The F-15 Eagle has anchored U.S. and allied air superiority for nearly five decades. Designed, built and introduced by McDonnell Douglas in 1976, this just was made for speed and firepower. The twin-engine Eagle can hit speeds over Mach 2.5 and is armed to the teeth. It still remains a frontline asset for the U.S. Air Force from the Middle East to Asia.
What makes the Apache so iconic is its singular purpose - combat. The airframe is built around a chin-mounted 30 mm M230 chain gun and its wings are capable of carrying a relatively flexible mix of rockets and missiles, although most commonly AGM-114 Hellfire anti-armor missiles and 70 mm Hydra rocket pods. More modern Apaches can also be fitted with mission-specific armament and air-to-air (self-defense) missiles.
Built by Lockheed Martin with major contributions from BAE Systems and Northrop Grumman, the F-35 Lightning II entered front-line service in the 2010s and has quickly become integral to allied air fleets worldwide. What sets the F-35 apart from other fighter jets is its mix of stealth and supersonic cruise without afterburner (supercruise-style performance). It also features flexible payload options as it can haul roughly 18,000 pounds of ordnance when fully loaded out.
The F-22 Raptor began a new era of aircraft in 2005-the fifth generation. As the first of this new generation, the Raptor featured a combination of stealth and speed that had never been seen before. While there have been new additions to the fifth generation, the F-22 is the poster child of this class. This aircraft alone sets the United States light years ahead of its NATO allies.
Shaw has been serving Irish Coffee's at The Buena Vista since May of 1976, that's 49 years. He was here when Fleet Week started in 1981. "Before the first year, all the pilots of the show they come here, and all the customers they get autograph from them, so they get poster. I love the show, even though I watch so many years, never get sick of watching it," said Shaw.
"Air superiority was something that the Air Force has been a big part of since its inception. You still see that today, and that's one of the things that you will see all the way through," Prichard said. "The same with global reach - making sure that the aircraft that we have can go any place, anytime, right now. All of the aircraft that you see on display here will do that."
Each episode focuses on a specific aspect of the training, following a handful of students from the Navy and Marines through the highs and lows of their training. That includes practicing dive bombs at break-neck speeds; successfully landing on an aircraft carrier by "catching the wire"; learning the most effective offensive and defensive maneuvers in dogfighting; and, finally, engaging in a freestyle dogfight against a seasoned instructor to complete the program and (hopefully) earn their golden wings.
The first helicopter used for military purposes was the YR-4B. It was designed by Igor Sikorsky, a Russian-born citizen that emigrated to the United States in 1919 and designed the craft as an American citizen. It made its first combat flight in April of 1944, when it aided in the rescue of four men in Burma. Since this time, helicopters have been used worldwide for military purposes.
Shortly after the Wright brothers' first successful manned flight in 1903, the potential military applications of aviation technology became increasingly apparent. In 1907, the U.S. Army established the Army Signal Corps, a small division devoted to aeronautics. By 1912, the Signal Corps had nine aircraft and an annual budget of $125,000-about $4 million in current dollars. Investment in the Signal Corps ballooned during the First World War, a conflict defined in part by the deployment of military aircraft for reconnaissance, tactical support,
Horrifying footage has emerged of the moment a Polish Air Force F-16 fighter jet crashed and burst into flames on Thursday, after coming out of a barrel roll too late while rehearsing for an airshow event. Footage recorded by those gathered to watch showed the U.S.-made jet soaring into the sky in a wide loop before hitting the ground and exploding across the runway.
A Malaysian F/A-18D Hornet caught fire on Thursday night as it was taking off, the country's air force said. Malaysia's air force, which owns eight of the US-made fighter jets, said in a statement that the aircraft had been involved in an "accident" at 9:05 p.m. local time. The statement said the take-off incident happened at Kuantan Air Base, roughly 110 miles east of the capital of Kuala Lumpur.
Stratolaunch's Talon-A2 rocket plane flew autonomously at hypersonic speeds, marking a significant advancement in US aerospace capabilities amid global competition for hypersonic technology.
Both the aviators safely ejected and were rescued by an MH-60S Seahawk helicopter. The aviators were evaluated by medical personnel and assessed to have minor injuries.
