Mach 3.5 in an SR-71 | Ukraine F-16 Crashed | ISIS Raid Kills 15 | Drone Wingman

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IN HISTORY

Libya - 16 April 1986 “You Might Want to Pull it Back…”

Major Brian Shul (8 Feb 1948 - 20 May 2023) was a USAF fighter pilot, and I think it’s fair to say an all-around badass….who flew over 212 close air support missions in Vietnam. In 1973, he was shot down in his T-28 Trojan near the border of Cambodia. He was unable to bail out of the aircraft and subsequently suffered severe burns all over his body. Enemy fighters in the area delayed his rescue, and friendly forces could not immediately identify his location. His extraction from the jungle was met with fierce enemy fire. Fortunately, he was safely extracted and survived despite his doctors initially believing he had little or no hope of living.

Shul miraculously recovered and went on to fly the A-7D Corsair, A-10 Warthog, and SR-71 Blackbird. On 28 July 1976, SR-71, serial number 61-7958, set an absolute speed record of 1,905.81 knots (2,193.2 mph or 3,529.6 km/h ), approximately Mach 3.3 but that record would soon be beat…not officially of course.

In April 1986, the U.S. ordered the bombing of Libyan terrorist camps following an attack on U.S. soldiers in a Berlin disco. On the 16th of April, Maj Shul and his reconnaissance system officer, Major Walter Watson, were tasked to over-fly the camps and photograph the aftermath of an F-111 attack.

Well, it turns out that when you are second to the party after your buddies laid down some destruction, you will generally key up a nation’s air defenses. In the mid-1980s, Libya had a host of surface-to-air-missile systems that could shoot missiles upwards of Mach 5.

As Shul and Watson cruised over Libya, they were collecting valuable intel on the damage inflicted by the F-111s, but soon Watson detected several missile launches targeting them. The flight was already tense and Shul had already pushed the aircraft near the top end as they cruised at 3.2 mach. The cockpit was quite for a moment as the jet pushed through the sky when Watson broke the silence with “push it up.” Shul assessed the gravity in Watson voice and placed the throttles full forward. 3.3, 3.45, 3.5 mach…as the jet was still climbing. On that day, and every day the SR-71 flew, they outran surface-to-air missiles. In all, it is estimated over 4,000 missiles were shot at SR-71s — not one ever striking the Mighty SR-71 Blackbird or rather “Habu.”

FLIGHT LINE

🎯 ISIS Raids Injures 7 US Military Personnel | An early morning raid on August 29th resulted in the elimination of 15 ISIS militants in Western Iraq. Seven U.S. military members were injured in the raid. Of the seven U.S. military members, five were wounded and two sustained injuries from falls.

🎯 Ukrainian F-16 Downed, Pilot Killed | The Ukrainian Air Force suffered its’ first loss of an F-16 in one of their first operations with the plane. The pilot, Lt Col Oleksiy Mes, was killed. The following day, the commander of the Air Force, Lt Gen Mykola Oleshchuk, was fired by President Zelensky. Unconfirmed rumors are circulating that a Patriot Missile took down the F-16 in a case of friendly fire. In April of 2003, a U.S. Patriot Missile Battery mistakenly identified a U.S. F/A-18 as a threat and shot the aircraft down.

 🎯 CIA Glove Save | The CIA Deputy Director has said the information they provided to Austrian authorities allowed them to disrupt the planned attack on a Taylor Swift concert in Austria. The four day event was cancelled on August 7th. The attackers, all teenagers, were inspired/pledge allegiance to ISIS and had hoped to inflict mass casualties.

🎯 “Loyal Wingman” Flies | Northrop Grumman's stealthy Model 437 "Loyal Wingman" drone, has taken flight. In theory, the Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) effort would have drones such as the 437 flying alongside manned aircraft. Obviously, all that could change. In fact, the prototype has a cockpit and while that might ease certification and testing, it could also hint at a hybrid down the road.

🎯 King to Plead Guilty | U.S. Army Private Travis King, who crossed into North Korea earlier this year, is expected to plead guilty to desertion.

🎯 Poland Jumping on the 5th Gen Train  | Poland's first F-35A "Hussar" stealth fighter has been officially rolled out at the Lockheed plant in Ft. Worth. The first jet is expected to be delivered in December. Poland placed an order for 32 Block 4 F-35As back in 2020, to be delivered between 2024 to 2030. 14 pilots are already in the U.S. training, most from F-16 backgrounds but a few are transitioning from the MiG-29.

🎯 Tire Explodes Killing Two | Two people were killed and one was injured after a tire explosion at a Delta Air Lines maintenance facility at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The explosion occurred during routine maintenance, leading to a significant emergency response.

🎯 DoD Withholds Millions From Lockheed | Back in July of 2023 the DoD stopped accepting F-35 deliveries from Lockheed of the next wave of TR-3 (Technology Refresh) jets due to hardware and software shortfalls.

TR-3 brings significant upgrades to the F-35 which are needed for the Block 4 upgrade. Better displays, computing power, additional weapons payload just to name a few. In July of 2024, the DoD said “Knock it on” and let deliveries resume but accepted the aircraft could only be used for initial training but now can be used for combat training (I read standard training) but most likely would not be combat coded until 2025.

🎯 Boeing Starliner Crew to Hitchhike Home | The NASA Astronauts that embarked on a “short” space journey back on June 5th…but then got an extra three months free stay…will be returning aboard a Space X Dragon capsule on September 6th.

🎯 Cracks in 777X Program | Boeing has identified a cracked thrust link assembly in a fourth Boeing 777-9 aircraft during inspections. This issue is part of ongoing challenges faced in the development of the 777X program. The discovery adds to the concerns over the aircraft's readiness and potential delays in its certification process, which could impact its expected entry into service.

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🎯 Philippines Seeks New Fighters | The Philippines is soliciting offers for the procurement of 40 multi-role fighter jets to enhance its air defense capabilities. This initiative is part of the country’s ongoing military modernization program with an expected expendature of $33 billion dollars to onboard a new aircraft. The acquisition is expected to involve offers from major defense manufacturers. F-16 Block 70 or F/A-18?

🎯 Boosting Ammo for Ukraine | A U.S. Army ammunition plant has ramped up production of artillery shells to support Ukraine in its ongoing conflict with Russia. This increase in production is part of broader efforts by the U.S. to supply Ukraine with the necessary resources to sustain its defense operations. The plant's output has been significantly scaled up to meet the growing demand for munitions on the battlefield.

🎯 Army's Kamikaze Drone Deal | The U.S. Army has signed a $1 billion contract for a large order of Switchblade kamikaze drones. These drones are designed for precision strikes, providing infantry units with a powerful and flexible tool on the battlefield. The Switchblade drones have proven to be effective in various combat scenarios. Sounds about as terrifying as these Blades O’ Death.

🎯 Chinese Aircraft Infringes Japanese Airspace For First Time | A Chinese Y-9 electronic warfare aircraft recently infringed on Japanese airspace, escalating tensions between the two nations. The incident involved the aircraft entering Japan's air defense identification zone, which lasted approximately two minutes.

🎯 Never Look at Gift Horse in the Mouth | Vladimir Putin has apparently gifted Kim Jung Un 24 horses as a “Thank You” the artillery shells North Korean has provided to Russia.

🎯 Russia’s Su-75 ‘Checkmate’ Fighter to India? | Russia’s Su-75 "Checkmate" stealth fighter may be heading to India, as the country seeks to bolster its air combat capabilities. The Su-75 is designed as a low-cost, single-engine alternative to other stealth fighters, with advanced avionics and weapons systems.

🎯 Hundreds of Marines Accused of Fraud | Hundreds of San Diego-area Marines are under investigation for allegedly defrauding the federal government. The accusations primarily revolved around a TRICARE scheme to that involved fake prescriptions, costing upwards of $20,000, that had to be made in a compound pharmacy.

Trivia Answer:
B) F-15C…but did the F-16D throw you off? Gen “Nordo” North would score an air-to-air kill in an F-16D 🤢 in 1992.

During the Gulf War, on January 17, 1991, an F-15C Eagle, piloted by Captain Jon K. "JB" Kelk, achieved the first air-to-air kill of the conflict by shooting down an Iraqi MiG-29. The F-15 proved to be one of the most dominant air superiority fighters in the Gulf War, with multiple air-to-air victories.