Slater

About five years ago Bahrain submitted a request to upgrade their F-16 Block 40's to Block 70 configuration. Not sure if this was ever approved or is still active. And are Block 40 and Block 70 aircraft structurally similar? https://www.dsca.mil/sites/default/files/mas/bahrain_16-59.pdf

Are conformal tanks compatible with this thick-spine configuration?

Sounds like a familiar case of an airport that was once fairly isolated, but then civilization started to crowd around it.

I watched the video. The P-63 appeared to impact in the bomber's midsection, breaking the aircraft in half. Looked like a straight-in approach, with no attempt at maneuvering. Not sure what the pilot's plan was.

Hardly a new concept, but this seems to work as advertised. Wonder if this is restricted to MC-130's or if any plain vanilla C-130 can be used? https://www.airforcetimes.com/air/2022/11/10/watch-this-us-air-force-cargo-plane-launch-a-cruise-missile-in-norway/

The following document is full of dry statistics, but it may be worth a look: https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADC016682.pdf

I don't have any specific book in mind, although any concise history of the F-105 should cover this to some extent. Maybe one of our members could suggest a suitable book?

USAF lost around half the F-105 inventory in Vietnam, so it was definitely used quite heavily.

How different externally is the new "EX" from the older "E"?

What is "M6.5.2 Romanian configuration"? Possibly an avionics upgrade? https://www.regjeringen.no/en/aktuelt/norge-har-inngatt-kontrakt-om-salg-av-f-16-jagerfly-til-romania/id2945901/

Wonder if the USAF will retain the "Wedgetail" name when/if the E-7 enters US service?

The official request: https://www.dsca.mil/sites/default/files/mas/Press Release - Australia 22-62 CN.pdf

As has been mentioned previously, Blackhawk is hardly the cutting edge of rotorcraft technology today. But, much like the C-130, it's been around so long that it's a well understood system whose bugs have been sorted years (if not decades) ago.

The article mentions a new "sea operational helicopter". Is this for the ASW mission?

For a stopgap, it seems to be performing reasonably well