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 – The U.S. Navy is rapidly retiring its Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruisers, a move that is creating a dilemma between modernizing the fleet...
Key Points – The Imperial Japanese Navy’s Yamato-class warships were the largest and most powerfully armed battleships ever constructed, boasting massive 18.1-inch main guns....
Key Points – NASA’s X-43A hypersonic research vehicle, part of the “Hyper-X” program, still holds the world record for an air-breathing aircraft, achieving a...
Key Points – The General Dynamics F-111 “Aardvark,” born from the 1960s TFX program, was a groundbreaking tactical strike aircraft and the first production...
Key Points – Tensions between France’s Dassault Aviation and German-Spanish partner Airbus are threatening to derail the Future Combat Air System (FCAS), Europe’s sixth-generation...
Key Points – In a remarkable 2013 encounter over international waters, a US Air Force F-22 Raptor, piloted by Lt. Col. Kevin “Showtime” Sutterfield,...