At The USS Connecticut After Its Underwater Collision

The Navy remains tight-lipped as to what the nuclear submarine hit in the South China Sea and the damage that was done.
By Joseph Trevithick Oct 22, 2021

Green Berets Hone Their Destruction Of Enemy Air Defenses Skills For A Peer Conflict

Army Special Forces soldiers knocked out "enemy" air defenses, snooped on mock missile silos, and sabotaged a simulated port in a recent exercise.
By Thomas Newdick Oct 22, 2021

Watch A Royal Navy Wildcat Helicopter Fire Its First Operational Martlet Missile

Wildcat helicopters tasked with protecting Royal Navy ships can carry 10 of the lightweight air-to-surface missiles now, and potentially 20 soon.
By Thomas Newdick Oct 21, 2021

Navy Follows Air Force In Wanting Another Jet Trainer Variant For Aggressor And Support Roles

The chosen trainer would be expected to offer fighter-like qualities and take the strain off the frontline combat fleet.
By Joseph Trevithick Oct 21, 2021

U.S. Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon Test Fails (Updated)

The test appeared set to loft a hypersonic craft beyond the range of any existing known U.S. boost-glide vehicle-based weapon in development.
By Joseph Trevithick Oct 21, 2021

Armada Of 10 Chinese And Russian Warships Is Sailing Around Japan

The joint patrol first passed through a 12-mile-wide strait between Japan's main islands in an already significant show of force.
By Juan Rivera Oct 21, 2021

Life On The High Seas Aboard A Tin Can Destroyer During The Cold War

A sailor's life is never easy, but there can be some great times among the challenges.
By Joseph Trevithick Oct 20, 2021

This Alaskan Air Base Will Host An Experimental Mini Nuclear Reactor

The military hopes its new mini nuclear reactor will lead to new battlefield energy capabilities and help power its sprawling installations.
By Thomas Newdick Oct 20, 2021

Unwanted Global Hawk Drones Are Being Transformed To Support Hypersonic Missile Tests

Northrop Grumman is now working to convert four RQ-4s as Range Hawks to gather data on the new breed of hypersonic weapons.
By Tyler Rogoway Oct 20, 2021

The War Zone Email Newsletter Has Finally Arrived

Be sure to sign up for our weekly War Zone Wire newsletter and more!
By Thomas Newdick Oct 20, 2021

B-1 Bombers Deploy To Diego Garcia For The First Time In Over 15 Years

The swing-wing bombers are back at the remote Indian Ocean outpost at a time of rising tensions in the wider Asia-Pacific region.
By Joseph Trevithick Oct 20, 2021

'Enemy' Unmanned Ground Vehicles Are Now Facing-Off Against Army Soldiers In Training

The unmanned vehicle made a helicopter landing zone unusable, which could happen during a real battle as adversaries field similar capabilities.
By Joseph Trevithick Oct 19, 2021

New Short-Range Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile Tested By North Korea (Updated)

The missile appears to be very similar to a mysterious short-range type that Kim Jong Un recently showed off at an arms showcase in Pyongyang.
By Thomas Newdick Oct 19, 2021

The Navy Practiced Battle Damage Repairs On The Burnt-Out USS Bonhomme Richard

These kinds of skills are increasingly seen as vital for the Navy to survive a future large-scale maritime conflict.
By Joseph Trevithick Oct 19, 2021

Surface To Air Missiles Now Needed To Protect Critical U.S. Infrastructure During A Crisis

Growing threats to the homeland, especially from advanced cruise missiles, have prompted new initiatives aimed at defending key sites.
By Thomas Newdick Oct 19, 2021

AH-1 Cobra Helicopter Gunships Turned Firefighters Have Flown Their Last Mission

The aging rotorcraft filled a unique firefighting niche but maintaining them eventually became too troublesome.
By Tyler Rogoway Oct 18, 2021

Special Ops Train To Defend Strategic Aleutian Islands Radar Outpost During All-Out War

Sitting right on Russia's back door, Shemya is home to the Cobra Dane radar and a strategic airfield that would be a prime target during a conflict.
By Thomas Newdick Oct 18, 2021

Turkey In Talks To Buy More F-16s As It Struggles To Revamp Fighter Fleet (Updated)

The Turkish Air Force is at a crossroads after having been dumped out of the Joint Strike Fighter program.
By Joseph Trevithick Oct 18, 2021

China’s Claim That Its Fractional Orbital Bombardment System Was A Spaceplane Test Doesn’t Add Up (Updated)

The system could give China the ability to strike any target on Earth unpredictably, but so far Beijing is acting like the test didn't happen.
By Tyler Rogoway Oct 16, 2021

China Tested A Fractional Orbital Bombardment System That Uses A Hypersonic Glide Vehicle: Report

Such a capability could potentially allow China to execute a nuclear strike on any target on earth with near-impunity and very little warning.
By Tyler Rogoway Oct 16, 2021

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

Get cozy in our bunker and shoot the shit.
By Joseph Trevithick Oct 15, 2021

Feel The Speed In These Incredible Photos From The Air Force's Rocket Sled Track

The Air Force is now looking at modernizing the High Speed Test Track at Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico to support new hypersonic developments.
By Thomas Newdick Oct 15, 2021

Air Force Wants Hundreds More Jet Trainers Despite Already Buying T-7 Red Hawks

The Advanced Tactical Trainer would likely also be expected to fly aggressor missions as part of a major overhaul of Air Force training. 
Must Read Features
Special Access Programs And The Pentagon's Ecosystem Of Secrecy
Jul 22, 2019 12:33 PM
Pour Out an Iced Tea for Bob Hoover
Oct 25, 2016 8:58 PM
What It's Like To Work Inside The Navy's Secretive China Lake Weapons Development Center
Dec 4, 2018 6:29 PM
Shedding Some Light On The Pentagon's Most Shadowy Aviation Units
Mar 21, 2017 12:12 PM
Secretive Tonopah Test Range Airport Had A Mysteriously Busy Week In September
Oct 9, 2020 6:59 PM
The Movie War Games Inspired President Reagan To Take Cybersecurity Seriously
Jun 3, 2019 9:45 PM
M80 Stiletto Is The Pentagon's Stealthy Little Experimental Ship That Could
Sep 6, 2016 9:34 PM
The Time Air Force One Took Evasive Maneuvers To Defend Itself Against Syrian MiGs
Dec 27, 2018 9:25 PM
Aircraft Carrier "Bow Prongs" and Why They Are Disappearing
Jan 25, 2017 1:05 PM
ISIS Drone Dropping Bomblet On Abrams Tank Is A Sign Of What’s To Come
Jan 26, 2017 4:52 PM
Behold Arguably The Most Spectacular Photo Of NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft Ever
Dec 17, 2018 12:50 PM
The Navy's Secretive And Revolutionary Program To Project False Fleets From Drone Swarms
Nov 7, 2019 1:50 PM
USS Desert Ship Sits In A Sea Of Sand And Launched The Navy To The Forefront Of Missile Tech
Oct 9, 2018 9:29 PM
Why the B-2 Stealth Bomber Was Used to Strike ISIS Camps in Libya
Jan 19, 2017 8:38 PM
The Army Nearly Adopted This Stealthy OH-58X Kiowa Warrior Variant
Apr 18, 2019 1:24 PM
New Aggressor Squadron At Nellis Air Force Base Will Have Both F-16s And F-35s
Oct 30, 2020 1:48 PM
Secretive U.S. Task Force Has Been Criss-Crossing Asian Skies
Mar 6, 2017 12:50 PM
Why F-5s Beat Out F-16s For The Navy's Latest Commercial Aggressor Contract
Nov 23, 2018 9:15 PM
This Syria-Bound Super Hornet Is Carrying A Uniquely Massive Bomb Load 
Jun 9, 2017 4:34 PM
News
Ford and Toyota Both Have Hybrid Truck Engines Now. The Path There Was A Weird One
Oct 23, 2021 1:36 PM
Could the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Have Gone Even Faster Around the Nürburgring?
Oct 23, 2021 11:00 AM
This Mercedes 300SL Hot Wheels, IWC Watch Set Is a Cool Way To Spend $10,000
Oct 23, 2021 9:07 AM
How GM Squeezed 420 Lb-Ft of Torque From the GMC Sierra's Four-Cylinder
Oct 22, 2021 7:11 PM
Watch This Half-Track Quad Defy Gravity and Power up Hills
Oct 22, 2021 6:21 PM
There's a Ford Bronco Pickup Headed to SEMA
Oct 22, 2021 3:24 PM
Royal Caribbean Announces Insane Nine-Month Cruise Around the World
Oct 22, 2021 3:00 PM
Car Bibles Experienced a Mitsubishi Mirage at High Altitude so You Don’t Have To
Oct 22, 2021 1:48 PM
This Tiny Toyota Mirai RC Car Actually Runs on Hydrogen Power
Oct 22, 2021 11:10 AM
Lamborghini Beats Supply Chain Disaster for Record Sales Year So Far
Oct 22, 2021 10:40 AM
See All