Raw Intel

As we see our nation start to emerge from COVID-19 isolation, I have read a bit about "young" people feeling they have lost a year, they can't catch up ... etc. If you are, like my kids, in the young adult category - ignore that crap. Everyone has a headwind right now, but you in other ways don't have time to wallow. You don't have all the time in the world; now is your time. You can do more today than people twice your age. Ignore anyone who says otherwise because of your "limited" experience. Perhaps it was a bit much to move the age to have a beer to 21 from the legal adult age of 18. Perhaps it was a bit off to allow young adults to stay on their parent's i…

Do you get a little worried when people seem to be a bit overexcited at the prospects of such a large percentage of our fleet being unmanned in the near future? Are you worried that too few hard questions are being asked and answered? Me too. Head on over to USNIBlog and help ask more hard questions. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?d=yIl2AUoC8zA http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?d=qj6IDK7rITs http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=OZhvXGLvdIc:OGIWOlg6xDM:gIN9vFwOqvQ http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=OZhvXGLvdIc:OGIWOlg6xDM:-BTjWOF_DHI http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=OZhvXGLvdIc:OGIWOlg6xDM:V_sGLiPBpWU http:…

Americas According to Breaking Defense, General Atomics flew a new drone that is heavily based on the MQ-1C this summer. The new unmanned air vehicle or UAV can carry up to 16 Hellfire missiles and requires less than 800 ft of runway to operate. An anonymous source told Breaking Defense that the company is eyeing the Army’s Future Command and Special Operations Command as potential customers. However, General Atomics spokesman C. Mark Brinkley declined to comment on this story to Breaking Defense. Huntington Ingalls won a $20 million cost modification for shipbuilding supplier industrial base efforts in support of the DDG 51 class destroyer program. The multimission wars…

Did you notice that every Russian big-missile cruiser that can go to sea, is at sea? The old veterans of the Soviet Red Banner Fleet are making what is probably their thunder run. Glorious designs of an ear that is about at its end. I'm pondering the beasts over at USNIBlog. Come by and tip a hat at the glorified PASSEX ... unless war kicks off. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?d=yIl2AUoC8zA http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?d=qj6IDK7rITs http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=WvLBXhOMhmo:EqiidBLGjIM:gIN9vFwOqvQ http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=WvLBXhOMhmo:EqiidBLGjIM:-BTjWOF_DHI http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/F…

Americas Argon ST won a $21 million delivery order under a previously awarded basic ordering agreement for the procurement of nine amplifier chassis for the support of operations of the MQ-4C Triton with the first deployment of IFC 4-configured unmanned aircraft system. Work will take place in Virginia. Expected completion will be by March 2025. Sikorsky won a $17.2 million order, which provides non-recurring engineering in support of incorporating a one-second or less Engine Fuel Firewall Shutoff Valve into the CH-53K aircraft. The CH-53K is the United States Marine Corps’ (USMC) heavy lift replacement for the CH-53E. The most powerful helicopter in the Department of De…

Americas In a collaborative effort involving multiple organizations, the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) recently carried out radiometric data gathering on two C-130H aircraft. The purpose of this initiative was to compare the heat signatures of the two aircraft and utilize the collected data to update and validate their signature in GTRI modeling and simulation. […]View the full article

Americas HII, a big shipbuilding company, has sold more than 700 underwater robots called REMUS. These robots work without people inside them and can go deep into the ocean. Many countries have bought these robots. Over 30 countries use them, and 14 of these countries are part of NATO, a group of countries that work together. What’s really impressive is that most of these robots still work well, even after many years. More than 90 out of 100 robots sold in the last 23 years are still doing their job. These underwater robots help navies in many ways. They can gather information, watch what’s happening underwater, find and remove sea mines, help fight against enemy submarin…

Japan’s Ground Self-Defense Force (GSDF) will conduct its largest-ever live exercise with the U.S. Marine Corps next month, simulating the defense of remote islands across multiple regions of the country. According to the GSDF, the exercise—known as “Resolute Dragon”—will run from September 11 to 25, taking place in Kyushu, Okinawa, Hokkaido, and on Iwo Jima […] The post Japan, U.S. Marines to hold record-size joint drill first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The Japanese Ministry of Defense is moving forward with plans to deploy upgraded land-based Type 12 anti-ship missiles in Kyushu by 2026, drawing immediate and direct criticism from China’s Ministry of National Defense. According to media reports, the new missile variant will have extended range capabilities, placing parts of China’s coastal areas within striking distance. […] The post China condemns Japan’s extended-range missile program first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

As Russia continues to expand its family of loitering munitions, defense firm Roboavia has introduced a new one-way attack drone known as KLIN. Smaller than the Shahed series and designed for short-range missions, the KLIN is engineered for specific tactical-level tasks and resembles existing systems such as the Lancet and KUB in both role and […] The post Russia unveils new kamikaze drone for tactical strikes first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The Department of War and U.S. Space Force conducted an operational test launch of an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, in the early hours of November 5. The launch took place at 1:35 a.m. Pacific Time and was designated GT 254, according to the announcement. The Department of […]View the full article

The United States Army is seeking potential U.S.-based producers for a next-generation 155mm artillery projectile designed to replace aging stockpiles of Dual-Purpose Improved Conventional Munitions (DPICM). A sources sought notice, released by the Army Contracting Command-New Jersey on December 5, outlines the service’s effort to identify qualified manufacturers for the XM1208 Advanced Submunitions projectile. According […]View the full article

India publicly showcased its new Suryastra multiple launch rocket system during rehearsals for the Army Day parade in Jaipur, marking the first public appearance of the indigenous long-range rocket artillery platform. The system was displayed on a wheeled launcher carrying two 370mm Predator Hawk missiles and four 306mm extended-range rockets, highlighting its ability to fire […]View the full article

Ukraine’s Defense Forces confirmed that they carried out a series of long-range strikes in January 2026 against infrastructure linked to Russia’s Oreshnik missile complex at the Kapustin Yar test range in Russia’s Astrakhan region, according to an official statement from Ukraine’s General Staff. In a statement released on 5 February, the General Staff said Ukrainian […]View the full article

Daimler Truck AG announced on March 3, 2026, that its Mercedes-Benz Zetros defense vehicles successfully completed intensive winter testing in the Finnish Arctic Circle, where temperatures dropped to minus 20 degrees Celsius and road conditions were largely icy and snow-covered. The testing campaign was conducted to verify that the Zetros defense vehicle series can maintain […]View the full article

The United States Navy has awarded Lockheed Martin Space a $1.36 billion contract modification to support missile and launch platform production for the Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) hypersonic weapon program. The March 31 award covers engineering development, systems integration, long-lead materials, testing, and specialized tooling required for continued production of the missile and its launch […]View the full article

The U.S. Army is sending prototype versions of its next-generation Abrams tank and a brand-new infantry combat vehicle to Fort Hood, Texas, this fall — putting cutting-edge armor into the hands of soldiers for the first time. Troops from the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, part of the 1st Cavalry Division, will be the first […]View the full article

The U.S. Air Force has handed a $40 million contract to World Wide Technology, a St. Louis-based technology firm, to build an artificial intelligence-powered Security Operations Center — essentially a high-tech nerve center that will monitor the service’s networks around the clock for cyber intrusions, attacks, and threats. The award, announced May 18 and running […]View the full article

This is such a great video, and we have thousands of new followers and subscribers now than we did seven years ago…time to bring this FbF back. As I have often mentioned, I have a soft spot for the name "Shangri-La" for aircraft carriers. It has a great story to it, and just sounds cool as hell. Bill Schultz reminded me that there is a simply awesome video available of a unique and under-appreciated time in naval aviation; the early 1960s. What an incredible time of change and advancement ... and a time yet warped by the war that would dominate the rest of the decade. So, let's take a moment to give tribute to those Sailors of the early-60s ... in glorious technicolor,…

Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Defense confirmed on July 6 that the country’s air force has begun operating JF-17 Thunder fighter jets, releasing a video showing two of the Chinese-Pakistani aircraft taking off and landing on training sorties, the first official acknowledgment that the long-promised fighters have actually entered service. OSINT analyst Guy Plopsky examined still images […]View the full article