Steve Balestrieri

Military Hardware: Tanks, Bombers, Submarines and More

Does the U.S. Navy Really Need the F/A-XX Stealth Fighter?

Key Points and Summary – The Navy argues F/A-XX is essential alongside—not instead of—the F-35C. -A sixth-gen strike fighter with ~25% more range (projected...

Steve BalestrieriSeptember 11, 2025

U.S CENTRAL COMMAND AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY (April 24, 2025) U.S. Sailors conduct pre-flight safety checks on an F-35C Lightning II, attached to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 97, on the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. (Official U.S. Navy photo)

Military Hardware: Tanks, Bombers, Submarines and More

The F-35 Fighter Has a ‘Secret’ That Is Right In Front of Your Eyes

Key Points and Summary – The F-35 is really three aircraft—A, B, and C—with a fourth, Israel’s custom F-35I Adir, proving how adaptable the...

Steve BalestrieriSeptember 11, 2025

British soldiers with the Queen’s Royal Hussars move a Challenger II main battle tank down range during the Strong Europe Tank Challenge at the 7th Army Training Command’s Grafenwoehr Training Area, June 4, 2018. The U.S. Army Europe and the German Army co-host the third Strong Europe Tank Challenge, which is an annual training event designed to give participating nations a dynamic, productive and fun environment in which to foster military partnerships, form Soldier-level relationships, and share tactics, techniques and procedures. (U.S. Army photo by Gertrud Zach)

Military Hardware: Tanks, Bombers, Submarines and More

RANKED: NATO’s 5 Best Main Battle Tanks in 2025

Key Points and Summary – Despite Ukraine’s drone-saturated battlefield, the tank isn’t dead—it’s evolving. Our 2025 NATO Top 5 shows why: #5 Challenger 2...

Steve BalestrieriSeptember 10, 2025

Military Hardware: Tanks, Bombers, Submarines and More

Why the U.S. Navy Loved the F-14 Tomcat Fighter

Key Points and Summary – The Navy needed a carrier fighter that could stop Soviet bomber raids before they reached the fleet—and still win...

Steve BalestrieriSeptember 10, 2025

The U.S. Navy’s newest attack submarine, USS Seawolf (SSN 21), conducts Bravo sea trials off the coast of Connecticut in preparation for its scheduled commissioning in July 1997. The aerial image shows the sail from a starboard angle, looking forward, 9/16/1996. Jim Brennan. (OPA-NARA II-9/10/2015). This image is public domain.

Military Hardware: Tanks, Bombers, Submarines and More

The U.S. Navy’s Seawolf-Class Submarines Have Just 1 Mission

Key Points and Summary – Conceived to outclass late–Cold War Typhoon and Akula boats, the Seawolf class pushed attack-sub design to the edge: quieter,...

Steve BalestrieriSeptember 10, 2025

Military Hardware: Tanks, Bombers, Submarines and More

Boeing’s F-15SE Silent Eagle Fighter Had Just 1 Mission

The Mission: The Boeing F-15SE Silent Eagle was a proposed stealth variant of the F-15E, designed in 2009 to bridge the gap between 4th...

Steve BalestrieriSeptember 9, 2025

Military Hardware: Tanks, Bombers, Submarines and More

Russia’s Su-57 Felon Stealth Fighter: Soon ‘Made in India’?

Key Points and Summary – India is seriously considering a Russian offer to domestically produce the Su-57 fifth-generation fighter to modernize its air force...

Steve BalestrieriSeptember 6, 2025