Author | Lightnews

Amelia Smith @ameliairheart.bsky.social · Sep 10

1x Polish AEW&C aircraft over Poland currently monitoring the eastern border.
Additionally, 1x NATO refueling aircraft was over Polish airspace supporting fighter jets, including at least one F-35, in the task of neutralizing Russian drones that have crossed the Polish border.

Text in the upper left corner says "Polish AEW&C monitoring drone-type objects; 2025-09-10
Polish SAAB 340 AEW&C monitoring the Poland-Ukraine-Belarus borders
NATO Airbus 330 refueling aircraft supporting fighters in the area
Approximate radar range of Polish AEW&C
Podlaskie, Mazowieckie, and Lublin Voivodeships"

The map shows Poland, with a blue line tracking over the southern part of the country illustration a NATO refueling aircraft and an orange line across the eastern portion of the country illustrating a Polish surveillance aircraft. Additionally, a large orange circle covering eastern Poland and western Ukraine & Belarus shows the surveillance coverage of the aircraft.

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Amelia Smith @ameliairheart.bsky.social · Aug 17

The flyover was DEATH11, TIGER was parked on the ground.

Amelia Smith @ameliairheart.bsky.social · Aug 16

At around 4 AM PDT this morning, USAF B-2A Spirit TIGER11 communicated with Seattle Center ATC while traversing Washington airspace on its way back from Joint Base Elmendorf, AK to Whiteman AFB, MO. TIGER11 is one of two B-2As that flew up to Alaska two days ago.

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Amelia Smith @ameliairheart.bsky.social · Aug 15

DEATH11 + DEATH12, possible B-2A Spirit bombers heading northwest over Washington at 8 AM local time. A2A comms on 341.750, talking with Seattle Center sectors 32 and 03. DEATH11 heading to YZT, DEATH12 heading to Spokane.
DEATH11 might be heading to Alaska to join TIGER11 + 12.

A zoomed out view of a terrain map of Washington State. Imposed on top of the map is a pink line tracing from central Washington to Port Hardy in British Columbia, Canada.

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Amelia Smith @ameliairheart.bsky.social · Aug 2

Nice!! I just saw another 77th FS F-16 today.

USAF F-16C with partial afterburner against a background of buildings and trees.

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Amelia Smith @ameliairheart.bsky.social · Jul 20

A very kind gift from my dear friend @vcdgf555.bsky.social. A section of the exterior skin of a spare vertical stabilizer from SR-71A 61-7971; this aircraft flew in service w/ USAF from 1967 to early 1990, then w/ NASA from March 1990 to January 1995, then returning to USAF until retirement in 1997.

A black card with writing across the top that says "PLANE TAGS" and "Limited Edition Genuine Skin". Attached to the card is an oval of composite material, writing on the surface says "Lockheed Martin SR-71 Blackbird / SN: 61-7971 / # 0240 of 3,850"

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Reposted by Amelia Smith

Geoff Brumfiel @gbrumfiel.bsky.social · Jun 26

OK, if you're one of the two DTRA officer who spent the past 15 years of your career planning for the strike on Iran's Fordo nuclear site you must be SO MAD AT ME FOR THIS ARTICLE!

You know what you should do....

www.npr.org/2025/06/25/n...

Why America's giant bunker-busting bombs may have failed to reach their target

Reaching Iran's most fortified nuclear enrichment site is a challenge, even for the world's biggest conventional weapons.

www.npr.org

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Amelia Smith @ameliairheart.bsky.social · Jun 25

The last time I saw this seems like January 2022, but it's been about that long since I actively kept up with this stuff.
x.com/ameliairhear...

Amelia Smith on X: "Today, at least nine NATO and Swedish aircraft flew ISR sorties over Europe: USN P-8As (PS31x, PL31x), EP-3E (LQ36); USAF E-8C (REDEYE6); US Army ARTEMIS (BRIO68); RAF P-8As (STGRY01, STGRY02); Swedish S100D (SVF604), S102B (SVF623). 1/x https://t.co/uF8ERNA4a8" / X

Today, at least nine NATO and Swedish aircraft flew ISR sorties over Europe: USN P-8As (PS31x, PL31x), EP-3E (LQ36); USAF E-8C (REDEYE6); US Army ARTEMIS (BRIO68); RAF P-8As (STGRY01, STGRY02); Swedish S100D (SVF604), S102B (SVF623). 1/x https://t.co/uF8ERNA4a8

x.com

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Amelia Smith @ameliairheart.bsky.social · Jun 9

It's worth mentioning most of their airframes nowadays have been upgraded since this publication.

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Amelia Smith @ameliairheart.bsky.social · Jun 9

I don't know how current this slide is (the slideshow is dated 2012), but this has been one of my main references for a while.

Slide illustrating a US Customs and Border Protection MQ-9A Reaper.

Air and Marine Predator B

AIR AND MARINE

Ku Satellite

C-Band Line of Sight

UHF/VHF Antenna

Beder Pute

EO/IR

2 Wulfsberg Antenna

110

Turbine Engine

PROVEN FLIGHT SYSTEMS

Predator family of aircraft flown by USAF more than 18 years and 2,000,000 hours

More than 10,000 hours in border Security/Homeland Security role

PREDATOR

Wing Span: 66 ft

* Length: 36 ft

Max Takeoff Weight: 10,500 lb

PAYLOADS:

Multi-Spectral Targeting System (MTS-B) EO/IR

Lynx Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR)

PERFORMANCE

Range: Up to 3200 nm

Law enforcement and civilian communications (UHF/VHF)

Max Demonstrated Endurance: 21 hrs

Ku-band / Iridium satellite communications links

Air Speed Max / Transit / Loiter: 240+/180/110 kts

MTS-B EO/IR IMAGE

LYNX SAR IMAGE

ELAND SIGUR

US. Customs and Border Protection

10

OPERATIONAL AIRCRAFT

СВР 104, СВР 108, СВР 110, СВР 119, СВР 125

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Amelia Smith @ameliairheart.bsky.social · May 26

In the air over the Gulf of Oman is ZP527, a S-100 Camcopter operated by the Royal Navy under the designation Peregrine. These have been flying here since at least August of last year. Stationed aboard the HMS Lancaster are two Peregrines: ZP527 and ZP526. #ADSB #002E61 #002E60

A screenshot showing a drone flying off the coast of Oman. An orange line traces a jagged path against a blue background, with coastline at the top of the image.

Lancaster's sailors Royal Marines Wildcat and Peregrine drones with the drugs haul on the flight deck. The picture shows a large group of people in the center standing in front of a helicopter and flanked by two drones on either side, with flags and the text "HMS Lancaster" in the lower middle of the image.

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Reposted by Amelia Smith

Taco Bell Quarterly @tacobellquarterly.org · May 9

So what? The literary world is always in the first detonation blast zone. Run towards the searing light. You don't want to live in the world without the arts. Become a writer.

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Reposted by Amelia Smith

johnasavoia @konatachan.bsky.social · May 4

590nm infrared on a cloudy day, shot with my lovely ltm voigtlander color skopar 35/2.5

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Reposted by Amelia Smith

WarshipCam @warshipcam.bsky.social · Apr 18

USS Nimitz (CVN 68) Nimitz-class aircraft carrier coming into Guam - April 18, 2025 #ussnimitz #cvn68

SRC: INT- dvidshub.net

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Reposted by Amelia Smith

Evergreen Intel @vcdgf555.bsky.social · Apr 14

The orientation of the Carl Vinson carrier strike group is in a defensive ring of 25 kilometers with air defense positioned toward the greater threat likelihood: two facing out to the WNW toward Houthi-controlled Yemen, and one covering the rear.

Carl Vinson carrier strike group with defensive ring of escort ships at a distance of 25 km from the carrier (center).

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Amelia Smith @ameliairheart.bsky.social · Mar 16

USAF WC-135R 64-14829 as COBRA29 flying over Washington on March 13. After years of following along with the Constant Phoenix program, it was nice to finally see one in person! #ADSB #AE037F

A white 4-engine aircraft against a dark blue-gray background. The aircraft has USAF written on the wing and a black nose.

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Amelia Smith @ameliairheart.bsky.social · Mar 16

Some more shots of SSN-23 from yesterday. Really cool to see the way the water moves across the bow.

Just barely sitting out of the water is a large, black submarine. On the right side of the frame is part of the Hood Canal bridge, in the background are green trees and houses.

Just barely sitting out of the water is a large, black submarine. In the background are green trees and houses.

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Amelia Smith @ameliairheart.bsky.social · Mar 15

SSN-23, USS Jimmy Carter returning home to Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor after 4 days at sea. cc @warshipcam.bsky.social

SSN-23 USS Jimmy Carter, a nuclear submarine sitting just barely out of the water, transits near Port Townsend, WA.

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Amelia Smith @ameliairheart.bsky.social · Mar 8

What a nice collection there!

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Amelia Smith @ameliairheart.bsky.social · Mar 1

H/t @srplanespotter.bsky.social for bringing my attention to this!

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Amelia Smith @ameliairheart.bsky.social · Mar 1

Photos of the missile fragments posted to Twitter by @qalaatalmudiq.bsky.social clearly shows the model number of R-9X.

A mangled fragment of an AGM-114R-9X Hellfire missile with debris strewn around it. Text printed on the side of the fragment reads:
N: 13707784
M-114R-9x
409917
GP19G836M094

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Amelia Smith @ameliairheart.bsky.social · Mar 1

US CENTCOM tweeted ~1hr ago a video dated Feb 23 showing an airstrike from the perspective of an MQ-9A Reaper over Idlib, Syria. The lack of explosion and resulting damage would suggest that this is (to my knowledge) the first footage of an R9X Hellfire in use.

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Amelia Smith @ameliairheart.bsky.social · Feb 22

That Global Hawk is just doing it's regular training but that Reaper is one of CBP's Guardians stationed at Grand Forks AFB. Nice find!

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Reposted by Amelia Smith

WBUR @wbur.org · Jan 27

Ten years ago today, we woke up to what some were calling “the Blizzard of 2015.” Here’s a look back at some of the most remarkable statistics from the "Snowmageddon" winter.

The wildest stats and numbers from Boston's 'Snowmageddon' winter of 2015

Boston got over 110 inches of snow during the historic 2015 winter — and that wasn't the only wild number. Here’s a look back at some of the most remarkable "Snowmaggedon" statistics.

www.wbur.org

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Amelia Smith @ameliairheart.bsky.social · Jan 26

Went to a beach across from the Everett Naval Station to look at ships today, saw a cormorant having a snack instead.

A light blue background of water with a cormorant in the center holding a flounder in its mouth.

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