The Afterburn Podcast

Rob "Z-Man" Zettel is a retired U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel, commercial airline captain, and author of American MiG Pilot who served as a top-secret Red Eagles instructor pilot flying Soviet MiG-21 and MiG-23 fighter jets during the Cold War program Constant Peg.

 

American MiG Pilot: Inside the Top Secret USAF “Red Eagles” MiG Squadron: https://amzn.to/4fLi2DA

Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) Prep with AFOQT Wingman https://afoqtwingman.com/Code: AFTERBURN for 10% off
🛫 Become a Fighter/Bomber/Cargo/Tanker/RPA Pilot 🎯 : http://bogidope.com/?bd=tappodcast 🛫
🔺 Aviation & Defense Newsletter - https://bit.ly/AfterburnNewsletter 🔺
Become a Patron, Support the Show, & Gain Exclusive Benefits: https://www.patreon.com/c/theafterburnpodcast
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On May 20th, 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice unsealed a federal indictment charging former Cuban head of state Raul Castro with the murder of American civilians. That same day, the USS Nimitz carrier strike group entered the Caribbean. We break down the 1996 Brothers to the Rescue shootdown, the GAESA military conglomerate controlling Cuba's economy, and what the Venezuela playbook tells us about where this is headed.

Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) Prep with AFOQT Wingman https://afoqtwingman.com/Code: AFTERBURN for 10% off
🛫 Become a Fighter/Bomber/Cargo/Tanker/RPA Pilot 🎯 : http://bogidope.com/?bd=tappodcast 🛫
🔺 Aviation & Defense Newsletter - https://bit.ly/AfterburnNewsletter 🔺
Become a Patron, Support the Show, & Gain Exclusive Benefits: https://www.patreon.com/c/theafterburnpodcast
🥷 Scrub Your Info from Data Brokers & Protect Yourself | https://aura.com/afterburn 14-day free trial


Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Watch online: https://youtu.be/uvAyxlmpBdk

We spent two days in Waco, Texas, inside the L3Harris facility where the Sky Raider II International™ is built. From the beginning, where an 802 Air Tractor enters the production line until it rolls out as Air Force Special Operations Command's newest airplane, the OA-1K Sky Raider II. We dive into what it takes to turn a crop duster into a precision-strike and ISR platform capable of operating from austere environments with only a two-man crew and 6,000 pounds of ordnance. Exclusive access to the production line, the weapons systems, and the people who build and fly it.

Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) Prep with AFOQT Wingman https://afoqtwingman.com/Code: AFTERBURN for 10% off
🛫 Become a Fighter/Bomber/Cargo/Tanker/RPA Pilot 🎯 : http://bogidope.com/?bd=tappodcast 🛫
🔺 Aviation & Defense Newsletter - https://bit.ly/AfterburnNewsletter 🔺
Become a Patron, Support the Show, & Gain Exclusive Benefits: https://www.patreon.com/c/theafterburnpodcast
🥷 Scrub Your Info from Data Brokers & Protect Yourself | https://aura.com/afterburn 14-day free trial


Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Video: https://youtu.be/L0D9c5nYO5E

China's Chengdu Aircraft Corporation has more than doubled J-20 production efficiency using autonomous vehicles and AI-driven dark factories. With roughly 300 J-20s in service today and output estimated at 100-120 airframes annually, the PLAAF could field over 1,000 fifth-generation fighters by 2030. Today we discuss what that production capacity means, how it compares to F-35 output, and whether quantity changes the calculus regardless of quality.

Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) Prep with AFOQT Wingman https://afoqtwingman.com/Code: AFTERBURN for 10% off
🛫 Become a Fighter/Bomber/Cargo/Tanker/RPA Pilot 🎯 : http://bogidope.com/?bd=tappodcast 🛫
🔺 Aviation & Defense Newsletter - https://bit.ly/AfterburnNewsletter 🔺
Become a Patron, Support the Show, & Gain Exclusive Benefits: https://www.patreon.com/c/theafterburnpodcast
🥷 Scrub Your Info from Data Brokers & Protect Yourself | https://aura.com/afterburn 14-day free trial


Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Watch this episode on YT: https://youtu.be/8X_ll2FrRIA

Beijing confirmed Chinese engineers were at Pakistani air bases supporting J-10CE operations during Operation Sindoor in May 2025. Today we discuss PL-15 & the J-10CE's combat performance data, what China just proved about its export hardware, and what the J-35 deal with Pakistan means now.

Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) Prep with AFOQT Wingman https://afoqtwingman.com/Code: AFTERBURN for 10% off
🛫 Become a Fighter/Bomber/Cargo/Tanker/RPA Pilot 🎯 : http://bogidope.com/?bd=tappodcast 🛫
🔺 Aviation & Defense Newsletter - https://bit.ly/AfterburnNewsletter 🔺
Become a Patron, Support the Show, & Gain Exclusive Benefits: https://www.patreon.com/c/theafterburnpodcast
🥷 Scrub Your Info from Data Brokers & Protect Yourself | https://aura.com/afterburn 14-day free trial


Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.