The F-16XL Fighter Has a Message for the U.S. Air Force and Iran

The F-16XL Fighter Has a Message for the U.S. Air Force and Iran

Jack Buckby, a New York-based defense researcher and national security analyst, evaluates the "what-if" legacy of the General Dynamics F-16XL. As the U.S. air campaign against Iranian military infrastructure intensifies, the operational requirements for long-range, high-payload strike missions have brought the 1980s Dual-Role Fighter competition back into focus. The F-16XL might have been a perfect fit for the challenges of 2026 in the air. The …

Is The Air Campaign Against Iran an Illegal Use of Force?

Published: March 12, 2026 Whenever the United States resorts to military force, the same question echoes through Washington and beyond: Did President Trump act within the law? Recent controversies surrounding the War Powers Resolution—especially the requirement to notify Congress—have only intensified that debate. This article steps aside from that familiar battleground. Instead, it asks a more fundamental constitutional question: would an air c…