Free Republic

A Delta Connection Embraer E175 regional jet, operated by SkyWest Airlines as Flight 3788 from Minneapolis–Saint Paul to Minot International Airport, executed a sudden “aggressive maneuver” during its final approach to avoid a near-fatal mid‑air collision with a U.S. Air Force B‑52 bomber from nearby Minot Air Force Base. While on final approach from Minneapolis–Saint Paul, the Delta Connection crew received a last-second instruction from air traffic control to turn due to “inadequate separation.” During the turn, the pilot spotted the B‑52 rapidly converging and hauled the jet sharply behind it for safety. Once landed safely, the pilot addressed passengers...

Key Points and Summary – The Trump administration has officially confirmed it is prioritizing the U.S. Air Force’s F-47 sixth-generation fighter over the Navy’s F/A-XX program, creating a major rift between the White House and naval leadership. -In a formal statement, the Office of Management and Budget cited “industrial base concerns” about running two major stealth fighter programs at once and opposed a congressional effort to add nearly $1 billion in funding for the Navy’s jet. -The decision effectively puts the F/A-XX on ice, jeopardizing the future of the carrier air wing and drawing protests from Navy officials.

Key Points and Summary on Canada and F-35 – After a quarter-century of debate, Canada is in the final, critical phase of deciding the future of its F-35 fighter jet program. A comprehensive government review, expected by the end of summer 2025, will determine whether the nation proceeds with the full purchase of 88 stealth fighters.

The future of air combat lies not in singular “game-changing” technologies like drones or AI, but in integrated, multi-domain systems like the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP). This sixth-generation fighter, a tripartite venture between the UK, Italy, and Japan, emphasizes networked warfare, advanced sensors, and adaptable design to counter peer adversaries. However, its success is far from guaranteed. The program must overcome the defense industry’s historical challenges with procurement, cost overruns, and delays to deliver a truly revolutionary capability by its 2035 target, ensuring it doesn’t become another high-tech, low-impact “battleship” of the skies.

Some A-10 Warthogs could get a reprieve from total retirement as Congress moves to reverse some of the Pentagon’s most dramatic Air Force cuts in its proposed fiscal 2026 budget. The Pentagon’s budget, which the department released in June, calls for the Air Force to retire its remaining 162-plane fleet of A-10 attack aircraft in 2026, two years earlier than originally intended. It also calls for canceling the E-7 Wedgetail program in favor of E-2D Hawkeyes and space-based sensors, and cutting the planned purchase of F-35A Joint Strike Fighters down to 24, or nearly in half. The proposed E-7 and...

China’s J-20A “Mighty Dragon” represents a significant leap in the country’s military aviation, a fifth-generation stealth fighter designed to challenge Western air dominance. On paper, it boasts an impressive suite of features, including a low radar cross-section, advanced avionics, and a versatile weapons payload. However, significant questions remain about its real-world combat effectiveness.

'The mandate negatively affected tens of thousands of service members – hundreds of thousands including spouses and children'.. A former Space Force officer's objection to the military's Biden-era COVID-19 vaccine mandate still haunts him over three years later... Joshua Zermeno, a former officer who dedicated part of his career to space superiority, having served in the U.S. military for 13 years. In August 2021, Zermeno objected to then-Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin's military COVID-19 shot mandate, questioning both its "efficacy and legality." For this, he received two Letters of Reprimand (LORs) and a "Do Not Promote" recommendation that blocked his...

Imagine judging a trial, ruling for one party, and writing a 179-page opinion, only to find the same parties asking you to vacate your opinion and dismiss the case six months later! That’s exactly what happened to the federal district court judge who presided over the trial in the Students for Fair Admissions v. The United States Naval Academy last year. How We Got Here .. In June 2023, the Supreme Court held that public and private colleges and universities could not use racial preferences in admissions because that violates the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment. Chief Justice...

The chief obstacle in preparing these pilots so far has been language training. The cockpit audio system of the F-16 that provides important warning messages to the pilot only “speaks” English. Any pilots not completely fluent in the language will be handicapped—and possibly also in danger—if they lack the required level of fluency.

The successful hit reportedly hobbled Iran’s ability to respond to the first wave of Israeli Air Force strikes across the country. Israel secret services used a fake phone call to trick the top commanders of Iran’s air force into gathering at a single location before taking them out in a targeted strike, an Israeli Channel 12 commentator has said. In a statement confirmed to the JC by Israeli sources, Amit Segal told the Call Me Back podcast on Monday: “What Israel did was create a fake phone call for 20 members of the air force senior staff an calling them...

"This next-generation fighter will provide exceptional new capabilities for our Air Force pilots. Reports suggest that the Pentagon is considering delaying the Navy’s next gen fighter, known as the F/A-XX, to prioritize the F-47 program. This would be a mistake. We need them both. Fortunately, America’s aerospace industrial base is capable of manufacturing two fighter jets simultaneously. Doing so is critical to advancing President Trump’s peace-through-strength national security agenda."

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — It was an unprecedented attack years in the making, with some last-minute misdirection meant to give the operation a powerful element of surprise. U.S. pilots dropped powerful bombs early Sunday on two key underground uranium enrichment plants in Iran, delivering what American military leaders believe is a knockout blow to a nuclear program that Israel views as an existential threat. American sailors bolstered the surprise mission by firing dozens of cruise missiles from a submarine toward at least one other site. Dubbed Operation Midnight Hammer, U.S. officials say the plan was characterized by a "precision...

The spouse of an active-duty member of the Air Force stands in the gap for her husband of 11 years. Together, the family is facing an uphill battle against the Department of Defense for exercising the innate rights of all U.S citizens, rights that service members do not relinquish. Maj. Brennan Schilperoort is a C-130J transport aircraft pilot who has honorably served the nation in the Air Force for over 17 years. Maj. Schilperoort applied for a flu shot medical exemption in November 2023, previously having a severe adverse reaction to it, but the Air Force refused him consideration. Another...

In a new report released by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, commonly known as CSIS, Project Director Heather Williams explains that the much-discussed GBU-57 might not be able to destroy the Iranian nuclear facility at Fordow. Williams explains that the “GBU-57 has never been used in combat, but has been put through extensive testing; it is believed the United States has approximately 20 of the bombs available.”

Some believe UFOs are nothing but figments of people’s imaginations, or at best atmospheric ilusions; others think they are earthly secret technology; while some are convinced that these unidentified craft are of alien origin (or at least reverse-engineered alien tech). But whatever these objects may be, the unidentified aerial phenomenon is a reality, and public interest in the matter does not seem to wane. So, another week, another ‘big reveal’, with alleged US military personnel footage capturing a ‘flying saucer UFO’ being released yesterday (17) to the public. Daily Mail reported: “Investigative journalists Jeremy Corbell and George Knapp say the...

Around 30 KC-135 and KC-46 tankers departed the U.S. headed to Europe, but their final destination is unknown. In the night between June 15 and 16, 2025, multiple U.S. Air Force KC-135 and KC-46 aerial refueling aircraft departed their bases in the United States headed to Europe. The sudden and unusual movement was quickly noticed on flight tracking websites, when about 30 tankers were first spotted headed towards the Atlantic Ocean and later arriving in Europe. Most of these aircraft landed this morning at Ramstein Air Base in Germany and at Morón Air Base and NAS Rota in Spain, while...

Ukraine’s successful use of cheap, commercially available drones to destroy high-value Russian military assets serves as a stark warning that US air bases could be similarly vulnerable. Veteran Navy SEAL Brandon Webb, invoking the legacy of the 1980s “Red Cell” security-testing unit, argues that a modern adversary could use inexpensive drones, 3D printers, and readily available technology to cause catastrophic damage to US air power.

In May, the commander of Edwards Air Force Base, California, talked openly about the need for local leaders to prepare for a Pearl Harbor-like strike on his base and others inside the United States. Brig. Gen. Doug Wickert delivered “a sobering assessment of China’s growing military capabilities” in a briefing to community leaders, according to an Air Force press release. Wickert, commander of the 412th Test Wing, spoke at Antelope Valley College on May 7. Edwards Air Force Base is in the Mojave Desert, about 100 miles northeast of Los Angeles. According to the press release, Wickert referenced the 1941...

And the Air Force has a general for every 22 planes.. The US Navy has under 300 ships and under 300 admirals. The ratio of one admiral to one ship seems absurd but of the hundreds of admirals in the Navy, few actually command ships. Take Rick ‘Rachel’ Levine, the transgender health secretary of Pennsylvania, whose previous naval experience had been limited to cruises to the Bahamas, who was commissioned as a four-star admiral by the Biden administration making him both the first transgender four-star admiral, and the first four-star female admiral or the first four-star female impersonator. While Rick...

The Democrats have been desperate to find a scandal to pin on Trump, and their latest attempt may be the stupidest yet. It was recently reported that the Trump administration is gearing up to accept a high-end Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet from the Qatari royal family—a luxury aircraft that will serve as a temporary Air Force One during President Trump’s second term. Naturally, the left is already losing its mind, but here’s the reality: this is a win for taxpayers. In the wake of media hysteria over the offer from Qatar to provide the United States with an aircraft, Buzz...