For two months the United States military has been quietly running night convoys through the Strait of Hormuz. Fifteen to twenty tankers a night, a southern channel hugging the coast of Oman, continuous Air Force fighter cover, and roughly 10 million barrels of oil a day going back into the global market. The reason it works is electronic, not kinetic: American strikes have degraded Iranian coastal radar and maritime surveillance to the point where the Revolutionary Guard largely cannot see the lane at all.
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.