Steve Balestrieri is a National Security Columnist. He has served as a US Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer before injuries forced his early separation. In addition to writing on defense, he covers the NFL for PatsFans.com and his work was regularly featured in the Millbury-Sutton Chronicle and Grafton News newspapers in Massachusetts.
Military Hardware: Tanks, Bombers, Submarines and More
Summary and Key Points: Germany’s Leopard 2 remains a benchmark main battle tank because it blends speed, protection, and accurate firepower into a system...
Summary and Key Points: The M60 Patton may be long retired in U.S. service, but thousands remain relevant overseas thanks to aggressive service-life extension...
Summary and Key Points: Lockheed Martin’s F-21 is a proposed India-tailored evolution of the F-16 Block 70/72, marketed as a “fourth-generation++” fighter with modern...
Summary and Key Points: The A-29 Super Tucano is a rugged turboprop built for counterinsurgency and Special Operations support, capable of loitering, carrying precision...
Summary and Key Points: America’s Ford-class aircraft carriers are built to anchor sea power for decades, but the industrial base meant to sustain them...
Summary and Key Points: The F-14 Super Tomcat 21 (ST21) stands as one of naval aviation’s greatest “what-if” scenarios. -Proposed in the early 1990s...
Summary and Key Points: As of February 2026, the USS Zumwalt (DDG-1000) has officially cleared builder’s sea trials following a three-year “rebirth” at HII’s...
Summary and Key Points: The U.S. Navy’s “shipbuilding doom loop” is defined by a paradoxical rise in spending alongside a shrinking fleet. -Despite billions...