Steve Balestrieri

Military Hardware: Tanks, Bombers, Submarines and More

The JAS 39 Gripen Fighter Was Built for One Job — Fighting Russia — and Ukraine Is About to Give It Its First Real Combat Test

The Ukrainian Air Force just got another weapon that could be a game-changer in its war with Russia. Sweden announced that it will donate...

Steve BalestrieriJune 5, 2026

Naval Air Station Oceana, Va. (Sept. 25, 2004) - An F-14D Tomcat assigned to the "Black Lions" of Fighter Squadron Two One Three (VF-213), conducts a high-speed pass at the conclusion of the tactical air power demonstration at the 2004 "In Pursuit of Liberty," Naval Air Station Oceana Air Show. The demonstration showcased multiple F-14 Tomcats and F/A-18 Hornets displaying various maneuvers and simulated bomb and staffing passes in front of the crowd. The air show, held Sept. 24-26, showcased civilian and military aircraft from the Nation's armed forces, which provided many flight demonstrations and static displays. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer's Mate 2nd Class Daniel J. McLain (RELEASED)

Military Hardware: Tanks, Bombers, Submarines and More

U.S. Navy Pilots Flying F-14 Tomcats Locked Onto What They Thought Was a Hostile Jet. It Was a Concorde Full of Passengers

Summary and Key Points: It was a tense night over the Red Sea in August 1990. A U.S. Navy cruiser picked up an extremely...

Steve BalestrieriJune 5, 2026

A flight deck crewman directs the pilot of a U.S. Marine Corp AV-8B Harrier as it touches down on the flight deck of the USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) during flight operations at sea on Sept. 24, 2013. The Harrier is assigned to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 266 (Reinforced) and is embarked on board the Kearsarge as part of the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit. (DoD photo by Sgt. Christopher Q. Stone, U.S. Marine Corps. (Released))

Military Hardware: Tanks, Bombers, Submarines and More

This Jet Shot Down 23 Enemy Aircraft in One War and Never Lost a Single Dogfight. The Marines Just Retired It

On Wednesday, five Marine Harriers rose over North Carolina, hovered in midair like helicopters, and touched down together one final time — closing the...

Steve BalestrieriJune 5, 2026

Military Hardware: Tanks, Bombers, Submarines and More

Russia Launched a Limited-Edition Perfume to Sell Its New Su-75 Checkmate Stealth Fighter. That Tells You Almost Everything You Need to Know

Russia’s state-run United Aircraft Corporation announced that construction of the first physical Su-75 Checkmate fifth-generation flight prototype is actively underway at the Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aviation...

Steve BalestrieriJune 5, 2026

Soldiers with the 1st Battalion, 128th Infantry of the Wisconsin National Guard launch a Tube-launched Optically-

Ukraine War

Putin Still Believes He’ll Win in Ukraine. The People Closest to Him Have Quietly Concluded He Can’t

Summary and Key Points: Vladimir Putin still tells his country that victory in Ukraine is coming. But the war has now lasted longer than...

Steve BalestrieriJune 4, 2026

Maj. Paul Lopez, F-22 Raptor Demonstration Team commander, performs during the Chicago Air and Water Show, Aug. 17, 2019. Founded in 2007, the F-22 Demo Team showcases the unique capabilities of the world's premier fifth-generation fighter aircraft. (U.S. Air Force photo by 2nd Lt. Samuel Eckholm)

Military Hardware: Tanks, Bombers, Submarines and More

Iran Can No Longer Pay Its Own Soldiers — and Trump Has Several Ways to Push It Over the Edge

Summary and Key Points: On the surface, the Iran war has stalled into a tense ceasefire. Underneath, the regime is coming apart: prices are...

Steve BalestrieriJune 4, 2026

Military Hardware: Tanks, Bombers, Submarines and More

Fighter Jets Kept Climbing to 45,000 Feet to Shoot Down Britain’s Avro Vulcan Bomber. According to Its Pilots, Not One Ever Managed It

Summary and Key Points: The Avro Vulcan was designed as a bomber, but it was never defined so tightly in practice. Britain’s great delta-winged V-bomber...

Steve BalestrieriJune 4, 2026

Military Hardware: Tanks, Bombers, Submarines and More

The U.S. Navy’s Last Line of Defense Is an Autonomous Gun That Thinks for Itself — and the Fleet Nicknamed It ‘R2-D2’

Summary and Key Points: It looks almost comical — a squat white dome sailors nicknamed “R2-D2.” But the Phalanx is one of the deadliest...

Steve BalestrieriJune 3, 2026

Military Hardware: Tanks, Bombers, Submarines and More

A Shoulder-Fired Missile Broke the Soviet Air Force in Afghanistan — and 40 Years Later It’s Doing the Same to Russia in Ukraine

Summary and Key Points: It weighs 35 pounds, a single soldier can fire it, and it has terrorized the Russian air force across two...

Steve BalestrieriJune 3, 2026

National Security Journal

Steve Balestrieri

Military Hardware: Tanks, Bombers, Submarines and More

The JAS 39 Gripen Fighter Was Built for One Job — Fighting Russia — and Ukraine Is About to Give It Its First Real Combat Test

Military Hardware: Tanks, Bombers, Submarines and More

U.S. Navy Pilots Flying F-14 Tomcats Locked Onto What They Thought Was a Hostile Jet. It Was a Concorde Full of Passengers

Military Hardware: Tanks, Bombers, Submarines and More

This Jet Shot Down 23 Enemy Aircraft in One War and Never Lost a Single Dogfight. The Marines Just Retired It

Military Hardware: Tanks, Bombers, Submarines and More

Russia Launched a Limited-Edition Perfume to Sell Its New Su-75 Checkmate Stealth Fighter. That Tells You Almost Everything You Need to Know

Ukraine War

Putin Still Believes He’ll Win in Ukraine. The People Closest to Him Have Quietly Concluded He Can’t

Military Hardware: Tanks, Bombers, Submarines and More

Iran Can No Longer Pay Its Own Soldiers — and Trump Has Several Ways to Push It Over the Edge

Military Hardware: Tanks, Bombers, Submarines and More

Fighter Jets Kept Climbing to 45,000 Feet to Shoot Down Britain’s Avro Vulcan Bomber. According to Its Pilots, Not One Ever Managed It

Military Hardware: Tanks, Bombers, Submarines and More

The U.S. Navy’s Last Line of Defense Is an Autonomous Gun That Thinks for Itself — and the Fleet Nicknamed It ‘R2-D2’

Military Hardware: Tanks, Bombers, Submarines and More

A Shoulder-Fired Missile Broke the Soviet Air Force in Afghanistan — and 40 Years Later It’s Doing the Same to Russia in Ukraine

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