Currently, only two nations in the world possess operational hypersonic weapons, China and Russia. It’s important to remember, however, that “operational” is a subjective term. Russia, perhaps more so than any other nation, has a long history of claiming military capability they’ve yet to truly master. Likewise, many experts remain skeptical about the targeting capabilities of China’s […]
Lockheed XFV: The tail-sitting Navy fighter that wasn’t to be
AirpowerNearly two decades before the Harrier jump jet would prove the efficacy of vertical take-off and landing platforms, the U.S. Navy considered taking another approach to fielding fighters without a runway in the Lockheed XFV. In the years immediately following World War II, the United States found itself trying to adapt its newfound airpower to […]
NASA’s plan to use an F-15 to launch hypersonic Phoenix missiles
AirpowerIn the early 2000s, NASA came up with a plan to use the Air Force’s F-15 Eagle and the Navy’s famed AIM-54 Phoenix missile to slash the cost of experimenting with hypersonic flight. The effort wasn’t aimed at developing a new capability for America’s fleet of air superiority fighters, but rather at learning more about […]
US, China, Russia and others issue rare joint statement on nukes
Military AffairsThe nations boasting the most powerful militaries in the world issued a rare joint statement on Monday, calling a reduction of “strategic risks” between nuclear nations their foremost responsibility. The statement, which was released Monday afternoon, was signed off by the People’s Republic of China, the French Republic, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom of […]
Lockheed pitched arming the U-2 with anti-ship missiles
AirpowerIn the later years of the Cold War, Lockheed proposed arming their high-flying U-2 spy plane with experimental long-range anti-ship missiles that would have made it a terror over the high seas. Had the concept been coupled with American efforts to field the U-2 aboard aircraft carriers, it could have offered the U.S. Navy a […]
The 5 biggest episodes of ‘AirPower with Alex Hollings’ in 2021
AirpowerEarlier this year, Sandboxx News launched our first web series, AirPower with Alex Hollings, and as the guy with his name is in the title, I genuinely couldn’t be more blown away by the responses we’ve received. Clearly, YouTube has a special place in its heart for military aviation, and I feel awfully lucky to […]
The biggest stories on Sandboxx News in 2021
FeaturedSandboxx News had a big year in 2021, from sharing never-before-heard stories from special operations veterans to shining a light on some of the most unusual and groundbreaking aviation platforms and weapons the world has ever seen. Here are some of the biggest, the most important, or the downright coolest stories we’ve published here at […]
Is America really losing the hypersonic arms race?
AirpowerFor the first time since the early days of the Cold War, America is lagging behind its international competitors in a technology race with far-reaching military and diplomatic implications. Hypersonic weapons are one of six emerging technologies the Pentagon believes could dictate the outcomes of future conflicts, but as America’s competitors continue to field new […]
The X-15 was America’s first piloted hypersonic aircraft
AirpowerIn 1967, William “Pete” Knight made history at the stick of his North American X-15A-2 rocket-powered aircraft when he reached a speed of Mach 6.7, or around 5,140 miles per hour, at an altitude of some 102,000 feet. While this particular flight was one for the record books, it was no fluke. Over nine years, […]
Santa’s on his way! How to track Santa with NORAD
AirpowerWith Christmas only days away, now seems like a great time to brush up on how to track Santa Clause’s progress through North America with the help of NORAD, or the North American Aerospace Defense Command. NORAD tracks everything that flies in North American airspace as a part of its defense responsibilities (which are shared […]
