A US F-35 was forced into an emergency landing at a US airbase in the Middle East after being struck by suspected Iranian fire during a combat mission over Iran. CENTCOM confirmed the emergency landing and that the pilot is in stable condition — but has not confirmed what hit it or whether it was enemy fire.

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Iran struck Dubai International Airport for the fourth time — the busiest international airport in the world. Flights suspended. Every major international carrier pulled out. War risk premiums are up somewhere between 300 and 1,000 percent depending on the source. Emirates was still running a limited schedule, and I want to talk about what that means for a flight crew managing fuel state and divert options in an active threat environment.

We also cover why the reduced Iranian drone and missile launch numbers may not mean what officials are saying they mean — War on the Rocks published an interesting piece on this worth walking through. Pre-war estimates put Iran's drone inventory somewhere between several thousand and over 10,000. The math on that matters.

And then the ally situation. Germany, France, Italy, Greece, Spain, Australia, Poland — all out on securing the Strait of Hormuz. Japan and South Korea reviewing but uncommitted. The UK won't send warships and won't call it a NATO mission. President Trump responded this morning with a direct statement about letting the countries that use the Strait be responsible for it.

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Day 13 of Operation Epic Fury. General Caine and Secretary Hegseth briefed this morning and several details aren't getting enough coverage. CENTCOM confirmed all six crew members of the KC-135 mishap have been killed. Watch on Youtube: https://youtu.be/6dMaKZ_8CuE

From the briefing: ATACMS — Army Tactical Missile Systems fired from HIMARS — have been used to sink multiple Iranian ships, including a submarine in port. That's a ground-launched ballistic missile being used as an anti-ship weapon and it's a significant shift in how this war is being fought. Today is also the heaviest strike day of the entire campaign by Caine's own account, with over 6,000 targets struck and 99% of today's munitions being delivered overhead — not standoff. That's a permissive environment.

We also cover the Strait of Hormuz situation — at least six civilian seafarers killed, tanker traffic down more than 90%, and Caine's direct quote: "The only thing preventing commercial traffic through the Straits right now is Iran. They are the belligerents here." Sources and links in the comments.

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In Bro Chat #21, Mike "FLASH" McVeigh, John "RAIN" Waters, Jeff "VADER" Brandon, Jeff "BENDER" Page, and Kevin "KONAN" Parkhurst debate the greatest fighter pilots in American history — and can't fully agree on a single mountain.

Robin Olds is a given. Everything else is up for grabs.

From Royce Williams' classified Korean War sortie to Richard Bong's 40 kills in a P-38, from John Boyd's OODA loop to Eddie Rickenbacker setting the standard in WWI — we make the case, defend the picks, and violently disagree in the comments section. Who did we miss? Drop your Mount Rushmore below

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Welcome to a heavy, packed episode of the Afterburn Podcast. Today, we are covering breaking news out of the Middle East, rapid tactical escalations, and a highly concerning mystery stateside.

We open today's show by addressing the tragic breaking news regarding the U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker mishap in western Iraq. We discuss the known details of the mid-air collision during high-tempo Operation Epic Fury refueling operations, the inherent and often-overlooked dangers of nighttime tanking under combat conditions, and we honor the American crew members who lost their lives.

Next, we transition into our Day 13 update for Operation Epic Fury. The U.S. has unleashed the colossal 30,000-pound GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP). We analyze the strategic strike on the Parchin military complex outside of Tehran, a facility long suspected of nuclear weapon development. Despite the regime's efforts to harden the site, the deployment of the "Mountain Buster" proves there is nowhere to hide.

Finally, we close out the episode with the bizarre and unsettling news regarding retired Major General William Neil McCasland. We discuss the details surrounding his sudden disappearance from his New Mexico home, the active Silver Alert issued by the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office, and the wild speculation—ranging from his past command at the Phillips Research Site at Kirtland AFB to the resurfacing of old UAP and Roswell lore—that has taken over the internet in his absence.

00:00 Intro

01:56 KC-135

06:01 Day 13 Update

14:57 General MaCasland

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As many of you probably have noticed, we've been doing a lot more with news and defense analysis over on YouTube. Short 8-15 minute videos on things that are happening. It seems to be received well and has gained some traction. Don't worry, the "standard" podcast is still happening. I think it pairs well. But maybe its not for you...and that's ok.

https://www.youtube.com/@AfterburnPodcast

With this pivot, there's been a learning curve, and so it hasn't necessarily migrated across all the platforms. Some things just aren't quite easy to do, especially when I weave in traveling with hotel wifi. For example, you'll see I just shared the video.

That said, many have reached out asking to have this released in an audio format, so here it is, and we'll see how it goes. Let me know your thoughts.

00:00 Intro

01:19 F-15E shot down over Iran Debunked

15:55 Strike Eagle Shoot down Ground Video

24:00 UAE F-16 Shoots down drone over Dubai

36:50 Missing F-22 from the Middle East

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Mike "Dozer" Shower is a proven combat fighter pilot, having flown both the F-15C and F-22. He is an F-15C MiG killer from Operation Allied Force and one of the original eight pilots handpicked for the F-22 Raptor's initial operational test (IOT&E) at Edwards Air Force Base. In this deep-dive interview, Dozer provides a firsthand account of the transition from 4th-generation fighters to 5th-generation air dominance. We break down the YF-22 and the development of "offensive stealth," and the haunting story of the Raptor's original "Skynet" debrief system.

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