Hmm. An afterburning turbojet, vs a pair of (by the standards of the time) fuel-efficient turbofans, & a higher internal fuel fraction for the Buccaneer – I’d expect a significantly better range for the Buccaneer with a weapons load, especially at low levels. Wikipedia gives a similar maximum range for both, but the Buccaneer range is rather less than was actually achieved in ferry flights. It’s hard to see how an F-105 could match the range of an aircraft with more efficient engines (better sfc), & a higher fuel fraction.

Of course an F-105 could run for home fast (supersonic at low level, clean) – with AB, but not for very long, because that burned a lot of fuel. In dry thrust, it had a significantly worse T/W ratio than the Buccaneer. Its performance at high altitude was much better than that of the Buccaneer – as one would expect from an aircraft built to be supersonic, & with a fighter designation. But as a bomber, & at low levels, I think it unlikely that it could do what the Bucc did. It was designed (aerodynamics & engines) to sustain (not a dash) high subsonic speeds at very low level, & it did, very well.

All somewhat irrelevant for the time period of Vietnam war era. The RN and RAF didn’t enjoy the the same inflight refueling capability that the F-105 had available to it.

I know Apache has been fitted with it, but is it actually flying operationally, and fitted to the fleet ?
IIRC Ka-52 is the first and only to have DIRCM fitted serially and fleet wide.

Indian AH-64D will presumably get an Israeli DIRCM when they are delivered? Lots of Apaches around the world are been upgraded with DIRCM and other such protective systems – Israel, Netherlands?

His comments make it plain he flew in only F110-equipped Tomcats, otherwise he would not have made that comment about being able to add power and outrun the Hornet in the vertical – the TF30-equipped F-14s could not do that (20,900 lb thrust each vs 27,000 lb each for the F110).

Although the original F-14A with TF-30 engines was a pretty fast jet for its time when it actually came out in the early 1970s – the competition was just able to catch very quickly.

F-14 was a great plane and an absolute classic, but influential – how? Where do we see this influence in the design of the F/A-18E?

AFAIK the apache and the cobra don’t usually carry AAMs ( although I believe they can on their wingtips ). Has the hellfire been tested against helicopters? It flies at mach 1.3 so it should be fast enough.

Apache has been tested with the Starstreak missile in the AA role as well – don’t know what’s become of that project, though.

Any known F-104 air victory?

Turkish Airforce used both F-102A and various F-104s. Generally F-104s are more popular and liked more than 102s

Pakistani F-104s scored a a few against the IAF in the 1965 war. They were not so lucky in the 1971 war.

I wouldn’t bet on it. An ageing population (proportion of US population >70yrs of age jumps 50% from 2015-2030) will place significant upward pressure on two of the largest components of domestic expenditure: healthcare and social security.

The populations of most developed nations are aging rapidly, in fact, I thought the USA had a younger aged population than most other industrialised countries? Americans are certainly younger in age compared to Japanese and Germans.

Yes, there is little truth to most of what is being said in the article. Although there would certainly have been a russian aircraft in the air near American warships in the Black Sea.

it sound like BS propaganda to me , but why so many new report it ?

Because it’s nothing more than “BS propaganda”?

First batch is different.

Are you referring to the Su-30Mk (the aircraft people keep speculating that Belarus were going to buy) I thought they were returned to Russia?