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
Key Points and Summary – HMS Hood, the Royal Navy’s most famous battlecruiser, combined speed, heavy guns, and substantial armor—but entered WWII overdue for...
Key Points and Summary – America’s 175 Fletcher-class destroyers, launched beginning in 1942, became WWII’s definitive U.S. workhorse and later fought in Korea and...
Key Points and Summary – Ford-class carriers replace Nimitz-class with major upgrades: twin A1B reactors delivering triple the electrical power; EMALS catapults and Advanced...
Key Points and Summary – Conceived to replace the A-6, the stealthy, flying-wing A-12 Avenger II promised a carrier-borne, precision night striker with radar-killing...
Key Points and Summary – France’s nuclear-powered flagship, Charles de Gaulle (R91), is a 42,000-ton CATOBAR carrier commissioned in 2001. -Powered by twin K15...
Article Summary – Essex-Class Carriers: The WWII Workhorses That Fought Into Vietnam -The U.S. Navy’s Essex-class carriers—24 ships built from 1941–46—were the backbone of...