U.S. officials told the Wall Street Journal that additional attack aircraft have recently landed in the CENTCOM area of responsibility, and the A-10C Thunderbolt II is the strongest analytical read — Warthogs from the 75th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron and Air National Guard units in Idaho and Michigan have flown Operation Epic Fury since the opening days, hunting Iranian fast attack craft in the Strait of Hormuz with AGR-20 APKWS II rockets costing under $30,000 a shot. We break down the GAU-8/A Avenger, the titanium bathtub, and why close air support arriving in theater signals something very different from a bomber surge. The Wall Street Journal reports the President has ordered new strikes on Iran aimed at forcing surrender as soon as this weekend, while CBS News reports the U.S. and Israel are planning a campaign against Iranian energy infrastructure timed to finish before markets open Monday — and Iran’s Ali Abdollahi warned that any country serving as a defensive shield for America “will be engulfed by the flames of war.” In the Round Up: ISW assesses Russia fired its first North Korean-provided ballistic missile into Ukraine since summer 2025, a Kh-101 came down in Poland, and Ukrainian forces are helping defend NATO airspace.
Welcome! I'm Ryan aka "Max Afterburner" I'm a former F-16 Thunderbird Pilot, F-15E Combat Fighter pilot and Commercial Airline Pilot. Join me as we dive into aviation, military tech and casual geopolitics. Did I mention I'm a pilot?Aircraft Flown: Cessna 172, Cessna 182, Cessna T-37, Northrop T-38C Talon, F-15E Strike Eagle, F-16C/D Fighting Falcon, Boeing 737, Airbus A220.While in the USAF I became a subject matter expert on; China, Russia, Iran, North Korea and I share some of my experiences here.
Max Afterburner