Operation Midnight Hammer | Part 1: Before Iran, There Was Yemen

Operation Midnight Hammer through the eyes of the F-16 Wild Weasel pilots who flew it. This is the firsthand account of the 55th Fighter Squadron and the 20th Fighter Wing. These are the pilots who fly Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses, known as SEAD, the crews who went in first to suppress Iranian air defenses, and the ground support teams who made the mission possible. Part One covers Operation Rough Rider, the air campaign over Yemen in the spring of 2025 that put these pilots into combat months before Iran. What they learned there is the reason they were ready for what came next. Recorded between December 2025 and January 2026, this series preserves the experiences of the people who were there, in their own words. This is Part 1 of a 3-part series. Commonly used Acronyms: https://www.lowdownnews.us/p/operatio... The full one-on-one interview episodes are coming soon to ‪@afterburnpodcast‬ Afterburn Links: Newsletter: https://bit.ly/LowdownNews Website: https://bit.ly/Afterburn_Website Merch: https://bit.ly/AfterburnMerch Patreon:   / theafterburnpodcast   Podcast: Afterburn Podcast:    / @afterburnpodcastshow   Apple: https://apple.co/4d3EKFM Spotify: https://bit.ly/TAP_on_Spotify Social Media: Rain ‘s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rainwaters2... Flash’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikeflashmc... Afterburn Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afterburnpo... Facebook:   / afterburnpodcast   X: https://x.com/AfterburnPod Sponsors: Become a Pilot: https://bit.ly/Bogi_Dope AFOQT Wingman: https://bit.ly/AirForce_TestPrep (“AFTERBURN” for Discount) Recommendations: Books/DCS Gear: https://amzn.to/4nlA67m