19FortyFive

02/21/2025

Don't share this with Donald Trump, OK?

Article Summary: The British Army’s armored and artillery forces are in crisis, with only 20–25 operational Challenger 2 tanks and a dwindling number of AS90 howitzers. Key Point #1 – Years of budget cuts, supply chain failures, and contractor bankruptcies have hollowed out the force. Donation...

02/16/2025

Maybe the U.S. Navy made a big mistake?

During the Second World War, the U.S. Navy operated four of the most powerful warships ever built, the Iowa-class battleships. Despite their commanding size, an even more powerful fleet of battleships was planned: the awe-inspiring Montana-class. Montana and her four sisters would have been the larg...

02/12/2025

Let the debate begin...

Article Summary: Which tanks stand above the rest in history? From the revolutionary Renault FT of WWI to the battle-proven M1 Abrams and Merkava Mk.4, these five have left a lasting impact on warfare. Key Point #1 – The Centurion set the standard for post-WWII armored warfare, while the Tiger I.....

02/10/2025

Well, that went badly.

Article Summary: The arrival of M1 Abrams tanks in Ukraine was met with high expectations, but after a year in combat, the results have been mixed. The U.S. provided 31 M1A2 Abrams tanks, but battlefield conditions, Russian drones, and anti-tank weapons have taken their toll—reportedly knocking ou...

02/10/2025

Russia has a new problem.

On 6 February, Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed the General Director of Roscosmos, the Russian Space Agency, Yuri Borisov. He will be replaced by 39-year-old Dmitry Bakanov, who had been the Russian deputy transport minister and was the head of the state-backed Gonets satellite communicati...

02/09/2025

A sad reality.

Some advocates of a U.S. foreign policy based on realism and restraint hoped that Donald Trump’s election as president would signal the end of the U.S./NATO proxy war in Ukraine. His bombastic assertion during the 2024 presidential campaign that he could bring the fighting between Moscow and Kyiv ...

02/08/2025

Welcome to WWIII?

Later this year, Ukraine could be invaded by the neighboring former Soviet Republic Belarus. The announcement came after a February 5 meeting between President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who was making his second official visit to the capital, Kyiv. If it comes to pass...

02/08/2025

Well, that's, um, interesting.

Key Points and Summary: In 2023, the Brazilian Navy controversially sank its flagship aircraft carrier, the São Paulo, detonating explosives near the hull to dispose of the aging vessel. -Originally commissioned as the French Foch in 1963, the carrier suffered years of maintenance failures before b...

02/08/2025

Mistake?

Key Points and Summary: The U.S. Navy’s electromagnetic railgun project was meant to change warfare, offering Mach 7 projectiles at 100-mile ranges without explosives. However, after 15 years and $500 million, the program was canceled in 2021. -The weapon faced major challenges, including excessiv...

02/07/2025

Check out the F-35, what some say is the best fighter on Earth? Or some say the worst?

02/07/2025

Do you think we should spend $300,000,000 on this stealth fighter?

02/07/2025

The best tank on Earth might not be made in USA.

Key Points and Summary: The Merkava tank, Israel’s premier armored vehicle, has proven its effectiveness in combat with its unique front-engine design, heavy armor, and Trophy Active Protection System (APS). Designed for crew survivability and versatility, it remains a formidable force in open bat...

02/07/2025

This plane could have been in the U.S. Air Force right now. And yet, we passed on it.

Key Points and Summary: The YF-23 Advanced Tactical Fighter was faster and stealthier than the YF-22, yet it lost the competition to become America’s next stealth fighter. -While the YF-22—now the F-22 Raptor—impressed with its agility and maneuverability, some argue that the YF-23’s superio...

02/06/2025

Well, this will cost a lot of money. Don't tell Elon Musk.

Sometime in the late 2020s, the first new American bomber in four decades will join the US Air Force. The B-21 Raider will almost certainly enter service in a period in which the United States faces not one but two peer or near-peer nuclear-armed states. Ultimately, the Air Force might build as many...

02/06/2025

Was this the day the aircraft carrier became obsolete?

Key Points: The Swedish Gotland-class submarines exemplify Sweden’s military innovation and efficiency, showcasing capabilities that far surpass their size and cost expectations. -These diesel-electric submarines feature air-independent propulsion (AIP), granting endurance comparable to nuclear-po...

02/06/2025

Don't share this article with NATO? Can we count on you?

Wrong Weapon?: The Ukrainian Army is facing challenges with the M1 Abrams tank in the Donbas region, citing maintenance difficulties, susceptibility to drones, and issues with gun effectiveness against buildings. -Retired U.S. Lt. General Mark Hertling attributes these problems to operator error and...

02/06/2025

Forget tariffs: Canada's military is rotting away.

The world has changed, but Canada’s defense posture remains stuck in the past. Donald Trump’s return to the White House has shattered any illusions that NATO allies can continue free-riding on American security guarantees. Canada, long accustomed to deferring tough military decisions, now faces ...

02/05/2025

If you served in Vietnam, you don't want to read this.

Key Points and Summary: The M16’s early use in Vietnam was a disaster. Troops faced frequent jams, lack of cleaning supplies, and faulty ammunition—failures that cost lives. -Initial users, like Special Forces and Airborne units, praised the rifle, but when conventional troops received it withou...