History

How brave World War II-era pilots flew the now-classic C-47

The C-47 is a classic transport plane — it flew with the United States Air Force in World War II and remained in service until 2008. It's been used by dozens of countries as a transport. A re-built version, the Basler BT-67, currently serves in a half-dozen air forces, from Mauritania to Thailand, in both transport and gunship versions. In fact, classic C-47s are still around — either under civilian ownership or as warbirds.

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History

Watch a young Chuck Yeager test fly a stolen MiG-15

Brigadier General Chuck Yeager is best-known for being the first man to break the sound barrier. He was also a World War II ace and saw action in Vietnam as commanding officer of the 405th Tactical Fighter Wing, flying B-57s. But did you know that this aerial all-star also logged time in the MiG-15?

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GEAR & TECH

This Typhoon can bring a high-explosive storm on the enemy

In the late 1980s, the Pavania Tornado was entering widespread service with the Royal Air Force, Luftwaffe, Royal Saudi Air Force, and Aeronautica Militare (Italian Air Force). Despite this, the British, Germans, and Italians were seeking to create the next-generation tactical jet. Sure, the Tornado was good, but it wasn't quite what they wanted.

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GEAR & TECH

This versatile drone has been around since 1952

Modern drones, like the MQ-1 Predator, MQ-9 Reaper, or even the quadcopters you can buy at your local electronics store have changed how we think about unmanned vehicles. But drones have been around a lot longer than you might think. One of the most versatile unmanned vehicles entered service in 1952 (the same year the B-52 first flew) and is still around today.

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GEAR & TECH

This 'Herky Bird' is a favorite of Rangers and special operators

Special operations forces have long been fans of the C-130. Why not? It's one of the most versatile platforms available. The basic transport has been a standby for airborne units over the years, but when it comes to carrying the precious cargo that is American special operations forces, no ordinary Hercules will do.

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GEAR & TECH

Here's how the Army introduced the Bradley

The Bradley Fighting Vehicle has been around for a long time. It's become a mainstay of the United States Army, although it hasn't had quite as much export success as the M1 Abrams. Still, the Bradley is much beloved by the military community.

In the early 80s, however, when the Bradley was a spry, new armored fighting vehicle, it had more than its fair share of critics.

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GEAR & TECH

Here's how the Navy tests its new carrier launch system

If you've seen Top Gun or any footage of an American aircraft carrier doing its thing, you've probably seen catapults launch aircraft. These impressive devices can launch a fully-loaded plane, getting it up to speeds as high as 200 knots in a matter of seconds — if everything's working right.

The same is true for the electromagnetic aircraft launch system, or EMALS, in use on the Navy's newest aircraft carrier, USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78).

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Tactical

Huge changes coming to the Corps will affect every Marine

Tradition has long been an essential part of the United States Marine Corps. It's tradition that's responsible for instilling a Corps-wide expertise with rifles. It's the reason why a Marine squad has always been a baker's dozen — and it's why those thirteen personnel can put some real hurt on the bad guys.

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GEAR & TECH

This is the rifle that made three of the four longest sniper kills

Snipers specialize in taking out enemy personnel from well beyond the average grunt's range. Lately, due to advances in technology and an amazing degree of skill, the distances from which snipers are scoring kills are getting longer and longer. In 1967, Carlos Hathcock set a record, recording a kill from 2,500 yards using a modified M2 heavy machine gun. But in the War on Terror, four snipers proceeded to shatter the record set by "White Feather" Hathcock.

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