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Air Power @RealAirPower1

A military avgeek X-ing for military avgeeks

Joined May 2019
  • Posts 19,575
  • Following 70
  • Followers 144,340
8,583 Photos and videos
Venomous Viper! F-16C Sr. No. 91-0353 getting ready to roll, proudly displaying its green star Serbian MiG-29 kill mark from Operation Allied Force in 1999. Some history sits in a museum, this machine prefers the active flight line 😀
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A passing of the torch on the deck of Cavour, Italian aircraft carrier. An F-35B stands alongside an AV-8B, capturing the moment as Italian Navy transitions from the aircraft that served for decades to the one that will carry it into the future.
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If aircraft had boss levels, the Tu-160 would be the final one. The Tu-22M is hardly a small bomber, and the Yak-130 is a perfectly respectable sized trainer, but park them next to a Tu-160 and they suddenly look miniature. Nicknamed the "White Swan," the Tu-160 is the largest supersonic bomber ever to enter service anywhere in the world.
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The sheer intensity of the Pacific War captured in a single frame. Crewmen watch in stunned silence as the USS Intrepid (CV-11) is struck by not one, but two Kamikazes in quick succession (November 25, 1944). Sixty nine sailors were killed, and fires tore through the hangar deck, leaving the carrier badly battered. Yet in an extraordinary display of damage control, her crew brought the inferno under control in just two hours. The action earned Intrepid the nickname "The Ghost Ship" for its uncanny ability to survive and return from the brink, fighting!
Community note
The image has been digitally altered to add explosions; the authentic photo shows sailors on USS New Jersey watching a single kamikaze approaching Intrepid on November 25, 1944, not the strikes. commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:USS_… intrepidmuseum.org/75-years-uss-i…
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Anti ship missiles/bombs. The fastest way to convert a warship into a submarine.
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HMS Trenchant (S91) fitted with 7.62 mm GPMGs for force protection against asymmetric surface threats. The machine guns were mounted on the bridge fin whenever the submarine transited confined or high-visibility waters, such as the River Thames, to keep unauthorized small boats at a safe distance. Very WWII don't you think?
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Viper's green hue. A USAF F-16C deployed to Cerro Moreno AB in Antofagasta to participate in the Chilean-hosted multinational exercise Resolute Salitre 2026.
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Happy 4th of July to me! 😄 My favorite kinda fiction.
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Last week I ran a poll to find the second best fighter in Indian Air Force service, behind the Rafale. An overwhelming 72% of you picked the Su-30MKI, well ahead of the Mirage 2000I and MiG-29UPG. So here they are. The No. 1 and No. 2 fighters of the IAF, according to you.
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On this day: 40 years ago, Dassault test pilot Guy Mitaux-Maurouard made the first flight of the Rafale jet at Istres-Le Tubé AB, France (July 4, 1986). At the time, few could have predicted that this canard-delta design would become one of the most important, if not THE most important European fighter of its generation. Proven in combat from Afghanistan and Libya to the Levant and most recently in South Asia, its legacy is that of a true blueblood "omnirole" fighter. 1/4
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The aircraft itself was excellent, but selling it was another story. For years, the Rafale failed to secure a single export customer. Critics called it too expensive, too complicated, and questioned whether France could compete against the F-16, F-15, Su-30, and Eurofighter. Then India stepped in with its landmark order in 2016. That deal broke the dam. Egypt, Qatar, Greece, Croatia, the UAE, Indonesia, and Serbia all followed. The fighter that nobody wanted suddenly became the one everybody was calling about. 3/4
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Today, the Rafale is entering another chapter. With over 300 aircraft produced, it has become Dassault’s (and Europe's) most exported 4th-generation fighter. The F4 standard is already introducing improved networking, sensors, and weapons. The future F5 standard is expected to bring even deeper integration with unmanned combat drones and new long-range weapons, ensuring the aircraft remains relevant well into the 2040s. Forty years after its first flight, the Rafale is no longer proving itself. It has already done that. Now, it is setting the benchmark for what a mature multirole fighter should look like. 4/4
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Born from the brutal lessons of Vietnam, the Bell Cobra gave troops something they had never truly had before: a fast, heavily armed helicopter built for one thing, and one thing only: killing. Here's a vintage newsreel that explains why the Cobra was created and how it changed the battlefield forever. The period footage is an absolute treat. Enjoy, guys! 😀
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Top shot of a Mil Mi-28 being serviced at Rostvertol. A good photo, but something caught my eye. Notice how surprisingly thin the open cockpit doors look, especially when compared with the second photo of an operational Mi-28's door? I always assumed that attack helicopter doors/glass were permanently armored! Now I'm wondering if the armor is added during final outfitting, or if it's a removable package, or if there's another explanation entirely. Does anyone know the full story?
Mi-28 being serviced at Rostvertol.

ALT Mi-28 being serviced at Rostvertol.

Operational Mi-28

ALT Operational Mi-28

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Three Kings under one roof. F/A-18s, F-15s, and AV-8Bs lined up inside McDonnell Douglas' St. Louis plant. We really lived through an era when American factories were cranking out some of the most iconic combat aircraft ever built, simultaneously! They just don't build 'em like this anymore.
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Which of these was the best American fighter of WWII? Cast your vote first, then defend your choice in the comments. I'm expecting a civil discussion...but I know that's probably asking too much. 😄
14% P-38 Lightning
3% P-40 Warhawk
16% P-47 Thunderbolt
67% P-51 Mustang
2,076 votes • Final results
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For the first time, the USAF has publicly confirmed a B-2 launching the AGM-158C LRASM during exercise SINKEX 2026. ​Why does this matter? Because the LRASM isn't a land-attack weapon. It's a stealthy, long-range anti-ship missile built to hunt and sink high-value warships in heavily contested waters. ​Pair that capability with a stealth bomber that can penetrate deep into denied airspace, and you've got a very, very nasty combination. 1/2
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This isn't just about adding a new missile to the armoury; it's about expanding the list of platforms that can threaten an enemy fleet. Think about the Pacific implications. A B-2 slipping through an adversary's air defense network could release as many as 16 stealthy LRASMs from hundreds of miles out - targeting an entire carrier strike group or an amphibious task force, then turning for home before anyone knows it's there. That's the kind of dilemma planners in Beijing do not want 😉 2/2
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