All Activity

Rightfully, over the last week there’s been a fair bit of chatter about TLAM going to Ukraine. The United States is considering Ukraine’s request to obtain long-range Tomahawk missiles for its effort to push back against Russian invaders, Vice President JD Vance said on Sunday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has asked the United States to sell Tomahawks to European nations that would send them to Ukraine. Vance said on “Fox News Sunday” that U.S. President Donald Trump would make the “final determination” on whether to allow the deal. ISW, where the above graphic came from, had a solid thread over at X on the implications, but it could use a little bit of a wet blanket. ISW assesses that there are at least 1,945 Russian military objects within range of the 2,500-kilometer variant Tomahawk and at least 1,655 within range of the 1,600-kilometer variant. Ukraine likely can significantly degrade Russia’s frontline battlefield performance by targeting a vulnerable subset of rear support areas that sustain and support Russia’s frontline operations. As an old TLAM fella, I can’t let this stand. Let me give everyone an opportunity to take a deep breath and relax. First of all, Europe has not seen a Western Ground Launched Cruise Missile (GLCM) since the Cold War nuclear-armed Gryphon. That disappeared decades ago. We never had a conventional GLCM then or until very recently. TLAM of any tactical utility is a sea-based weapon, for now. We are only now getting in the GLCM game with the U.S. Army’s Typhon system we covered a bit over a year ago. In summary, you get four MK-41 VLS cells like you have on Navy ships in a shipping container. A battery has four of them, but 16 missiles total. We are building them as fast as we can for our Army, but Germany wants some, so does the Philippines, and maybe the USMC as well. The only way Ukraine could even hope to get a single battery would be if the next one set for the U.S. was diverted to them. Whenever that will be. My great TLAM day was over a quarter century ago when we disgorged well over 300 TLAM during Desert Fox. Trust me on this: 16 TLAM will not make a tactical impact in the Russo-Ukrainian War…however… What sending TLAM to Ukraine will do is strategic. Yes, Ukraine will be able to strike a few significant targets deeper. Expanding attacks on oil/gas industry for example. It will cause Russia to defend more strategically important targets. That isn’t nothing. The substantial impact will be in underlining the course of action towards Russia we’ve talked about all year. If every effort the Trump administration can make will not bring Russia to the table in good faith, then the only option is to further back Ukraine in her fight. There are few other weapons still not provided to Ukraine. TLAM would be the next step…but as a messaging effort more than anything else. It has to be. We don’t produce enough TLAM for our own needs. We can only send a token number to Ukraine. One does not simply become a TLAM operator. There is A LOT of support and infrastructure that comes with being able to operate TLAM. From mission building teams, to software, hardware, and not to mention the crews to plan and execute the mission. At a standstill, leveraging Ukrainian forces trained in other missile systems such as Neptune, you might be able to have a team ready in, what, six months? We do not have warehouses full of Typhon to give away, as mentioned above. Tactically, Russia’s deep targets are safe from TLAM. In a year, maybe some will be in danger. A year is a long time at war…but here’s a funny thing. What if smart people in hard jobs have already started the process of getting Ukraine ready to receive TLAM via Typhon months ago, just waiting for CINC to give the green light? In that case, what if they rolled off the ramps of C-17s in Ukraine on Halloween? Interesting times, friends. Interesting times. Leave a comment Share This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. View the full article

The United States Space Force has released a Request for Prototype Proposal (RPP) for its Space-Based Interceptor (SBI) program. The solicitation was issued by Space Systems Command’s Space Combat Power Program Executive Office and seeks multiple industry partners to design and deliver prototype interceptor systems. According to the Department of War, the awards will be […] The post U.S. Space Force launches competition for space-based interceptor first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

China’s hypersonic ambitions are taking shape in new ways as Lingkong Tianxing Aerospace marked its seventh anniversary with a promotional video highlighting several of its ongoing advanced projects — including next-generation hypersonic missiles and a high-speed aircraft designed to operate in near-space. The video, shared this week by the company, includes multiple glimpses of prototype […] The post China moves closer to operational hypersonic capability first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Russia’s once-deep reserves of armored vehicles are shrinking rapidly, with new open-source assessments showing dramatic reductions in stored tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, and artillery systems since the start of the full-scale war in Ukraine. Yet analysts caution that the data should not be interpreted as evidence that Moscow has run out of equipment altogether. OSINT […] The post OSINT data shows Russia’s tank reserves shrinking but far from exhausted first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

U.S. soldiers from the 1-16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division carried out live-fire exercises in Bulgaria from September 29 to October 5, 2025, conducting a week of intensive training with Abrams tanks aimed at enhancing precision, maneuvering, and team effectiveness on the battlefield. The training focused on engaging tactical targets […] The post U.S. Abrams crews sharpen skills in Bulgaria live-fire drills first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The U.S. Air Force has acquired the wreckage of a downed UH-1 Iroquois helicopter and transported the iconic airframe to Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, where it will serve as a hands-on teaching platform for accident investigation and flight safety courses. The helicopter, nicknamed “Huey,” crashed during a training mission at the Wyoming Air National […] The post U.S. Air Force buys crashed UH-1 helicopter first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Pentagon’s No.1 weapons supplier Lockheed Martinis rapidly expanding production of some of the most critical missile and launcher systems in the U.S. arsenal — from PAC-3 and GMLRS to HIMARS, Javelin, PrSM, and JASSM/LRASM — as demand for precision strike capabilities grows amid rising global security challenges. The company said the scaling effort reflects both […] The post U.S. missile production surges as Lockheed ramps up for future wars first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

As the war in Ukraine continues into its fourth year, one lesson stands out for militaries worldwide: even the simplest weapons can have a place on the modern battlefield. Among them is the shotgun — a smoothbore firearm long dismissed as outdated, yet now proving its worth against one of the most difficult threats facing […] The post Shotguns return to relevance in drone warfare first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Mack Defense has received an initial order for 86 M917A3 Heavy Dump Trucks (HDTs) from the U.S. Army as part of a new five-year contract valued at up to $221.8 million. The order marks the first delivery under the new agreement, which was awarded on June 24, 2025, and follows the successful completion of the […] The post Mack Defense secures new U.S. Army order for 86 M917A3 trucks first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Hard moments in history are clarifying events. The more difficult, the clearer they can make things for you. As I have mentioned before, one of the big wake-up calls I received after October 7th, 2023 was how much very real Jew-hate was in modern Western society. Not just there, but excused by a large part of our cultural and political system. People and institutions revealed themselves to us. Distressing, but clarifying. Don’t look away when you see what is being said and done today. No. Look closer. Remember. Note. Act. Don’t forget. Politicians, academics, media, entertainment, and just the people down the street revealed themselves. The mask did not slip, for many it was gleefully ripped off. As for Gaza in 2025, I have no more sympathy than I have for Nazi Germany or Imperial Japan. They started wars of aggression, and the victims of that aggression rose to the occasion to stand against evil. They started total war, they invited total war. Don’t start wars. Don’t support leaders who foolishly bring you into wars. If you are one that wanted war, supported war, or did nothing to stop a war—then behold the feast you brought upon yourself. Behold the wages of your enterprise. Israel was, if anything, restrained in this war—more restrained than almost any equally justified military in history. As we are now starting into the third year of the Israeli-Gaza War of 2023, I’m not going to retell a lot that I’ve already written on the topic. If you want to catch up, see the posts with Gaza and Israel tags. As we have a peace offering on the table, I want to remind everyone how we got here. Talk to anyone familiar with the political realities on the ground on October 6th, 2023, and they will tell you that the communities that surrounded Gaza were, politically, the most accommodating and left-leaning you would find in Israel. The ones who had the most sympathy for Gazans. It was those Israelis who received the nightmarish wrath that extruded out of Gaza the morning of October 7th, 2023. Just look at the killings and kidnappings numbers for a perspective. Since October 7, 2023, Israel has been at war with the Palestinian Sunni Islamist group Hamas (a U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organization, or FTO), which led an attack that day from the Gaza Strip into Israel. More than 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals (including 46 U.S. citizens in Israel) were killed on October 7, and Hamas and other groups also seized some 251 hostages. How should Americans look at those numbers (besides the very real 46 fellow Americans killed). When adjusted for population, that would be as if in one day, 40,729 Americans were killed by an invading force. 8,519 Americans kidnapped. Would we do any less? I think not. That is just the murder and kidnapping. I would refer everyone to the Dinah Project Report if they want details of the campaign of rape on October 7th. The injured are in the thousands more. Now, today, see what is right in front of you. All across the world, the rape and murder that Gazans opened their war with has been rewarded by recognition of a state that never existed. Left-wing cities and college campuses have allowed open Jew-hate to flourish. Hundreds of thousands have marched from Amsterdam to Dearborn supporting Hamas, and as such, wholesale rape, murder, torture, and kidnappings. It really is that simple. Those who excuse it are, in my mind, as morally bankrupt as those who support it. Never again? For the worst reasons, we have decided that, perhaps, just a little. Demand accountability and call it as you see it. Speaking of institutional rot, I would be remiss—because it is inside the Navy lifelines—if I did not once again remind everyone of the moral cowardice of one of our own institutions. In a venue that justified its existence largely on the lack of attention to the plight of women as victims of war, the staff that run the Women, Peace, and Security program at the Naval War College ignored—just weeks after the mass rape and slaughter of women and girls—the entire atrocity by Gaza. I am still waiting for full accountability there. To finish things up, Konstantin Kisin has some points that need to be heard. Share Leave a comment This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. View the full article

British unmanned systems developer Evolve Dynamics has introduced a new tethered drone solution designed to deliver continuous, jam-resistant aerial surveillance for up to 48 hours. The new system, called Infinity Tether, is compatible with the company’s Sky Mantis 2 and Wolfe unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and is engineered to provide persistent overwatch, perimeter security, and […] The post UK drone maker introduces jam-resistant surveillance system first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Türkiye has successfully carried out a live-fire test of its domestically developed GÖKSUR naval air defense system. The test, conducted in Sinop on Türkiye’s northern Black Sea coast, demonstrated the GÖKSUR system’s operational effectiveness and technological maturity. According to ASELSAN, the country’s leading defense company, the trial represented the first successful interception of a sea-skimming […] The post Türkiye conducts live-fire test of new naval air defense system first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

OK, full disclosure, I have a little bit of battered child syndrome on this topic. On my first sea duty, we saw the odd retirement ceremony, but they were for senior enlisted or a Commander/Captain leaving after 20-25-30 or so. I don’t remember the details. That is a good retirement ceremony. In my first year of shore duty, that changed. I got roped into the preparation and planning of a 2-star admiral’s retirement ceremony that to this day is over the top. At the time it was unseemly. Untold hours and money were spent on this Broadway-like ceremony. Some of it was just cringe, but it was done. Dozens of officers and enlisted personnel were expended on this individual…and he wasn’t even in our direct chain of command. Hey, I was just a NROTC guy who was lucky enough spend his first sea duty with a simply great command with great front offices that did great things. I could not imagine ANY of the COs I had the pleasure of serving under ever contemplating such a production. Humility is a force multiplier, and that was one hell of a command with superior COs from Desert Storm, to spanking the last of the Soviets around the Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean, to chasing drug runners in the Caribbean. That 2-star production, even three decades later, still galls me. As I learned over the next couple of decades, it was not an isolated incident. Our military should represent what it is: the military of a constitutional republic. I remain a bit of a radical when it comes to titles and anything in our republic that reeks of aristocracy or imperiousness. I will grand a judge, “Your Honor”, but all the other civil servants and politicos getting huffy if they are not called “The Honorable.” Yes, I know the protocol, but I non-concur. As such, I lean towards the low-key and respectful retirement ceremony. Anyway. All those memories came to the forefront after a friend sent along this LinkedIn (of course) post. The retirement ceremony of Admiral Chris Grady, USN, the outgoing Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Don’t get me wrong, in some ways, I have a soft spot for Admiral Grady. He’s had a great career dedicated to our Navy and nation at the highest levels. This isn’t about him, this is about the culture we have created and the expectations we put on mortal men in our republic, and it is unseemly. This knob went to 11, but I doubt he and a few of his staff saw where things might be a bit…much. BEHOLD!I think I’ve said my piece, I’ll let the picture speak for itself. From Fat Leonard to the former VCNO, I think we have plenty of evidence that the power and prestige that comes with 3 or 4 stars brings dangers to the mortal human’s perspective on themselves. Few believe we have too much humility in our ranks of General and Flag Officers. Some pomp and ceremony is fine and a good tradition, but ostentatious displays that seem a cross between a mega-church’s theater-kid praise team over doing it and China’s Victory Day parade just seem off-frequency and unhealthy. This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Share Leave a comment View the full article

The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) scrambled fighter aircraft on Sunday after four civilian planes violated temporary flight restrictions over Norfolk, Virginia, prompting multiple intercepts and aerial escorts. According to NORAD, the series of incursions into restricted airspace occurred throughout the day on October 5, 2025, and required immediate responses under the binational command’s […] The post Four planes intercepted after violating no-fly zone in Virginia first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Russia’s state-owned United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) has delivered another batch of Su-34 fighter-bombers to the Russian Aerospace Forces. According to a statement from Rostec, the aircraft have successfully completed all required ground and flight tests and have now been handed over to their military operator. The company said production remains on schedule and emphasized the […] The post New wave of Su-34 bombers joins Russian strike fleet first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

China is advancing efforts to challenge one of the world’s most widely exported combat drones, the Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2, with a new domestically developed system undergoing flight testing. At the AVIC test range, engineers are putting the CH-3D combat drone through a series of evaluations. The aircraft, developed by China’s state-owned aviation giant AVIC, is […] The post China targets Bayraktar TB2’s market dominance with new armed drone first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

China’s aerospace industry is laying the groundwork for a new generation of strategic transport aircraft designed to expand the People’s Liberation Army’s global reach. A recently published technical paper describes the conceptual design and performance requirements of a future heavy-lift cargo plane featuring a blended-wing-body (BWB) configuration — a radical departure from the conventional designs […] The post China develops next-generation heavy-lift cargo plane first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Ukraine’s air defense forces are facing mounting challenges as Russia modifies its ballistic missiles to evade Western-made Patriot systems, a senior Ukrainian Air Force official said on Sunday. Yurii Ihnat, chief of communications for Ukraine’s Air Force Command, confirmed during a national television broadcast that intercepting Russian ballistic missiles has become more difficult. The change, […] The post Ukraine: Russian ballistic missiles now harder for Patriot to hit first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have received a Chinese-made FB-10A short-range surface-to-air missile system. The acquisition follows the RSF’s earlier procurement of the Chinese FK-2000 air defense system and underscores the growing sophistication of the group’s military capabilities. According to the Clash Report, the FB-10A system was originally purchased by Chad from China in […] The post Chinese FB-10A missile system falls into hands of Sudan’s RSF militants first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

A newly leaked document allegedly from Russian state defense conglomerate Rostec appears to outline detailed pricing, delivery schedules, and export plans for advanced Sukhoi fighter jets destined for several foreign clients — including Iran, Algeria, and Ethiopia. The material was published online on October 3 by the hacker collective Black Mirror, which claims to have […] The post Leak doc reveals Su-57s for Algeria, Su-35s for Iran and Ethiopia first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

U.S. Marines are testing the next generation of battlefield logistics with the Tactical Resupply Unmanned Air System (TRUAS), a heavy-lift cargo drone designed to deliver critical supplies directly to small units in remote and contested environments. Marines with Combat Logistics Battalion 7, Combat Logistics Regiment 1, 1st Marine Logistics Group conducted field trials of the […] The post U.S. Marines push TRUAS drone to its limits in resupply tests first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

American and British armored forces came together this week in Estonia for a joint promotion ceremony that doubled as a powerful demonstration of allied cooperation. On October 1, 2025, U.S. soldiers from the 6th Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, and British soldiers from AJAX Squadron showcased their main […] The post Abrams meets Challenger 2 on NATO’s eastern flank first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

North Korea has publicly displayed a new mobile anti-tank missile system for the first time, showcasing it as part of its annual “Defence Development 2025” exhibition in Pyongyang — an event that leader Kim Jong Un described as a presentation of the country’s “results” in modernizing and expanding its military capabilities. The exhibition featured a […] The post North Korea develops new mobile tank hunter first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

North Korea has unveiled a new generation of military technologies — including weapons systems with integrated artificial intelligence and a previously unseen tracked air defense platform — during a major defense exhibition in Pyongyang. The event, titled “Defense Development 2025,” was reported by the Korean Central Telegraph Agency (KCNA) and featured a speech by North […] The post North Korea unveils new short-range air defense system first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

View File Tarakan Passage WW2 For play in HC game version 2022.027 (matrix patch) or newer. Westpac BS and using database HCWW 101110. 21 January, 1941, a Japanese invasion fleet of one light cruiser, ten destroyers, four minesweepers, three submarine chasers, three patrol boats and sixteen transport ships left Tarakan for Balikpapan, (oil rich areas of Borneo). A MLD Dornier spotted the fleet that same day, but heavy clouds with strong winds and prolonged rain prevented the plane from shadowing the fleet. On the next day, U.S. Navy submarines S-40, Pickerel, Porpoise, Saury, Spearfish and Sturgeon were ordered to intercept the fleet. Later, they were joined by Dutch submarines K-XIV and K-XVIII. Sturgeon fired several torpedoes on the convoy and reported sinking three ships. However, postwar records failed to confirm any damages to the convoy. In this scenario a simplified version of the situation is recreated with the submarine force intercepting the south bound invasion fleet at the narrow northern entrance to the Makassar Strait. (ScreenShot US SS Porpoise, http://www.navsource.org/archives/08/08172.htm, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2030041) Submitter donaldseadog Submitted 10/05/2025 Category WestPac