Raw Intel

Thai tank crews operating the VT-4 main battle tank have raised sharp criticism over the platform’s reliability during real-world operations, citing repeated mechanical failures and design shortcomings encountered during active use, according to multiple accounts from serving personnel. Soldiers and officers familiar with the tank’s operation report that the VT-4 has suffered from frequent malfunctions […]View the full article

If you didn’t get a chance to listen to Sunday’s Midrats Podcast with Mark and me, give it a listen to hear a broader discussion with some additional detail thrown in. Today is going to be a bit different. We are still just ~72-hours from the events, so there is an order of magnitude more of what we don’t know than we do, but some items are breaking out from the fog. On yesterday’s podcast, I briefly mentioned a framework for discussion that I think is helpful to flesh out here—an addendum to my comments on the podcast, so to speak. As we stand here the Monday after the events of Friday night/Saturday morning, what are some clear items of consideration at the Tactical, Op…

Turkey has completed the acceptance test firing for a SİPER-1 air defense battery, confirming readiness of the nationally developed long-range air and missile defense system, according to official information released after the test conducted at the Sinop Test Center in northern Türkiye. The battery-level acceptance firing was carried out under a demanding operational scenario that […]View the full article

Elbit Systems Ltd. has been awarded new contracts worth a combined total of approximately $150 million to supply its Directed Infrared Countermeasures systems to European aircraft fleets, the company announced on January 5, 2026. According to a press release from Elbit Systems, the contracts include equipping the aircraft fleet of an unnamed European country with […]View the full article

China’s state broadcaster has revealed new footage showing People’s Liberation Army ground forces training with the Type 19 8×8 wheeled fighting vehicles, confirming their operational deployment within frontline units of the Western Theater Command. The footage was released by China Central Television and shows training activities conducted by the 149th Medium Combined Brigade of the […]View the full article

Japan’s Ministry of Defense confirmed that Chinese military aircraft, including H-6 bombers, J-16 fighters, and a Y-9 intelligence-gathering aircraft, flew between Okinawa Island and Miyako Island into the Pacific Ocean on December 29, prompting an emergency response by the Japan Air Self-Defense Force. According to a statement released by the Japan Ministry of Defense through […]View the full article

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called for Turkish re-entry into the U.S.-led F-35 fighter jet program, saying the move would strengthen NATO security and help repair ties with Washington, according to written comments provided to Bloomberg. Erdogan said he raised the issue directly with Donald Trump during a White House meeting in September, describing Turkey’s […]View the full article

Russia’s Aerospace Forces received two modernized Tu-160M Blackjack strategic missile-carrying bombers in late 2025, ending a multi-year delay in the program, according to a statement by Russia’s defense minister reported by Ukrainian outlet Militarnyi. The delivery was disclosed during a year-end meeting of the Russian defense ministry, where Defense Minister Andrey Belousov confirmed the handover […]View the full article

North Korea has launched serial production of a new generation of high-precision guided missiles, according to a statement published by state media, confirming the start of large-scale manufacturing for a modern anti-tank missile complex. The announcement was released by Korean Central News Agency, which said the guided missiles are now entering mass production and form […]View the full article

Ukrainian military have found a Russian Shahed-type one-way attack drone equipped with a man-portable air-defense system, marking the first confirmed observation of such a configuration. Serhii Beskrestnov, known by the call sign “Flash,” said the modified drone was identified on January 4. He reported that Russian forces mounted the portable surface-to-air missile system on the […]View the full article

With a few days now behind us, most of the general facts are in on our raid into Caracas, Venezuela to capture Nicolás Maduro and, it appears, his wife as well. Now that Maduro is a guest of the Southern District of New York, it is time to not just look at some of the details of the buildup and execution of this raid, but the initial lessons we can take from it, and what it means in the larger strategic environment. You can listen at this link or at the Spotify widget below. SummaryIn this episode of Midrats, Mark and Sal discuss the recent military operation in Venezuela, reflecting on its execution and implications for national security. They explore the potential for V…

The United States has continued elevated air and maritime military activity in the Caribbean region following Saturday’s U.S. operation in Venezuela, with fighter aircraft and naval assets operating near Venezuelan borders, according to local reports. Residents of Puerto Rico, where one of the United States’ operational military bases in the region is located, reported sustained […]View the full article

The Colombian Army has deployed troops to the Paraguachon border crossing with Venezuela, reinforcing a permanent military presence in the municipality of Maicao in the department of La Guajira, according to an official statement released Sunday. In a post published by the First Division of the National Army, the military said troops from the Medium […]View the full article

North Korea launched multiple ballistic missiles into the East Sea on Sunday morning, according to South Korea’s military, marking Pyongyang’s first missile launches of the year. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missiles were fired from an area near Pyongyang at about 7:50 a.m. local time and traveled approximately 900 kilometers before landing […]View the full article

Confirmed imagery released on Saturday shows a Venezuelan-operated Buk-M2E medium-range air defense system destroyed by U.S. airstrikes at Higuerote Air Base, approximately 75 kilometers east of Caracas, marking the second verified loss of the Russian-made system during the U.S. military operation. The newly emerged visual evidence documents the destruction of a Buk-M2E belonging to Venezuela’s […]View the full article

A rare U.S. Air Force RQ-170 “Sentinel” stealth surveillance drone was spotted returning on Saturday morning to Roosevelt Roads Naval Station in eastern Puerto Rico, following U.S. military strikes conducted overnight against targets in Venezuela. Video circulating on social media shows the flying-wing aircraft on approach and landing at the naval air station, now used […]View the full article

A United States Army reconnaissance and attack helicopter squadron stationed in South Korea was deactivated last month as part of a service-wide transformation effort, according to a congressional report released Thursday. The U.S. Army deactivated the 5th Air Cavalry Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment (5-17 ACS) at Camp Humphreys on Dec. 15, according to a recent […]View the full article

France said the military operation that led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro violates international law, as Paris reiterated opposition to the use of force and warned of broader consequences for global security. In a statement posted Saturday, French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot said Maduro had “confiscated power from […]View the full article

China said it is “deeply shocked” and “strongly condemns” what it described as the United States’ use of force against Venezuela and actions taken against the country’s president, according to an official statement released Saturday. In the statement, China said it “deeply shocked by and strongly condemns the U.S.’s blatant use of force against a […]View the full article

Newly released footage confirms that at least one Buk-M2E surface-to-air missile system was destroyed during an airstrike on the Generalissimo Francisco de Miranda Air Base in Caracas. The video shows a Buk-M2E launcher vehicle completely destroyed by a direct hit at the air base named after Generalissimo Francisco de Miranda, one of Venezuela’s key military […]View the full article