Raw Intel

The United States Navy’s Virginia-class attack submarine USS New Mexico (SSN 779) arrived at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard on February 21, 2026, beginning a scheduled major overhaul intended to extend the submarine’s operational life and upgrade its combat capabilities. The nuclear-powered submarine, crewed by more than 120 Sailors, will undergo extensive modernization work designed to prepare […]View the full article

So, is this the time to make battleships great again? I would be hard-pressed to think of a better guest to help us explore that question than returning guest, Rob Farley. A starting point for our conversation will be his article from December, The Trump-Class Battleship Summed Up In 1 Word. You can listen at this link, subscribe to the podcast, or listen at the Spotify widget below. Show LinksThe Battleship Book, by Robert Farley’s Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce Lawyers, Guns, and Money Dr. Robert Farley’s X Profile Dr. Robert Farley’s Blue Sky Profile My thoughts on SLCM-N SummaryIn this episode, Dr. Robert Farley discusses the concept of b…

Ukrainian Armed Forces destroyed two Russian military helicopters — a Ka-52 attack helicopter and a Mi-8 multirole helicopter — during a drone strike on the Pugachevka airfield in Russia’s Oryol region on the evening of February 20, 2026, according to reporting by Militarnyi. The attack highlights Ukraine’s continued use of long-range strike drones to target […]View the full article

New satellite imagery has confirmed extensive destruction at Russia’s Votkinsk Machine Building Plant, a key missile production hub in the Udmurt Republic, following a Ukrainian strike carried out on the night of February 21, according to independent open-source analysts. The confirmation through satellite imagery provides the first visual assessment of damage at one of Russia’s […]View the full article

Two United States defense companies have announced a new maritime security partnership aimed at protecting offshore energy and shipping operations in the Gulf of America, according to a public statement promoted by Polaris Media. The agreement brings together South Carolina-based marine autonomy specialist Janus Marine & Defense LLC and New Mexico-based RF systems contractor Raven […]View the full article

Israeli robotics company Macushla has developed the Shadowfax unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) equipped with the SAURON Remote Controlled Weapon Station (RCWS). According to Macushla, Shadowfax was developed as a flexible robotic platform adaptable to multiple operational scenarios. The company described the system as “the new Swiss army knife that can be kitted for every operational […]View the full article

Soldiers assigned to the United States Army’s 17th Field Artillery Brigade conducted a ground raid mission using the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) during Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center (JPMRC) 26-02 in Alaska, validating long-range precision fires in extreme Arctic conditions while supporting the 11th Airborne Division, the Army said. The live-fire event focused […]View the full article

Russia struck a United States–owned Mondelez factory in the northeastern Ukrainian city of Trostianets on February 21, damaging a civilian food production facility that manufactures the well-known Oreo cookies and other American snack products for the Ukrainian market, according to Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha. The missile hit one of the plant’s production buildings, though […]View the full article

The United States Army briefly published new official images of its Dark Eagle hypersonic weapon system before removing them without explanation, with the photographs quickly spreading online after their deletion. The images, released and then withdrawn within a short period, showed updated views of the Army’s Long Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW), a trailer-launched strategic strike […]View the full article

Russia’s Kalashnikov Concern presented a range of weapons and mobility systems currently in demand in combat operations in Ukraine during a defense exhibition hosted by state corporation Rostec, where company representatives demonstrated new electric military transport platforms alongside small arms and reconnaissance equipment. The presentation was shown to Rostec chief executive Sergei Chemezov as part […]View the full article

The United States Marine Corps has awarded Oshkosh Defense LLC a $16,8 million contract modification supporting procurement of Remotely Operated Ground Unit for Expeditionary Fires (ROGUE-Fires) carriers used in the Navy and Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System, according to an official contract announcement released Feb. 20, 2026. The work will be performed across multiple U.S. […]View the full article

The United States Army awarded Lockheed Martin Corp a $43,5 million contract modification on Feb. 20, 2026, supporting product assurance and launcher recapitalization for the PATRIOT Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) air and missile defense system, according to an official contract announcement. The modification increases the total cumulative value of the contract to $223 million. The award […]View the full article

The United States Army Corps of Engineers has awarded Exyte US, based in Albany, New York, a $96,2 million contract to support infrastructure construction and aircraft bed-down for Israel’s incoming CH-53K King Stallion helicopters, according to an official contract announcement. The work will be performed in Israel with an estimated completion date of March 23, […]View the full article

Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces released combat footage showing the detection and destruction of a Russian 300-mm Tornado-S multiple launch rocket system during an operation conducted on occupied territory in the Zaporizhzhia region. The strike was carried out by operators of the “Ptahi” unit from the 1st Separate Center of the Unmanned Systems Forces, coordinated by […]View the full article

Ukraine carried out a long-range strike overnight on February 21 targeting Russia’s Votkinsk Machine Building Plant in Udmurtia, a key facility tied to Moscow’s ballistic missile production program. Explosions were reported shortly before midnight local time, followed by a large fire inside the industrial complex located roughly 1,400 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. The attack […]View the full article

Lithuania has begun construction of a new rail connection to the Rudninkai military training area to improve troop and equipment transport in support of a German brigade deployment, the Lithuanian Ministry of National Defence announced in February 2026. The project is intended to accelerate military mobility and ensure reliable movement of forces and heavy equipment […]View the full article

It is curious what the U.S. military chooses to honor. There are five or so U.S. Army units that in one way or another refer to themselves as “Spartans.” Even the U.S. Navy and USAF have a unit or two in that game. It isn’t just ancient Greek history; it is all over the place. Heck, back in the day, the U.S. Navy had an attack squadron named the Clansmen, with a “C” not a “K”, VA-46, that served from 1955 to 1991. It was stationed in the very un-Scottish Cecil Field in the piney woods of northeast Florida. Yes, the U.S.A. is a young country, but we have plenty of martial legends of our own—well-documented with real people from real units. You don’t have to look far. As t…

The United States Navy has approved Raytheon’s StormBreaker smart weapon for operational use on the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet strike fighter, the company announced Feb. 20, 2026. The approval expands the Navy’s precision strike capability at a time when naval aviation forces are adapting to contested environments that demand engagement of mobile targets in poor visibility […]View the full article

The United States Marine Corps has decided to retain the M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle for its close combat formations rather than adopt the Army’s M7 Next Generation Squad Weapon rifle, a Marine Corps spokesperson confirmed to Task & Purpose. “The Marine Corps will retain the M27 for our close combat formations as it best aligns […]View the full article

The United States Air Force used the Skiron X hybrid unmanned aircraft as a simulated enemy drone during counter-UAS training at the Grafenwoehr Training Area in Germany on Feb. 19, 2026, according to a statement from the 7th Army Training Command. Instructors supporting the Air Force’s Joint Multi-Domain Counter Unmanned Aircraft Systems Operator Course flew […]View the full article