In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the Afghanistan-based branch of al-Qaeda actually established a small air arm of its own.…
SAM
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Aviation HistoryMilitary Aviation
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Losses and Aviation SafetyWeapons
David’s Sling, Israel’s advanced SAM, seized by Russian army after landing in Syrian territory
by Dario LeoneThe SAM was retrieved and neutralized and then shipped to Russia, to give Russian engineers an opportunity to study the advanced…
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Cold War EraMilitary Aviation
‘Blackbird’s Top Speed was Officially Mach 3.2 but the SR-71 was Much Faster Than That,” former Skunk Works Engineer Says
by Dario Leone‘Shul’s narrative of flight at or above Mach 3.5 is so far the most detailed evidence available of SR-71 top speeds,’…
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DronesMilitary Aviation
Iranian SAM shoots down U.S. Navy MQ-4C Triton Drone in international airspace over the Strait of Hormuz
by Dario LeoneThe MQ-4C Triton shoot-down is sure to trigger serious discussions within the Trump administration about how to respond to a direct…
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Cold War EraLosses and Aviation SafetyMilitary Aviation
The Unknown Story of the SR-71 Blackbird that was saved by a Tanker after a Double-Engine Flameout over Northern Laos
by Dario Leone“Excitement, adrenaline pumping, and we dropped like a rock into Northern Laos!” Col. David P. Dempster, former SR-71 Blackbird back seater…
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Aviation HistoryMilitary Aviation
Former USMC A-6 Pilot explains why the Intruder was the perfect CAS Aircraft
by Dario Leone“During Operation Desert Storm the B-52s heavily involved in CAS missions flew ten-hour missions from Diego Garcia. None had the external…
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Cold War EraMilitary Aviation
The Incredible Story of the A-6 Intruder that dodged 5 SAMs before conducting a perfect Attack on Heavily Defended Ferry Docks near Downtown Hanoi
by Dario Leone‘Intelligence reported that the SA-2 couldn’t track below 1500 ft. We were disturbed to see that their assessment was incorrect’, Lt…
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Losses and Aviation SafetyMilitary Aviation
“Our Il-20 had been shot down by Syrian S-200 SAM after attacking Israel’s F-16s used it as cover,” Russsia’s Defence Ministry says
by Dario LeoneA U.S. official said Washington believed the Il-20 Coot-A Elint aircraft was inadvertently shot down by anti-aircraft artillery operated by Moscow’s…
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Aviation HistoryCold War EraMilitary Aviation
That time North Korea fired SA-2 SAMs at SR-71 Blackbird
by Dario LeoneSR-71 pilot Maj. Maury Rosenberg and RSO Maj. E. D. McKim were making their final pass on the DMZ, heading southwest,…
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Aviation HistoryCold War EraMilitary Aviation
The story of the SR-71 Blackbird that outran Gaddafi’s SAMs during a BDA flight of Libya in support of Operation El Dorado Canyon
by Dario Leone“It is a race the SR-71 will not let us lose. The Mach eases to 3.5 as we crest 80,000 feet.…