
Alex Hollings
Contributor at Popular Mechanics
Editor- in- Chief at Sandboxx
Writer, dad, and Marine veteran. Editor in Chief at Sandboxx News, AirPower guy, frequent contributor for Popular Mechanics, @milreporters Board of Directors
Articles
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1 week ago |
19fortyfive.com | Alex Hollings
Key Points – A new US Air Force report, “The Department of the Air Force in 2050,” outlines a future where the US homeland and forward airbases are no longer sanctuaries, facing persistent threats from adversaries’ ultra-long-range precision weapons, including from space. -This necessitates a fundamental shift from today’s fighter-centric force. -The report warns that reliance on easily targeted forward bases and short-range tactical aircraft (like F-22s) will be untenable.
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1 week ago |
19fortyfive.com | Alex Hollings
The A-10 Thunderbolt II, better known as the Warthog, is renowned for its massive 30mm GAU-8 Avenger rotary cannon. But for a short time in the twilight of the Cold War, the Air Force wanted to know if it could replace the low-and-slow Warthog by strapping a variant of the same massive gun to the light-and-nimble F-16.
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3 weeks ago |
19fortyfive.com | Alex Hollings
Key Points and Summary: Lockheed’s SR-71 Blackbird, first flown nearly 60 years ago, remains unmatched as the fastest crewed jet ever. Famously outrunning over 4,000 missiles, the Blackbird combined revolutionary stealth, sustained Mach 3+ speed, and advanced engineering, making it virtually untouchable. -While Soviet MiG-25 jets briefly reached Mach 3.2, they couldn’t sustain it without severe engine damage—unlike the Blackbird.
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4 weeks ago |
19fortyfive.com | Alex Hollings
Key Points: The U.S. Navy is bolstering carrier defenses with Raytheon’s Coyote and Anduril’s Roadrunner-M drone interceptors. -These turbojet-powered, loitering drones are specifically designed to counter swarms of low-cost enemy drones—a growing threat from adversaries like Iran and China. -Equipped with advanced radars, Coyote and Roadrunner-M intercept incoming threats at short range, offering significant savings compared to traditional missiles.
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1 month ago |
19fortyfive.com | Alex Hollings
Key Points and Summary: China’s J-20 Mighty Dragon stealth fighter likely incorporates stolen design elements from multiple aircraft rather than being wholly original. -Its overall layout strongly resembles Russia’s cancelled MiG 1.44 prototype, potentially acquired during Mikoyan’s financial struggles. -Key features, however, show clear influence from America’s F-22 (forward fuselage) and F-35 (air inlets), designs confirmed accessed vai Chinese espionage efforts like the Su Bin hacking case.
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RT @Tatarigami_UA: Such a major blow to Russia’s strategic bomber fleet could have been avoided if Moscow had chosen to engage in peace tal…

RT @Sandbagger_01: https://t.co/pY3YhGHuD0

It’s interesting how many people pour out of the woodwork to call successful Ukrainian operations “dangerous escalation,” but had nothing at all to say while hundreds of drones and missiles made landfall inside Ukraine over the past week… https://t.co/02Co6OQqNO