pluraplofapocalypse

Strategic bombers are some of the most fearsome military aircraft to exist. Their role of bombing targets of high importance in enemy territories is very crucial in war.  The United States Air Force gives high priority to advanced bombers projects, considering these aircraft can project their power worldwide. Now, the USAF is expecting a new strategic bomber, the B-21 Raider. Northrop Grumman will produce the aircraft, which will be operational in the next couple of years.  The characteristics that determine how powerful a strategic bomber are range, payload, and survivability. According to Northrop Grumman, the Raider can cover the requirements of all of these three aspects for many years to come. The B-21 Raider strategic bomber wants to continue the legacy of the American company when it comes to designing, developing, and producing top-class bombers and aircraft in general. Source:  GigaTech

The F-22 Raptor is not What the Air Force Needs in the Future — but the Fleet Will Be Upgraded Anyway: The F-22 Raptor stealth fighter is the best air superiority fighter ever, but it is not the right tool for defending American interests in Asia. An F-22 Raptor Upgrade Is Coming The U.S. Department of Defense wants to upgrade the U.S. Air Force’s F-22 Raptor fleet in what could be the stealth fighter’s most significant enhancement ever.  “Lockheed Martin Corp., Fort Worth, Texas, has been awarded a $10,863,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for Advanced Raptor Enhancement & Sustainment (ARES) for the F-22 Program Office,” a Department of Defense contract award announcement reads. Source:  GigaTech

The US air force wants to get a lot of firepower airborne quickly, giving a radically new mission profile to american transports. The united states air force rapid dragon program successfully completed its first live-fire weapons test, bringing two years of testing and development to a close. The rapid dragon palletized weapon system is in essence palletized cruise missiles stored in racks aboard cargo and transport planes. The air force tested the rapid dragon concept earlier this month at eglin air force base in the western florida panhandle. The test involved loading a cruise missile flight test vehicle and several dummy missiles aboard a pallet rigged with a parachute. Source:  GigaTech

The US Air Force's (USAF) F-15 aircraft has successfully conducted a test release of an inert B61 nuclear bomb over the Nellis Test. Testing demonstrated the multirole fighter aircraft’s capability to deliver the b0mb, as well as functionality of the weapon's non-nuclear components, including the arming and fire control system, spin rocket motors, radar altimeter and weapons control computer. The trial was conducted under a B61 life-extension programme, which is upgrading its nuclear and non-nuclear components, along with enhancing its safety, security and reliability. Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center (AFNWC) Air-Delivered Capabilities director Paul Waugh said: “The B61-12 gravity bomb ensures the current capability for the air-delivered leg of the US strategic nuclear triad well into the future for both bombers and dual-capable aircraft supporting North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato).” Source:  GigaTech

The Air Force A-10 replacement strategy could involve building a new plane, adjusting an existing aircraft or merely upgrading the A-10 itself.  The A-10 was designed around the General Electric GAU-8/A Avenger 30mm cannon and its seven barrels, which are able to dish out devastating punishment to armor.  Over the years, the Warthog's 11 hardpoints have evolved from carrying dumb iron bombs and rockets to hauling the latest guided ordnance.  The A-10 Warthog ground-attack jet, already in the process of receiving new wings, is also set for a series of improvements including new weapons, cockpit upgrades, and helmet-mounted controls.  The Air Force is beginning to work on how fast, lethal, durable and capable a new “A-10” like aircraft would need to be in order to provide U.S. military ground troops with effective close-air support for decades to come.  Source:  GigaTech

Source:  GigaTech                                 

There was a time in the Second World War that America didn’t quite have the military equipment to take on the axis powers. When Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, its A6M Zeros were much more agile and potent than the United States P-40 fighters.  Source:  GigaTech The P-40 was a solid aircraft though with good armor, but it also wasn’t the best against more advanced German aircraft such as the Focke-Wulf 190. Soon, though, America began to catch up with aircraft such as the P-51 Mustang, but another of its incredible aircraft was the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt.

The US Air Force makes a lot of critical and important decisions about the future configuration of the US aircraft fleet. Such a decision was the ultimate cause of the F-22 Raptor production.  Source:  GigaTech The military aircraft is, for many, a masterpiece of the military industry, a technological achievement that ensures the US dominance on the skies. Lockheed Martin's fighter entered service in 2003 and featured impressive stealth capabilities, advanced systems, and powerful armament.  What else can you ask for in a stealth fighter? However, in 2009, the production of new Raptor fighters stopped forever. What was the reason behind the ambiguous decision?

NASA has a fleet of over 50 active vehicles and more than 200 retired ones kept in museums or sold off, and even though they're not landing people on the moon every day they are keeping tabs on the scientific world with a fleet of flying craft.  Source:  GigaTech   Some are old military airplanes that have no business flying still, and yes, they even have the legendary Blackbird Lockheed SR-71 (AKA the fastest atmospheric manned vehicle ever.  Retired fighter jets? Got em. Do they have passenger jets so old that only the frame is original? Yessir! The first VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) aircraft? Duh! We don't know where NASA is getting all this money to this day, and we don't much care. Their collection is impressive and very, very unique. After browsing over 350 of their crafts, new and old, we narrowed it down to these ten.