Raw Intel

Japan confirmed that a Russian IL-20 intelligence-gathering aircraft conducted a surveillance flight near the country’s western approaches on January 23, according to Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi. In a statement released on Friday, Koizumi said the Russian aircraft flew from the continental direction into the Sea of Japan, proceeded southwest, then changed course off the coast […]View the full article

The United States has delivered the first MC-55A Peregrine aircraft to the Royal Australian Air Force, L3Harris Technologies confirmed on January 24, 2026. The aircraft was handed over by the U.S. Air Force following completion of integration and mission system testing, according to the company. The delivery is part of Australia’s Peregrine program, which is […]View the full article

The United Kingdom has selected seven defense companies to develop prototype uncrewed aircraft that will operate alongside Apache attack helicopters, advancing a British Army program aimed at integrating autonomous systems into frontline aviation operations. The UK Ministry of Defence confirmed that the companies were invited to the next stage of Project NYX, a program designed […]View the full article

China has shipped a batch of Type 59 130mm towed artillery systems to a foreign customer, with images confirming the weapons loaded aboard a cargo vessel and prepared for export, according to open-source visuals recorded during offloading operations. Footage circulating on social media shows multiple Type 59 artillery pieces secured on wheeled carriages and covered […]View the full article

Russia used Tu-22M3 Backfire-C bombers to launch a salvo of heavy Kh-22/Kh-32 cruise missiles toward the Kyiv region on January 24, marking the first recorded use of these weapons against targets near the Ukrainian capital. Ukrainian air defense forces reported that Russia fired 12 Kh-22 or Kh-32 missiles toward a target on the outskirts of […]View the full article

United States missile manufacturing is failing to keep pace with the tempo of modern warfare, raising concerns about how quickly the military can replace precision weapons in a high-intensity conflict. To examine where the bottlenecks lie and how they affect readiness, Defence Blog sought comment from John Borrego, Senior Vice President of Aerospace and Defense […]View the full article

Russia has used export-version surface-to-air missiles intended for foreign customers to strike ground targets in Ukraine, according to an investigation published Friday by Defense Express. Fragments recovered after recent strikes show that Russia fired 48N6E2 missiles, an export variant of the long-range interceptor used by the S-300PMU2 Favorit and S-400 air defense systems. As reported […]View the full article

Though the Americans are now in the fight, still on every front; desperation. At every morning brief, more ships sunk. The enemy surrounds you as you starve. Your ships and aircraft sit idle for lack of fuel and parts. Through waves of attacks, a relief convoy comes ... and you wait. Do they know your desperation? Will they make it? What can be done? Well, in comes, Captain Dudley Mason - the master of the former U.S. and now U.K. tanker SS Ohio - and his crew and convoy. For the details, let’s look at the citation for his George Cross and the award to two of his crew, Frederick August Larsen, Jr., Junior Third Officer and Francis A. Dales, Deck Cadet-Midshipman on…

The UK Ministry of Defence has awarded BAE Systems a £453.5 million ($613 million) contract to begin full production of the ECRS Mk2 radar for Royal Air Force Typhoon aircraft. The contract follows a completed program of testing and evaluation and represents the next phase of the UK’s long-term investment in Typhoon capability. The Ministry […]View the full article

The Italian Army has received its first new-generation SAMP/T NG and GRIFO air defense systems, marking the initial deployment of Italy’s modernized layered air and missile defense architecture, the defense outlet Militarnyi reported on Friday. The handover includes the first SAMP/T NG (New Generation) medium- and long-range air defense systems as well as GRIFO short-range […]View the full article

NATO defense officials have confirmed that European allies, led by the United Kingdom and Scandinavian countries, currently carry the primary responsibility for Arctic military operations, as the United States lacks sufficient forces and experience for sustained activity in the High North, according to The Times. The assessment follows recent allied exercises and internal NATO evaluations […]View the full article

A Taiwan-based security expert has called on Ukraine to apologize for past transfers of military equipment and advanced technologies to China, following recent remarks by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that criticized the flow of Taiwanese electronic components into Russia’s military industry. Mei Fu-hsing, director of the Taiwan Strait Security Research Center and a U.S.-based analyst, […]View the full article

The United Kingdom has deployed Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter jets to Qatar as part of a defensive mission in response to regional tensions, the British government said in a press release on Friday. The deployment involves 12 Squadron, the joint RAF–Qatar Emiri Air Force Typhoon unit, which has moved aircraft to the Gulf region […]View the full article

The Indian Army has flagged off the first batch of Armoured Recovery Vehicles (ARVs) repaired at its newly established Tank Medium Repair Facility in Ladakh, marking the start of frontline maintenance operations at the world’s highest armored repair site. The facility, located in the high-altitude Ladakh region, is designed to provide on-site repair and restoration […]View the full article

The United States Air Force conducted Exercise Dragon Shield at Beale Air Force Base, California, in 2026, testing the ability of maintenance units to launch and recover U-2 Dragon Lady aircraft under simulated contested conditions, the service said in a released update. The exercise focused on the 9th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron (AMXS), which was tasked […]View the full article

The United States has increased deliveries of weapons systems, ammunition, and military equipment to the Middle East since late 2025, with U.S. Air Force transport aircraft conducting intensified flights from the continental United States to European logistics hubs and onward to bases in Jordan, Israel, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, according to open-source flight tracking and […]View the full article

The United States Air Force has confirmed that the 56th Rescue Generation Squadron (RGS) has received its final HH-60W Jolly Green II helicopter, completing the unit’s transition to the service’s newest combat rescue platform, according to a service update released this week. The final aircraft was delivered to Aviano Air Base, Italy, where the 56th […]View the full article

Those who are selling a short, fast, and successful war are selling a lie. It seems every generation thinks they have found a way to fix the problem. Over and over, from Europe in 1939 to Europe again in 2022, the quick and successful war that was briefed devolved into a consuming slog. You can win a consuming slog, but you have to be able to mobilize and industrialize your way through it—and you need to start doing that years before the war starts. The fleet that showed up in 1943 did not start in 1941—it began in 1936, 1938, and 1940. A decade and a half after President Obama’s “Pacific Pivot”, we still talk a big game about being ready for the next Great Pacific War w…

The Norwegian Armed Forces, alongside about 3,000 United States Marines and other U.S. and NATO units, will conduct Exercise Cold Response 26 in northern Norway in March 2026, with allied forces beginning cold-weather training deployments as early as January, U.S. and Norwegian officials confirmed. The exercise is a Norwegian-led, routine winter drill designed to test […]View the full article

Textron Systems said on January 20, 2026, that it has been awarded a $163.4 million contract to deliver 65 COMMANDO Select Mobile Strike Force Vehicles to support Ukraine under the U.S. Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, using the Foreign Military Sales mechanism, according to a company announcement. The three-year, firm fixed-price contract was awarded through the […]View the full article