Raw Intel Latest Topicshttps://harpgamer.com/harpforum/forum/48-raw-intel/Raw Intel Latest TopicsenDefence Blog - UK awards Boeing Apache and Chinook support contract worth $1.1 billionhttps://harpgamer.com/harpforum/topic/36316-defence-blog-uk-awards-boeing-apache-and-chinook-support-contract-worth-11-billion/The United Kingdom’s National Armaments Director Group has awarded a £879 million (approximately $1.1 billion) three-year contract to Boeing Defence UK to maintain and support the British Army’s AH-64E Apache attack helicopters and the Royal Air Force’s Chinook HC heavy-lift helicopters. The contract covers maintenance, technical services, logistical support, and — critically for the Apache […]

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]]>36316Wed, 15 Apr 2026 19:23:16 +0000Defence Blog - U.S. Army officially names its next-gen tiltrotor the Cheyenne IIhttps://harpgamer.com/harpforum/topic/36317-defence-blog-us-army-officially-names-its-next-gen-tiltrotor-the-cheyenne-ii/The U.S. Army gave its most ambitious rotorcraft program a name to match its ambitions on April 15, officially designating Bell Textron’s MV-75 tiltrotor aircraft the Cheyenne II during the Army Aviation Association of America’s annual Warfighting Summit in Nashville, Tennessee. The naming honors two federally recognized nations: the Northern Cheyenne Tribe of Montana and […]

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]]>36317Wed, 15 Apr 2026 19:17:25 +0000CDR Salamander - What are the details for 18 battle force and 16 non-battle force ships?https://harpgamer.com/harpforum/topic/36315-cdr-salamander-what-are-the-details-for-18-battle-force-and-16-non-battle-force-ships/rssImage-1785a6e39807391c620a7c5fe90783b0.jpeg

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On Monday, we discussed the announcement earlier this month of 34 ships and the $65.8 billion coming Navy’s way to buy them.

What I’ve been trying to get a firm grasp on are what those 18 battle force ships and 16 non-battle force ships will be.

I thought by now I’d find a “Ref. A” for those numbers, but no joy. So, I reached out to a real professional and friend to the blog (who will remain on the DL) for some help. Trust me on this—if anyone can figure it out, he can.

Even he admits that it’s hard to find the numbers. The biggest issue is that the only budget document for ships we can get ahold of right now is the Department of War’s Procurement Programs (P-1) Brief for fiscal year 2027. If you need a headache, you can dig around in it yourself, but I think that is something best left to specialists.

I trust his work without question, and here is what he sifted from it.

18 Battle Force Ships:

  • 1 x Columbia SSBN

  • 2 x SSN

  • 1 x DDG-51

  • 1 x FF(X)

  • 1 x LHA

  • 1 x LPD

  • 1 x T-AGOS SURTASS

  • 2 x T-AO

  • 2 x T-AS(X)

  • 6 x LSMs

16 Non-Battle Force Ships:

  • 1 x special mission ship of unknown capability

  • 1 x strategic sealift (new)

  • 4 x ship-to-shore connectors

  • 2 x LCAC SLEPS

  • 1 x bulk fuel vessel

  • 5 x fireboats

  • 1 x sealift vessel (used)

  • 1 x T-AH

What got my attention at the front? The five fireboats and the strategic sealift. Is that the Light Replenishment Oiler (TAOL) program, previously called the Next-Generation Logistics Ship (NGLS)? I really should discuss that program at some point, especially in light of my comments yesterday…but one post a day, my friends: one post a day.

If you hear any more details about the above list, let us know in the comments. All that being said, let’s smile and cut steel...and extend this to a couple of destroyer tenders while we are at it.

UPDATE: the special mission ship is probably a replacement for this.

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]]>36315Wed, 15 Apr 2026 11:44:49 +0000Defence Blog - New blast hits Russian ammunition powder facilityhttps://harpgamer.com/harpforum/topic/36318-defence-blog-new-blast-hits-russian-ammunition-powder-facility/A powerful explosion was reported at the Samara Kommunar plant in Samara, Russia, a defense-industrial facility directly involved in the production of explosives and the filling of munitions, according to local sources and open-source intelligence communities monitoring activity in the region. The blast was reported at the Federal State Enterprise Samarsky Zavod Kommunar, a plant […]

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]]>36318Wed, 15 Apr 2026 09:55:02 +0000Defence Blog - UK announces largest-ever drone package for Ukrainehttps://harpgamer.com/harpforum/topic/36319-defence-blog-uk-announces-largest-ever-drone-package-for-ukraine/Britain’s Ministry of Defence announced on April 15, 2026, that it will deliver at least 120,000 drones to Ukraine this year in the largest drone package the United Kingdom has ever provided to Kyiv. Deliveries have already begun this month, the ministry confirmed, with the package spanning long-range strike drones, intelligence and reconnaissance platforms, logistics […]

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]]>36319Wed, 15 Apr 2026 09:30:43 +0000Defence Blog - B-21 stealth bomber completes aerial refueling test with KC-135https://harpgamer.com/harpforum/topic/36320-defence-blog-b-21-stealth-bomber-completes-aerial-refueling-test-with-kc-135/The U.S. Air Force’s B-21 Raider stealth bomber has successfully conducted aerial refueling with a KC-135 Stratotanker as part of its ongoing flight test campaign, the Department of the Air Force announced on April 14, 2026. The milestone, achieved during the program’s rigorous test and evaluation program at Edwards Air Force Base, California, was presented […]

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]]>36320Wed, 15 Apr 2026 09:22:39 +0000Defence Blog - Japanese startup develops Shiraha drone for under $450 per unithttps://harpgamer.com/harpforum/topic/36321-defence-blog-japanese-startup-develops-shiraha-drone-for-under-450-per-unit/A Japanese defense technology startup has begun offering a domestically produced fixed-wing drone, with a unit cost of approximately 70,000 yen — roughly $450 at current exchange rates. JISDA, formally known as Japan Integrated Security Design Agency and headquartered in Tokyo’s Chiyoda Ward, announced the availability of the ACM-01 “Shiraha” on April 14, 2026, positioning […]

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]]>36321Wed, 15 Apr 2026 09:12:55 +0000Defence Blog - Northrop gets $475M to speed up development of new U.S. hypersonic missile killerhttps://harpgamer.com/harpforum/topic/36322-defence-blog-northrop-gets-475m-to-speed-up-development-of-new-us-hypersonic-missile-killer/The Missile Defense Agency awarded Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation a $475 million modification to an existing prototype agreement on April 3, 2026, accelerating development of the Glide Phase Interceptor — the United States’ primary program to defeat hypersonic glide vehicles in flight. The modification pushes the total value of the agreement from $832 million to […]

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]]>36322Wed, 15 Apr 2026 09:04:38 +0000Defence Blog - U.S. Army awards Dynetics $617M for next-gen mid-range air defense systemhttps://harpgamer.com/harpforum/topic/36323-defence-blog-us-army-awards-dynetics-617m-for-next-gen-mid-range-air-defense-system/Dynetics, a subsidiary of the American defense giant Leidos, has been awarded a $617 million contract to produce Indirect Fire Protection Capability Increment Two systems for the U.S. Army, the Department of War announced on April 14, 2026. The award covers the fiscal year 2026 production buy of one of the Army’s most closely watched […]

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]]>36323Wed, 15 Apr 2026 08:51:53 +0000Defence Blog - Ukraine faces critical Patriot interceptor shortagehttps://harpgamer.com/harpforum/topic/36324-defence-blog-ukraine-faces-critical-patriot-interceptor-shortage/Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy declared in an interview that Ukraine is facing the worst possible shortage of interceptor missiles for its Patriot air defense batteries, adding that the ongoing war involving Iran is compounding the problem by diverting weapons away from the Ukrainian front. Speaking to Germany’s ZDF network, Zelenskyy delivered one of his starkest […]

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]]>36324Wed, 15 Apr 2026 08:25:07 +0000Defence Blog - Royal Navy seeks drones to clear maritime test rangeshttps://harpgamer.com/harpforum/topic/36325-defence-blog-royal-navy-seeks-drones-to-clear-maritime-test-ranges/The Royal Navy has launched a formal Request for Information (RFI) seeking unmanned aerial systems capable of clearing and monitoring maritime weapons test ranges, Navy Command Headquarters announced on April 14, 2026. The technical scope disclosed in the RFI published on the United Kingdom’s Defence Sourcing Portal and Contracts Finder is expansive. The Royal Navy […]

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]]>36325Wed, 15 Apr 2026 08:10:40 +0000Defence Blog - Raytheon delivers Patriot GEM-T interceptors to Ukraine in $3.7 billion dealhttps://harpgamer.com/harpforum/topic/36305-defence-blog-raytheon-delivers-patriot-gem-t-interceptors-to-ukraine-in-37-billion-deal/Raytheon, an RTX business, has signed a $3.7 billion contract to supply Patriot GEM-T interceptors for Ukraine, the company announced. The agreement covers the delivery of Guidance Enhanced Missile-Tactical interceptors, one of the Patriot missile variants used by both U.S. operators and international customers. Raytheon said the missiles are intended to strengthen Ukraine’s ability to […]

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]]>36305Tue, 14 Apr 2026 13:16:46 +0000Defence Blog - Redwire delivers Stalker drones to U.S. Marine Corps in $20M dealhttps://harpgamer.com/harpforum/topic/36306-defence-blog-redwire-delivers-stalker-drones-to-us-marine-corps-in-20m-deal/Redwire has secured more than $20 million in awards during the first quarter of fiscal year 2026 to supply its Stalker unmanned aircraft systems to the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps’ small tactical drone office, the company said. The order includes the Marine Corps’ first purchase of Redwire’s Advanced Navigation version of the Stalker Block […]

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]]>36306Tue, 14 Apr 2026 13:06:15 +0000Defence Blog - Satellite images confirm damage at Russia’s Su-57 planthttps://harpgamer.com/harpforum/topic/36307-defence-blog-satellite-images-confirm-damage-at-russias-su-57-plant/Satellite images published Tuesday provide the first visual confirmation that the April 11 fire at Russia’s Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aviation Plant — known as KnAAZ — caused significant structural damage to the workshop responsible for manufacturing the composite airframe components of the Su-57 Felon stealth fighter. The images, released by the OSINT group Exilenova+, show multiple roof […]

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]]>36307Tue, 14 Apr 2026 12:40:09 +0000CDR Salamander - Bring Rainier and Bridge out of Reservehttps://harpgamer.com/harpforum/topic/36304-cdr-salamander-bring-rainier-and-bridge-out-of-reserve/rssImage-ce522660473e2067ef9a2c6d10d67152.jpeg

As of Monday night, after a bunch of OSIT accounts said that the USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) had passed through Gibraltar, more and more reports indicate the contrary, she and her escorts are off Namibia, about to head around the Cape of Good Hope instead. It was kind of fun watching the competing reports.

There are quite a few reasons to do this. We’ll find out the reason this time at some point, but don’t get lost in the details. It isn’t nothing.

As usual, The Other Sal went to the chartroom to make sure everyone understood the state of play.

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Stop for a second—there is a gift here if we are willing to accept it. Remember one of the fundamentals we like to revisit here: small and medium sized conflicts will give you hints as to what you will need when the next big war comes.

Sal Mercogliano nailed it.

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It is time to re-engage on a question I asked back in March.

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With each passing month, this requirement is screaming for action louder and louder.

The accountants got hold of them during the second Obama Administration, as Sam reported at the time.

The Navy will decommission two of Military Sealift Command’s youngest refueling and Fleet support ships in a bid to save $251 million as part of the Department of the Navy’s Fiscal Year 2014 budget, Navy officials told USNI News on Monday.

Supply-class ships USNS Bridge (T-AOE-10) will decommission in 2014 and USNS Rainier (T-AOE-7) and will decommission in 2015 based on the 2012 Navy Force Structure Assessment, Navy officials said. The FSA reduced the number of Fleet oilers from 19 to 17, leaving two Supply-class and 15 Henry J Kaiser class oilers.

When Rainier was put in reserve, she only had 21 years of active service. Bridge, only 16 years. In theory, both were stricken from the naval register in 2022, but they’re still in reserve.

We no longer have the luxury of the delusions of the Obama Era Navy.

The cult of efficiency had its run of things, now we need the advocates of effectiveness to leverage the power and influence they have.

The requirement for more auxiliaries if we plan to contest the People’s Republic of China west of the International Date Line is self-evident.

The Supply-class fast combat support ships were designed at the end of the Cold War, the last time the U.S. Navy found itself challenged at sea. The reality and math that led to her class have returned. The Gods of the Naval Warfare Copybook Headings are calling for this speed and capability again.

Fix the mistakes of the past. Get the Rainier and Bridge ready to come back to the fleet. In parallel, fast-track a new AOE that has the same ability to keep up with the fleet.

Another mistake we can correct. The Supply-class were once USS and not USNS.

When they were USS and not USNS, they were armed.

NATO Sea Sparrow Missile Launching System; Close-in weapons system (CIWS), two 25-mm guns; four .50 caliber machine guns; countermeasures set AN/SLQ-32(V)3; 4 decoy launchers; torpedo countermeasures transmitting set (NIXIE)

That’s a good start. Replace with the best modern equivalent+. They need more, a lot more. There are places to put them We’ve discussed that recently here, no need to repeat it. Read up if needed, the older stuff and the newer.

History does not reward procrastination. Math does not like to be ignored.

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]]>36304Tue, 14 Apr 2026 12:37:58 +0000Defence Blog - Australia test-fires first homemade GMLRS missile from HIMARShttps://harpgamer.com/harpforum/topic/36308-defence-blog-australia-test-fires-first-homemade-gmlrs-missile-from-himars/The Australian Army successfully test-fired the first domestically manufactured Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System missiles at the Woomera Test Range in South Australia on April 9, 2026, a milestone that places Australia in exclusive company. Australia is now the only country outside the United States to manufacture the GMLRS missile — a distinction that carries […]

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]]>36308Tue, 14 Apr 2026 12:17:09 +0000Defence Blog - Royal Australian Navy names autonomous systems unithttps://harpgamer.com/harpforum/topic/36309-defence-blog-royal-australian-navy-names-autonomous-systems-unit/The Royal Australian Navy has formally established and named the Maritime Autonomous Systems Unit — known as MASU — a dedicated command structure built to develop, integrate, and operationally employ a new generation of uncrewed maritime platforms. The unit’s activation marks one of the most concrete organizational steps the Navy has taken toward embedding autonomous […]

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]]>36309Tue, 14 Apr 2026 12:11:51 +0000Defence Blog - Lockheed gets $68.5M deal for next-gen missile warning satelliteshttps://harpgamer.com/harpforum/topic/36310-defence-blog-lockheed-gets-685m-deal-for-next-gen-missile-warning-satellites/Lockheed Martin Space has been awarded a $68.5 million contract modification for the Next Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared Geosynchronous program, pushing the total cumulative value of the contract to $8.2 billion. Work will be performed in Boulder, Colorado, with completion expected by August 2028. Space Systems Command at Los Angeles Air Force Base in El […]

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]]>36310Tue, 14 Apr 2026 08:22:12 +0000Defence Blog - U.S. Navy awards General Dynamics $183M USS Truxtun modernization contracthttps://harpgamer.com/harpforum/topic/36311-defence-blog-us-navy-awards-general-dynamics-183m-uss-truxtun-modernization-contract/The U.S. Navy has awarded General Dynamics NASSCO-Norfolk a $183million contract to conduct maintenance, modernization, and repair work on the guided-missile destroyer USS Truxtun (DDG 103) as part of the ship’s Fiscal Year 2026 Depot Modernization Period. All work will be performed in Norfolk, Virginia, with completion expected by April 2028. The contract includes options […]

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]]>36311Tue, 14 Apr 2026 08:14:18 +0000Defence Blog - U.S. Army opens new 155mm artillery shell facility in Kansashttps://harpgamer.com/harpforum/topic/36312-defence-blog-us-army-opens-new-155mm-artillery-shell-facility-in-kansas/The U.S. Army and Day & Zimmermann have inaugurated a new artillery Load, Assemble, and Pack facility in Parsons, Kansas, dedicated to the production of 155mm M795 artillery projectiles. The ribbon-cutting ceremony was hosted by Maj. Gen. John T. Reim, Portfolio Acquisition Executive for Agile Sustainment and Ammunition, marking what Army officials described as a […]

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]]>36312Tue, 14 Apr 2026 08:03:22 +0000