Military - VibeWire Magazine

5 Reasons NATO Air Forces Are Retiring Fighter Jets Long Before Airframes Wear Out

Fighter jets can be retired early for everything from being surplus with a peace dividend, to being a burden during times of rearmament.

Russia’s place as one of the ‘big three’ strategic bomber nations is looking increasingly shaky out to 2030 as its Soviet inheritance disappears.

Congress simply was not willing to send the F-22’s secrets abroad.

Military pilots have financial trade-offs when transitioning to the commercial sector, although loss of seniority can be bigger for seasoned pilots.

Ranking the NATO air forces by highest pilot salaries is difficult, although it clusters around North America and Western Europe.

Despite Congress increasing the ceiling in 2023, the Pentagon continues to pay AvIP rates at 2017 levels seemingly preferring more targeted bonusses.

One of the overlooked and innovative engineering aspects of the B-36 Peacemaker was its use of four turbojets to supplement its six piston engines.

The B-1B is better not thought of as a supersonic bomber, but as a subsonic bomber capable of limited supersonic dashes on under specific conditions.

The B-21 is coming with a comprehensive range of stealthy upgrades, and its control surfaces may be another part of those improvements.

The B-21 is coming with a comprehensive range of stealthy upgrades, and its control surfaces may be another part of those improvements.