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The U.S. Army has awarded an $11.2 million contract to Teledyne FLIR Defense to deliver more than 45 drone kits capable of flying into chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear contamination zones and mapping hazards in real time, keeping soldiers out of environments that can kill within seconds of exposure. Teledyne Technologies announced the contract award […]View the full article

France has fired its next-generation air-to-air missile from a Rafale at supersonic speed for the first time, clearing one of the most demanding technical hurdles in the weapon’s qualification program and moving MBDA’s MICA NG significantly closer to operational service. The second development firing of the MICA NG, which stands for Missile for Interception, Combat, […]View the full article

Australia fired its first domestically built self-propelled howitzers during live-fire training last week, completing the journey from a production line in Geelong to live rounds downrange in a matter of months — a timeline that would have seemed implausible for a major weapons system just a few years ago. Thirty gunners from Townsville’s 4th Regiment, […]View the full article

Vladimir Putin told the world’s press agency chiefs this week that Russia’s Su-57 fighter is the best combat aircraft on the planet. Independent analysts and the jet’s own production record tell a more complicated story. Putin made the claim at a meeting with leaders of major international news agencies organized by TASS, Russia’s state news […]View the full article

A Ukrainian naval drone lost control after Russian electronic warfare jammed its guidance system during a Black Sea mission, drifted into Romanian territorial waters, and detonated inside the civilian port of Constanța on Friday morning, the Ukrainian Navy confirmed. The explosion, which shook windows across the city and triggered a mass evacuation of the coastline, […]View the full article

Back in 2007, I did a Battle of Midway FbF that featured one of my favorite aircraft, the Brewster Buffalo. In the post, I focused on then 2LT William “Bill” Brooks, USMCR. In the mid-60’s Mr. Brooks helped found Bellevue University, among other things. Back in 2010, I was notified by the President of Bellevue University that Mr. Brooks passed away. In his honor, I would like to repost that FbF from 2007 and 2010. You could spend a lifetime on Battle of Midway posts - that is what I like about it. This time, I want to focus on the men of Marine Fighting Squadron 221. Men who knew they were being asked to do a suicide mission, but did it - and did it well. They were, as Marines sometimes find themselves, on the butt end of the procurement curve. As the cream of the Imperial Japanese Navy was heading their way, they were asked to go into battle with an aircraft just not ready for varsity football; the Brewster Buffalo (F2A-3). Their squadron went into battle with 21 F2A-3 and 7 F4F-3 (Grumman Wildcat) planes. Read the after-action report by the now commanding officer, CAPT Armistead, USMC, the most senior surviving officer by the time the sun set 06 JUN 42. First hand accounts, and damning comments on the aircraft they took into battle. In para 6 of his opening letter, Capt. Armistead stated something we can all understand. 6. The F2A-3 is sadly out-classed in all respects by Japanese 00 fighters. Although all pilots of this squadron were aware of this fact, they drove their attack home with daring and skill Right on target. Brave men will go into battle regardless of what they have to work with. The guilt does not lie with the warrior or the manufacturer (the Buffalo was OK when it was built, but to old design wise to be of use in ‘42 - though the Finns made good use of it against the Russians. What strikes me in some of these first hand comments, is that there were made inside 48 hours from the battle these men we in. Notice the tone and professionalism - and with little exception - no invective. Four Divisions of F2A-3 from VMF-221 took off that AM. 20 pilots overall. By the end of the day; - 12 KIA or MIA. - 3 WIA. - 5 survived (one due to the fact his aircraft had mechanical problems. That works out to a casualty rate of 75%. By the end of 06 JUN, when these reports were written, only 3 F2A-3 were still airworthy. The Zero fighter in level flight is faster than the F2A-3. It is much more maneuverable than the F2A-3. It can outclimg the F2A-3. It has more firepower than the F2A-3. ... The F2A-3 is not a combat aeroplane. It is inferior to the airplanes we were fighting in every respect. The F2A-3 has about the same speed as a Aichi 99 Dive Bomber. The Japanese Zero fighter can fly circles around the F2A-3. ... It is my belief that any commander that orders pilots out in combat in the F2A-3 should consider that pilot lost before leaving the ground. ... As for the F2A-3, it should be in Miami as a training plane, rather than be used as a first line fighter. The photo above is of one of the survivors, then 2LT Brooks, USMCR. Here is his story. USMC 2dLT William “Bill” Brooks in F2A-3 Bureau No. 01523 (MF-16) was one of the few survivors of the June 4, 1942 morning interception of the incoming Japanese attack on Midway Atoll by VMF 221.“At about 0600, the alarm sounded and we took off. My division climbed rapidly, and I was having a hard time keeping up. I discovered afterwards that although my wheels indicator and hydraulic pressure indicator both registered “wheels up”, they were in reality about 1/3 of the way down.”Following LT. Sandoval down the right side of the incoming Japanese formation, Brooks looked back tosee a Japanese aircraft falling from his or Sandoval’s fire. Losing contact with his division, he started toclimb for a second attack when the Zeros attacked. Diving (slowly with partially extended landing gear)for the water, he circled the island while anti-aircraft fire drove off his pursuers.“ My tabs, instruments, and cockpit were shot up to quite an extent, at this time, and I was intendingto come in for a landing. I saw two planes dogfighting over in the East, and decided to go help myfriend if at all possible. My plane was working very poorly, and my climb was slow. As I neared thefight, both planes turned on me. It was then that I realized I had been tricked into a sham battle puton by two Japs, and I failed to recognize this because of the sun in my eyes. I turned and made afast retreat for the island, collecting a goodly number of bullets on the way. After one of these planes had been shaken, I managed to get a good burst into another as we passed head-on when I turned into him.” This is the moment captured by the painting“I don’t believe he could have gotten back to his carrier, because he immediately turned north and down. I again decided to land, but as I circled the island I saw two Japs on a Brewster. Three of my guns were jammed but I cut across the island, firing as I went with my one gun. I could not get there in time to help the American flyer, and as soon as the Brewster had gone into the water I came in for a landing at approximately 0715. My plane was damaged somewhat, having 72 bullet and cannon holes in it, and I had a very slight flesh wound on my left leg.It is my express desire that LT. Sandoval, deceased, be logged up with the bomber which one of us got in our first run.“- From the after-action battle report of Bill Brooks - June 4, 1942 - Hat tip reader Sal.OBIT Brooks, William Vincent Dec 19, 1918 - Jan 19, 2010 Bellevue. Born in Falls City, NE, son of Mary Elizabeth (Sailors) Brooks and Emmett Brooks. He was preceded in death by his son, two granddaughters, a sister and a brother. He is survived by his wife, three daughters and their spouses, the wife of his deceased son, seven grandchildren and three great grandchildren. FUNERAL SERVICE Saturday, Jan. 23, 10am at Bellevue Memorial Chapel, Bellevue. He will be interred at Bellevue Cemetery. VISITATION will be Friday, Jan 22, 6-8pm at the Chapel. Donations to the Salvation Army, Bellevue University Foundation or favorite charity are requested in lieu of flowers. BELLEVUE MEMORIAL CHAPEL Heafey-Heafey-Hoffmann Dworak-Cutler 22nd & Hancock, Bellevue 291-5000 Leave a comment Share This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. View the full article

A maritime drone of the type used in the war in Ukraine self-detonated Friday morning inside the civilian port of Constanța, Romania’s largest Black Sea harbor, after authorities discovered the device at berth 78 and began working to neutralize it. The explosion occurred at approximately 10:30 a.m., roughly four and a half hours after the […]View the full article

Russia’s defense industry is claiming a milestone on one of its most closely watched aviation programs, and this time the claim carries slightly more weight than usual. The United Aircraft Corporation, Russia’s state-owned aircraft manufacturing conglomerate, confirmed this week that physical construction of the first flying prototype of the Su-75 Checkmate, a single-engine fifth-generation stealth […]View the full article

Vietnam has publicly displayed the T-1, a domestically developed amphibious light tank that represents the most ambitious armored vehicle project the country’s defense industry has ever attempted. The T-1 prototype appeared at a public display in Vietnam, drawing immediate attention from regional military observers for what it signals about Hanoi’s defense industrial ambitions as much […]View the full article

Russia’s state defense conglomerate Rostec has unveiled what it claims is the lightest body armor in its class, presenting the Obereg 2.0 vest to the defense ministers of Moscow’s closest military allies at a showcase outside the Russian capital. Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov led a delegation of defense ministers from the Collective Security Treaty […]View the full article

Just solved now, I don't know was happened!

Thanks Don, I will see it again tomorrow.

I use win 10 and last night (or night before) used scen editor with no problem. I can get to computer tonight and test. (I'm currently using tablet). Don

I fear the current scenario editor is not working after Microsoft don't support now Windows 10 (But I use Windows 11!), I get an error message apparently related with that, are you getting some similar issues?

Six Russian military aircraft operating in Baltic airspace in a single day triggered a joint NATO scramble involving French and Swedish fighter jets, the latest reminder that the skies above one of Europe’s most sensitive stretches of territory remain an active theater of aerial friction between the alliance and Moscow. NATO Air Command confirmed that […]View the full article

More than 40 of Northrop Grumman’s most advanced ground radar systems are already in the hands of U.S. Marines and airmen, and the company is pushing the system hard to international buyers as demand for mobile, multi-mission air defense sensors surges worldwide. Northrop Grumman published a capability overview on June 4, highlighting the operational status […]View the full article

A First-Person View (FPV) drone, the cheap remote-controlled kamikaze weapon that has killed more soldiers in this war than almost any other single weapon type, struck a Ukrainian military Humvee directly in the windshield during a combat mission in the Zaporizhzhia direction. The crew inside survived. The glass held. Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence directorate, known by […]View the full article

The most consequential fighter jet Germany has ever ordered just crossed a milestone that brings it meaningfully closer to the flight line. Lockheed Martin announced that the engine powering Germany’s first F-35 has been installed, confirming that the aircraft is progressing through final production and moving toward delivery of what will be Berlin’s first fifth-generation […]View the full article

Two of the U.S. defense industry’s most closely watched companies announced they are joining forces to compete for one of the Army’s most significant ground combat modernization programs, pairing a combat-proven Israeli-American cannon system with Silicon Valley’s most prominent defense technology firm. Elbit Systems of America and Anduril Industries announced a strategic teaming agreement on […]View the full article

Four of Greece’s American-made standoff missiles need fixing, and the U.S. Navy is about to pay the only company on Earth capable of repairing them to do exactly that. The procurement notice, published June 4, 2026, signals that Greece’s air force is keeping its American-supplied precision strike arsenal in fighting shape at a moment when […]View the full article

An Israeli armor company is heading to Eurosatory later this month with three new vehicle protection systems, each targeting a category of threat that has grown sharply more lethal on the modern battlefield: mines, top-attack munitions, and shaped charge warheads that conventional armor struggles to stop. Plasan, the Kibbutz Sasa-based survivability specialist with more than […]View the full article

Every now and then I hear about some vague connection between the USAF and the liquor Jeremiah Weed. Though the USAF is better known for its anime swords, I guess they can up their game a bit by creating some legends of their own to justify a connection to a drink. I’d prefer Robin Olds and a bucket of champagne vibe, but I’m not USAF, so that’s up to them. What about the U.S. Navy? Sadly, General Order 99 took the wind out of our sails a bit, but I had a thought recently. I ran into this pic. Just get a look at these ballers. I dug around a bit and found the backstory via the Navy SEAL Museum: Aboard the USS Burrfish (SS 312) near Peleliu in the Pacific Ocean, part of a UDT special mission group of volunteers that conducted the only UDT submarine launched operation during World War II. (L-R) Leonard Barnhill, John MacMahon, LT M.R. Massy, Bill Moore and Warren Christensen, John MacMahon (pictured) and Robert Black and CPO Howard Roeder (not pictured) were captured by the Japanese the night after this photograph was taken and killed while in captivity. That was the easy part. Next I needed to find out not just how that bottle of liquor got on a submarine, but why, and what brand it was. I even had to enlist ChatGPT and Grok, but they were no help. Their image enhancement just made things up. So I dug around old-school…and SUCCESS! I’ll spare you the details, but that is a bottle of Old Overholt. Here’s a similar period bottle. The Old Overholt brand is about as American as you can get, and it is the longest continually produced whiskey in North America—legally made even during Prohibition. But why was it on that table? Old Overholt rye whiskey was a staple "medicinal" alcohol for the United States Navy, frequently stocked aboard ships and affectionately nicknamed "Overcoat" by sailors. This 100-proof, bottled-in-bond rye. Why, in the year of our Lord Two Thousand and Twenty-Six, am I now only finding out about this? Why has the U.S. Navy not made this, if not official, then, at least culturally, its official whiskey? Don’t tell me the U.S. Navy should just have “rum” or some concoction called “grog”. We should have something quintessentially American and connected to our fighting history. It is still around—now produced by Beam Distilling. Same recipe, but perhaps not as sexy of a bottle. It isn’t that expensive. You can get a bottle for sale for under $10. Maybe if enough Navy types showed an interest, Beam might consider a special bottling using the WWII Era Bottle? Wait, they may not have to do that. The bottle they use for their 11 year old stuff is close, they’d just need to create the right label and fill it with the appropriate 100 proof. This should be a thing. I’ve found out where to buy it locally. I think I’ll pick up a bottle. Leave a comment Share This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. View the full article

A stretch of Polish sky running along the country’s most sensitive borders is about to go quiet. Starting June 10, 2026, Poland will enforce a new restricted airspace zone along its eastern frontier with Ukraine and Belarus, blocking most low-altitude flights for three full months in a move the government has justified on national security […]View the full article

America’s military campaign against Iran has been running for three months, and the Army is already writing checks to close one of the capability gaps it exposed. A $68 million contract awarded June 3, 2026, to Griffon Aerospace of Madison, Alabama, will deliver the next generation of one of the U.S. military’s most widely used […]View the full article

The U.S. Army awarded California-based AeroVironment a $117 million contract on June 3, 2026, to deliver 82 of the company’s P550 unmanned aircraft systems, giving ground commanders an organic reconnaissance and targeting capability that requires no runway, no catapult, and no launch crew beyond the soldiers already in the unit. AeroVironment (AV) is one of […]View the full article