NEWSLETTERS

Operation Midnight Hammer through the eyes of the F-16 Wild Weasel pilots who flew it. This is the firsthand account of the 55th Fighter Squadron and the 20th Fighter Wing. These are the pilots who fly Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses, known as SEAD, the crews who...

In December 2025 and January 2026, we spent several days at Shaw Air Force Base interviewing the men and women of the 20th Fighter Wing & 55th Fighter Squadron, who executed Operation Midnight Hammer. From the F-16 pilots who flew into Iran to the intelligence...

Edited by Sidney McAlearIn Partnership with Proton PassWelcome inThe Lowdown is your intel brief on aviation, defense, and geopolitics. No noise. No spin. Just the stuff that matters. Subscribe and stick around…or don't…the choice is yours. Check us out on Youtube:...

Edited by Sidney McAlearIn Partnership with Proton PassWelcome inThe Lowdown is your intel brief on aviation, defense, and geopolitics. No noise. No spin. Just the stuff that matters. Subscribe and stick around…or don't…the choice is yours. Check us out on Youtube:...

Edited by Sidney McAlearWelcome inThe Lowdown is your intel brief on aviation, defense, and geopolitics. No noise. No spin. Just the stuff that matters. Subscribe and stick around…or don't…the choice is yours. Check us out on Youtube: Afterburn Defense & Afterburn...

Edited by Sidney McAlearWelcome inNew here? I’m John “Rain” Waters — The Lowdown is your intel brief on aviation, defense, and geopolitics. No noise. No spin. Just the stuff that matters. Subscribe and stick around…or don’t…the choice is yours. Before anything else:On...