Steve Balestrieri is a National Security Columnist. He served as a US Army Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer. In addition to writing on defense, he covers the NFL for PatsFans.com and is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA). His work was regularly featured in many military publications.
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...