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Brandon J. Weichert

Brandon J. Weichert

American Thinker

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The Air Force's Unstoppable F-16 Fighter Jet

Summary: The F-16 Fighting Falcon, a cornerstone of U.S. Air Force capabilities since its introduction in 1979, has evolved from a supporting air...

yesterday 0

The National Interest

Brandon J. Weichert

The Age of the F-15 Fighter Is Now Over

Summary: The F-15 Eagle, first flown in 1972 and now produced by Boeing, remains a pivotal asset in global air superiority after over 40 years in...

yesterday 1

The National Interest

Brandon J. Weichert

Give Israel the F-22 Raptor Stealth Fighter

The F-22A Raptor is hands down the best warplane to fly the unfriendly skies today. The F-22 was originally designed in the 1980s as a next-level,...

yesterday 7

The National Interest

Brandon J. Weichert

PATRIOT Missile: The Best Missile Defense System Ever

Summary: The PATRIOT Missile Defense System, produced by U.S. defense contractors Raytheon and Lockheed Martin, is a cornerstone of the United States...

previous day 3

The National Interest

Brandon J. Weichert

Russia's Tu-160M2: Next-Generation Bomber Armed with Hypersonic Missiles

Summary: The Russian Tu-160M, known as the "White Swan" or by its NATO reporting name "Blackjack," is undergoing a significant upgrade to the Tu-160M2...

previous day 4

The National Interest

Brandon J. Weichert

Israel's Not-So-Secret Nuclear Weapons Program Has Just One Goal

Summary: Israel's nuclear arsenal, estimated to contain between 90 and 400 nuclear weapons, remains a critical element in its national security...

previous day 4

The National Interest

Brandon J. Weichert

T-14 Armata: Russia's Tank Nightmare Just Won't End

Summary: The T-14 Armata, Russia's latest Main Battle Tank, has faced significant challenges despite its advanced design and capabilities. Initially...

previous day 7

The National Interest

Brandon J. Weichert

Husky-Class: Russia's New Powerhouse Nuclear Submarine Is in Trouble

Summary: The Russian Navy is planning to modernize its submarine fleet with the introduction of the Husky-class nuclear-powered attack submarine,...

previous day 9

The National Interest

Brandon J. Weichert

F-16: The Greatest Fighter Plane to Ever Fly

Summary: The F-16 Fighting Falcon, a mainstay of the U.S. Air Force since its introduction in 1978, has demonstrated versatility as both an air-to-air...

wednesday 8

The National Interest

Brandon J. Weichert

Russia's Akula-Class Submarine Is a Nightmare for the U.S. Navy

Summary: The deployment of the Akula I-class Soviet nuclear-powered attack submarine in 1985 caught Western intelligence off guard, as they had not...

wednesday 5

The National Interest

Brandon J. Weichert

The Nimitz-Class Aircraft Carrier Era Is Over

Summary: The United States boasts eleven nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, including ten from the Nimitz-class, first launched in 1972 with a design...

wednesday 4

The National Interest

Brandon J. Weichert

Russia's Su-27 Flanker Now Flies for China: Meet the J-11B Fighter

Summary: Russia's Su-27, a premier fourth-generation fighter, was initially developed to counter the American F-15 and entered Soviet service in...

16.04.2024 5

The National Interest

Brandon J. Weichert

Russia's Kirov-Class Battlecruiser Nightmare Has Just Begun

Summary: The Soviet-designed Kirov-class battlecruisers, initially intended to counter US Navy aircraft carriers and submarines, have largely failed...

16.04.2024 6

The National Interest

Brandon J. Weichert

China's Aircraft Carrier Nightmare Is Just Getting Started

Summary: China's pursuit of aircraft carriers alongside its anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) strategy presents a strategic opportunity for the United...

15.04.2024 10

The National Interest

Brandon J. Weichert

The Navy's Nimitz-Class Aircraft Carriers Could Be Sunk by China

Evaluating the US Navy's Dependence on Aircraft Carriers Amidst Rising Global Tensions - When the aircraft carrier was first adopted by the United...

15.04.2024 5

The National Interest

Brandon J. Weichert

The Age of the Battleship Is Never Coming Back

Summary: As debates intensify over the efficacy of aircraft carriers in modern naval warfare, a faction within the defense community suggests reviving...

15.04.2024 9

The National Interest

Brandon J. Weichert

The Air Force Needs 300 B-21 Raider Stealth Bombers

Summary: The B-21 Raider, an advanced stealth bomber, is positioned as a critical asset for the U.S. Air Force amidst shrinking fleet sizes and the...

15.04.2024 3

The National Interest

Brandon J. Weichert

Explained: Why Did Iran Attack Israel?

The Islamic Republic of Iran has done something that few believed it would ever do the regime has attacked Israel directly. In the wake of a...

15.04.2024 7

The National Interest

Brandon J. Weichert

Russia's Kilo-Class Submarine: Nightmare for the U.S. Navy That Won't End

Summary: Russia's Kilo-class diesel submarines, first launched in the 1980s, have become a significant part of maritime strategy despite their...

15.04.2024 6

The National Interest

Brandon J. Weichert

The U.S. Military's Great Achilles Heel: A Shipyard Crisis

The United States cannot build enough ships to meet peacetime demand. Specifically, US shipyards are struggling to produce the submarines the United...

14.04.2024 10

The National Interest

Brandon J. Weichert

Russia's Lada-Class Submarine Is a Total Nightmare

Summary: Diesel-powered submarines, while less sophisticated than their nuclear counterparts, often excel in stealth, as evidenced by a 2007 incident...

14.04.2024 6

The National Interest

Brandon J. Weichert

Russia's Sierra-Class Titanium Submarine: The U.S. Navy Has Nothing Like It

Summary: The Sierra-class submarines, constructed with titanium hulls, showcase a significant technological advantage held by the Soviet Navy over its...

13.04.2024 5

The National Interest

Brandon J. Weichert

The Oliver Perry-Class Frigate Is a U.S. Navy Legend for a Reason

Summary: The Oliver Perry-class frigates, a cornerstone of the U.S. Navy's surface fleet from 1971 to 2015, played a crucial role in anti-submarine...

13.04.2024 10

The National Interest

Brandon J. Weichert

Akula: The Russian Nuclear Attack Submarine with Just One Mission

Summary: During the final years of the Soviet Union, amidst economic turmoil and the arms race with the United States, the USSR launched the advanced...

13.04.2024 10

The National Interest

Brandon J. Weichert

Merge an Iowa-Class Battleship and Aircraft Carrier? Meet the Battlecarrier

Summary: The Iowa-class battleships, initially seen as the pinnacle of naval engineering, ultimately revealed their vulnerability to air attacks...

12.04.2024 10

The National Interest

Brandon J. Weichert

Russia's Typhoon-Class Submarines Were Built for Only 1 Reason Only

Summary: Tom Clancy's "The Hunt for Red October" features the Soviet Typhoon-class submarine, chosen for its formidable size and capabilities, which...

12.04.2024 10

The National Interest

Brandon J. Weichert

China Tracks U .S. Aircraft Carriers in Real-Time and Plans to Sink Them

Summary: Despite the U.S. Navy's heavy investment in its aircraft carrier fleet, including the advanced Gerald R. Ford-class, their vulnerability to...

12.04.2024 10

The National Interest

Brandon J. Weichert

America's Greatest Enemy Isn't China or Russia: Its $35 Trillion In Debt

In the 2012 film Prometheus, a prequel to Ridley Scott’s 1979 hit Alien, one of the lead characters, Michael Fassbender, looks upon an embryo of...

11.04.2024 7

The National Interest

Brandon J. Weichert

The U.S. Navy's New DDG(X) Destroyer Is Not Based on Reality

Summary: Critiques of the DDG(X) program highlight the risk of investing in large, expensive surface warships in an era where underwater and unmanned...

11.04.2024 8

The National Interest

Brandon J. Weichert

YF-23A vs. F-22A: The Untold Story of America's Ultimate Fighter Jet Showdown

Summary: The Northrop/McDonnell Douglas YF-23A "Black Widow II" and the Lockheed Martin/Boeing/General Dynamics-designed F-22A "Raptor" were both...

11.04.2024 8

The National Interest

Brandon J. Weichert

Vanguard-Class: 52,000 Tons of Raw Power and Battleship Failure

Summary: Commissioned in 1946, the British Royal Navy's Vanguard-class battleship was a marvel of engineering, boasting a displacement of 52,000 tons...

11.04.2024 8

The National Interest

Brandon J. Weichert

A2/AD: How China Plans to Destroy the U.S. Navy's Aircraft Carriers

About a decade ago, when I got to Washington, D.C., and assumed my position as a taxpayer-funded bureaucrat, “A2/AD” was all anyone could talk...

10.04.2024 5

The National Interest

Brandon J. Weichert

The Astute-Class Submarine Might Be the Best on Earth (Not American)

Summary: The Astute-class boasts remarkable features like the Astute Combat Management System, making it stealthy and efficient. Equipped with the...

10.04.2024 5

The National Interest

Brandon J. Weichert

The Navy's Los Angeles-Class Submarine Nightmare Is Just Getting Started

Summary: The retirement of the A-10 Warthog, a critical close-air support aircraft, for the costly F-35 and the phasing out of Los Angeles-class...

10.04.2024 8

The National Interest

Brandon J. Weichert

USS Jimmy Carter is an Incredible and Top Secret Seawolf-Class Submarine

Summary: The Seawolf-class submarines, with their inception in 1983 and deployment starting in 1997, represent a pinnacle of undersea warfare and...

09.04.2024 5

The National Interest

Brandon J. Weichert

The U.S. Navy's Ohio-Class Submarine Nightmare

Summary: As tensions with China escalate, the potential retirement of the Ohio-class submarine by the United States Navy has sparked concerns about...

08.04.2024 9

The National Interest

Brandon J. Weichert

Russia Must End Its Aircraft Carrier Nightmare

Summary: Russia's military engagements, particularly in regions like Ukraine, emphasize ground forces and regional power projection, suggesting that...

08.04.2024 6

The National Interest

Brandon J. Weichert

China Proved Way Back in 2007 It Could Sink U.S. Navy Aircraft Carriers

Summary: In 2007, a Chinese Song-class diesel submarine showcased its stealth by surfacing within torpedo range of the USS Kitty Hawk during a US Navy...

08.04.2024 9

The National Interest

Brandon J. Weichert

X-31 Is the X-Plane That Should Not Be Forgotten

Summary: The aerospace sector's vast contributions often remain underappreciated by the general public, especially the intricate development of...

07.04.2024 8

The National Interest

Brandon J. Weichert

The X-43 Nearly Hit Mach 10 and Broke Records. Why Did the U.S. Government Cancel It?

Summary: The X-43A Hyper-X, an experimental vehicle developed by NASA, marked a significant milestone in aviation by demonstrating the viability of...

06.04.2024 8

The National Interest

Brandon J. Weichert

X-44 Manta: The Freaky Fighter Plane That Could Have Dominated Everything

Summary: The X-44 MANTA, a concept developed by Lockheed Martin and NASA, aimed to revolutionize aerial combat with its unique design and...

06.04.2024 10

The National Interest

Brandon J. Weichert

The U.S. Navy Needs to Cancel the Ford-Class Aircraft Carrier

Summary: The United States Navy's continued investment in aircraft carriers, notably the Ford-class, amidst evolving global military dynamics and...

06.04.2024 20

The National Interest

Brandon J. Weichert

KAI T-50 Golden Eagle Is One Amazing and Cheap 'Fighter' Plane

Summary: South Korea's journey towards developing an indigenous military capability, particularly in the aerospace sector, reflects its strategic...

05.04.2024 4

The National Interest

Brandon J. Weichert

Save the A-10 Warthog: Give It to the U.S. Army

While working on Capitol Hill, I was asked to participate in discussions over funding for the F-35 Lightning II and the A-10 Warthog. During those...

05.04.2024 8

The National Interest

Brandon J. Weichert

The Age of the Submarine: Over By 2050?

Summary: The US military's reliance on traditional warfare methods, like aircraft carriers, faces challenges in the modern era of anti-access/area...

04.04.2024 10

The National Interest

Brandon J. Weichert

NGAD: The 6th Generation Air Force Fighter Is a Tragic Mistake

Summary: The U.S. military's fixation on past warfare models, exemplified by its continued investment in aircraft carriers and the development of the...

04.04.2024 9

The National Interest

Brandon J. Weichert

USS Enterprise (CV-6): The Greatest Aircraft Carrier Ever

Summary: The USS Enterprise (CV-6), also known as "The Big E" or the "Gray Ghost," stands as the most decorated and legendary aircraft carrier of...

04.04.2024 10

The National Interest

Brandon J. Weichert

France Used a Small Nuclear Attack Submarine to 'Sink' A Navy Aircraft Carrier

Summary: The U.S. Navy's reliance on its formidable fleet of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, the backbone of its power-projection capabilities, is...

03.04.2024 10

The National Interest

Brandon J. Weichert

Why the MiG-21 Fighter Jet Is Still Revered in Modern Warfare

03.04.2024 10

The National Interest

Brandon J. Weichert

The Royal Navy's Aircraft Carrier Nightmare Just Won't End

Summary: The Royal Navy's difficulty in fully staffing and equipping its carriers further underscores the impracticality of expanding this fleet. As...

03.04.2024 10

The National Interest

Brandon J. Weichert

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