I’ve followed the Max Afterburner channel for some time. And I’ve posted his analysis before. (By the way, “Max” is not Max as in the Mad Max, but Max as in short for “Maximum”. The “Afterburner” being the fighter jet’s booster).
Max Afterburner is Ryan Bodenheimer*, who sets out (0:55) his extensive experience in the U.S. Air Force, and in war, war planning and instruction. It’s extensive.
This is a man clearly proud of his country and its military, but also has a clear-headed view of the difficulties of war. In particular the difficulties of completely suppressing Iran’s IRGC. Which he sees as defaulting to terrorist mode, given its military is essentially destroyed.
The threat from Iran is and was real and explicit. You don’t have to wait, like a tethered goat, for the lion to eat you. You don’t have to wait for the first mushroom cloud to blossom. You don’t have to wait until Iran has so many missiles, so much fortification, so much drone and missile manufacturing capacity, to act. Act is what the U.S. and Israel did. They are supported by 12 Muslim nations! It’s the Europeans (and Australia) who are complicit in appeasement.
I guess this is the first time that Ryan has been on a British YouTube channel, above on Spiked, with Fraser Myers.
Timestamps:
Introduction – US War in Iran & Latest Developments
00:55 Guest Introduction – Ryan Bodenheimer, Fighter Pilot & YouTuber
03:28 Has America Won? Assessing Trump's Victory Claim
06:36 Was It Ever a Fair Fight? Iran's Military vs. the US
07:54 Kharg Island Explained – Iran's Oil Lifeline & Strategic Significance
10:45 Taking Kharg Island – Risks, Options & Special Operations
12:24 How Iran Might Retaliate – Terrorism, IEDs & Proxy Tactics
14:30 State of Iran's Proxies – Houthis, Hezbollah & Militias
16:07 US-Israel Coordination – How the Air Campaign Works
18:19 Trump vs. NATO – Is Europe Doing Enough?
21:49 European Sentiment Explained – Energy Bills, Terror Plots & Bafflement
23:12 Energy & the War – Costs for the US and Europe
25:15 China's Role – Air Defences, Rare Earth Minerals & Strategic Interests
27:44 China, Taiwan & the Bigger Picture – Why Taiwan Could Benefit
30:25 The First AI War – Drones, Surveillance & Undersea Technology
33:22 Why the B-52? Economy of Force in Modern Warfare
36:27 What People Misunderstand Most About This War
39:29 Closing Remarks
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*Ryan Bodenheimer is a former U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle fighter pilot with 12 years of service, including two operational assignments and 70 combat missions in Afghanistan providing close air support to Tier 1 special operations forces. He was selected for the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds demonstration team, where he flew for two years and performed in 150 air shows before serving as an instructor.
In his squadron's plans department (PLANS), he prepared for potential conflicts involving the Taiwan Straits, Iran, and North Korea. After Afghanistan, he was chief of the PLANS department, teaching on operations against Iran, including degrading its ballistic missiles, drones, and nuclear capabilities.
After leaving the Air Force he was a commercial airline pilot for five years and later started his YouTube channel, Max Afterburner.
