Author: Michael

As the hot summer months approach, nearly 20,000 Marines live in barracks that lack working air conditioning. While plans are underway for a Corps-wide overhaul of barracks that will include climate control systems, many Marines may get some relief this summer with portable air conditioning units, Sgt. Maj. of the Marine Corps Calros Ruiz said this week.
Marine Corps officials have authorized local commanders to purchase portable air conditioning units for Marines whose buildings lack good central air systems.

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The Dassault Rafale reminds me of the F-16 Fighting Falcon. This French fourth-generation fighter may not be stealthy, but it is a lethal hot rod that makes pilots giddy worldwide.

Export customers are also excited to receive the Rafale, and their aviators are impressed by its speed and maneuverability. Sales competition in foreign militaries is steep, though. Air forces also consider the high-quality JAS 39 Gripen from Sweden and the Eurofighter Typhoon.

Dassault Rafale Fighter from France. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

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Remember the F-117 Nighthawk? This was the warbird that ushered in the new era of stealth flight in the 1980s. It was the first stealth fighter-bomber, with a curious, futuristic design. While it does have its “F” designation as a fighter, the Nighthawk was primarily used as a strike aircraft.

Unfortunately, the F-117 program was retired in 2008. The Nighthawk played a valiant role in Operation Desert Storm and was the impetus for other stealth warplanes, such as the B-2 Spirit.

F-117 Stealth Fighter National Security Journal Image.

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The U.S. military will soon have a new sub-unified command focused on autonomous warfare, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth told lawmakers Wednesday.
Sub-unified commands, which combatant commanders can set up with the approval of the SecDef, are joint organizations designed to conduct operations and certain missions assigned to the geographic or functional combatant command that they fall under. The designation typically signifies that the organization’s mission is enduring and a high priority for military leadership.

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The Marines will probably need at least eight more amphibious warfare ships to meet their goal of roughly 40 in order to keep three Marine Expeditionary Units deployed at the same time.
An ongoing analysis has not yet determined exactly how many such ships the Marines need, but the number is “probably going to be around 40,” said Marine Lt. Gen. Jay Bargeron, deputy commandant for plans, policies, and operations. “It could be a little more.”
Bargeron discussed the ship needs on Wednesday at the Modern Day Marine exhibition in Washington, D.C.

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Going back more than a decade, it is hard to believe that an aircraft has undergone a dramatic transformation from its early days to what it is today. The big curiosity at the 2014 Airshow China was the prototype Shenyang FC-31 fighter that made its first public appearance. This aircraft became the J-35A/B models we know today.

The aircraft had previously been called the J-31, a stealthy-looking aircraft design that had completed its first flight only two years prior. It was billed as a smaller complement to the Chengdu J-20, the PRC’s first new stealth aircraft.

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