Brandon J. Weichert

Brandon Weichert

Brandon J. Weichert is the Senior National Security Editor. He was previously the senior national security editor at The National Interest. Weichert is the host of The National Security Hour on iHeartRadio, where he discusses national security policy every Wednesday at 8 pm Eastern. He hosts a companion show on Rumble entitled "National Security Talk." Weichert consults regularly with various government institutions and private organizations on geopolitical issues. His writings have appeared in numerous publications, among them Popular Mechanics, National Review, MSN, and The American Spectator. And his books include Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, Biohacked: China's Race to Control Life, and The Shadow War: Iran's Quest for Supremacy. Weichert's newest book, A Disaster of Our Own Making: How the West Lost Ukraine, is available for purchase wherever books are sold. He can be followed on Twitter/X at @WeTheBrandon.

Dollars and Sense

The USS Massachusetts Was Called the Worst Battleship Ever Built — Then the Navy Sank It for Target Practice, and It Finally Became Useful

Summary and Key Points: The USS Massachusetts (BB-2) was America’s first modern battleship and arguably its worst. Designed for coastal defense rather than blue-water...

Brandon Weichert3 days ago

Military Hardware: Tanks, Bombers, Submarines and More

It Would Be a ‘Hellscape’: China Would Swarm Taiwan With Countless Drones if War Broke Out

If war between Taiwan and China erupted, the Chinese military would unleash wave upon wave of drones across multiple domains to deplete Taiwanese defenses...

Brandon Weichert3 days ago

Military Hardware: Tanks, Bombers, Submarines and More

Stealth F-35C’s Engine Exhaust Hits 3,600°F — $13,000,000,000 Gerald R. Ford’s Aircraft Carrier Flight Deck Wasn’t Built to Handle That

The $13 billion USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) cannot safely operate Lockheed Martin F-35C Lightning II fighters because the aircraft carrier’s flight deck was...

Brandon Weichert4 days ago

Military Hardware: Tanks, Bombers, Submarines and More

An American SR-71 Blackbird Lost An Engine over Russian Territory at 83,000 Feet — And The Pilot Refused to Eject

Summary and Key Points: An American SR-71 Blackbird lost one engine to an inlet unstart at 83,000 feet and Mach 3 during a reconnaissance...

Brandon Weichert4 days ago

Military Hardware: Tanks, Bombers, Submarines and More

The F-4 Phantom II Could Carry More Bombs Than A World War II B-17 — And Fly at Mach 2 Doing It

Summary and Key Points: The United States built 5,195 F-4 Phantom II fighters between 1958 and 1981 — the most-produced American supersonic military aircraft...

Brandon Weichert5 days ago

Military Hardware: Tanks, Bombers, Submarines and More

America May See Actual Gasoline Shortages by July 4 — And The Strategic Petroleum Reserve Is Running Out

Key Points and Summary: China holds approximately 1.4 billion barrels of oil in its Strategic Petroleum Reserve — the largest in the world. The...

Brandon Weichert5 days ago

Military Hardware: Tanks, Bombers, Submarines and More

The Strait of Hormuz Crisis Means the Iran War Can’t End

Three months into the Iran War, Gulf states are pushing the United States and Israel toward a lasting peace settlement with Tehran. The talks...

Brandon WeichertMay 21, 2026

Military Hardware: Tanks, Bombers, Submarines and More

The F-55 ‘Ferrari’ Stealth Fighter Is a Terrifying Idea. Here’s Why

Lockheed Martin CEO Jim Taiclet pitched the F-55 Ferrari concept — a supercharged F-35 incorporating technology from the company’s failed sixth-generation fighter demonstrator —...

Brandon WeichertMay 21, 2026

Souda Bay, Crete, Greece (Feb. 22, 2006) Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) heads to sea following a brief logistics stop on the Greek island of Crete. Roosevelt and Carrier Air Wing Eight (CVW-8) are currently underway on a regularly scheduled deployment supporting maritime security operations. Roosevelt is the fourth ship in the NIMITZ - class of nuclear powered aircraft carriers and is homported in Norfolk, VA. U.S. Navy photo by Mr. Paul Farley

Military Hardware: Tanks, Bombers, Submarines and More

‘Torpedo Hit’: A $4,500,000,000 Billion U.S. Navy Aircraft Carrier Was ‘Sunk’ by An Old Dutch Diesel Submarine in 1999

During NATO Exercise JTFEX/TMDI 99 in 1999, the Dutch diesel-electric submarine HNLMS Walrus (S802) penetrated the layered defensive escort screen around the U.S. Navy’s...

Brandon WeichertMay 21, 2026

National Security Journal

Brandon Weichert

Dollars and Sense

The USS Massachusetts Was Called the Worst Battleship Ever Built — Then the Navy Sank It for Target Practice, and It Finally Became Useful

Military Hardware: Tanks, Bombers, Submarines and More

It Would Be a ‘Hellscape’: China Would Swarm Taiwan With Countless Drones if War Broke Out

Military Hardware: Tanks, Bombers, Submarines and More

Stealth F-35C’s Engine Exhaust Hits 3,600°F — $13,000,000,000 Gerald R. Ford’s Aircraft Carrier Flight Deck Wasn’t Built to Handle That

Military Hardware: Tanks, Bombers, Submarines and More

An American SR-71 Blackbird Lost An Engine over Russian Territory at 83,000 Feet — And The Pilot Refused to Eject

Military Hardware: Tanks, Bombers, Submarines and More

The F-4 Phantom II Could Carry More Bombs Than A World War II B-17 — And Fly at Mach 2 Doing It

Military Hardware: Tanks, Bombers, Submarines and More

America May See Actual Gasoline Shortages by July 4 — And The Strategic Petroleum Reserve Is Running Out

Military Hardware: Tanks, Bombers, Submarines and More

The Strait of Hormuz Crisis Means the Iran War Can’t End

Military Hardware: Tanks, Bombers, Submarines and More

The F-55 ‘Ferrari’ Stealth Fighter Is a Terrifying Idea. Here’s Why

Military Hardware: Tanks, Bombers, Submarines and More

‘Torpedo Hit’: A $4,500,000,000 Billion U.S. Navy Aircraft Carrier Was ‘Sunk’ by An Old Dutch Diesel Submarine in 1999

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