Raw Intel

DARPA, the Pentagon’s research and technology arm, confirmed on January 14, 2026, that its Robotic Autonomy in Complex Environments with Resiliency (RACER) program has completed final operational tests and is ready for transition to U.S. military units and commercial users. The announcement follows a series of Army and Marine Corps demonstrations that showed RACER-equipped vehicles […]View the full article

Is four months too short a turnaround for a guest on Midrats? Not if the topic at hand keeps running to the top of your read board. From the unending diplomacy responding to the Trump Administration’s unending drive to get Greenland’s geography—and the resulting security—more firmly under American control, to the sitcom-worthy deployment of a couple of dozen “Coalition of the Freezing”—Greenland can’t-stop-won’t-stop from gathering eyeballs and attention. So, we’re bringing back Elizabeth Buchanan for another visit. We’ll use her recent article in The Spectator as starting off point, A buyer’s guide to Greenland. We go LIVE at 6pm Eastern. If you are reading this after th…

India has reportedly acquired dozens of Belarus-made Berkut-BM one-way attack drones, according to defense industry sources. The Berkut-BM is a jet-powered kamikaze drone developed by the Indela company in Belarus and designed to strike time-sensitive battlefield targets before they can relocate. The system is powered by compact Chinese-made micro turbojet engines produced by Swiwin, giving the […]View the full article

Japan’s Board of Audit revealed in January 2026 that military equipment worth approximately 1.1 trillion yen ($6.9 billion) purchased from the United States under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program has not been delivered to the Japan Self-Defense Forces despite more than five years passing since contracts were signed. The finding is detailed in an […]View the full article

South Korea has begun deploying its Hyunmoo-5 surface-to-surface ballistic missile to frontline military units, military officials said Sunday, confirming that the country’s most powerful conventional strike weapon has entered operational service as part of efforts to deter North Korea. According to South Korean military officials, the missile began entering frontline units in late 2025 and […]View the full article

The United States Army has missed its deadline to field the Dark Eagle hypersonic missile, acknowledging that the first U.S. ground-based hypersonic weapon will not be deployed until early 2026, despite the unit assigned to operate the system already being trained and ready. According to a report by Bloomberg, the Army confirmed this week that […]View the full article

A Chinese-made VN22 6×6 wheeled armored vehicle was spotted at the Military Scientific and Technical Institute of Uzbekistan, confirming the presence of Chinese armored platforms at a key Uzbek defense research facility. Images show the VN22 positioned inside the institute alongside other military vehicles, indicating that the platform is undergoing technical evaluation. The VN22 is […]View the full article

A new variant of China’s ZBD-04 infantry fighting vehicle has been spotted during transport at an undisclosed location, showing the platform fitted with an automated, unmanned weapon turret, indicating a possible shift in the Chinese Army’s approach to infantry vehicle design. Images circulating online show a modified ZBD-04 chassis equipped with a lighter, remotely operated […]View the full article

Morocco is considering the acquisition of up to 400 K2 Black Panther main battle tanks and the Cheongung (KM-SAM) medium-range air defense system from South Korea, according to South Korean industrial sources. The reported plan would mark the first integration of South Korean military equipment into the Moroccan Armed Forces if it moves forward. The […]View the full article

United States Air Force F-15 fighter jets were spotted flying at low altitude over the eastern Aleppo countryside in northern Syria as Syrian government forces moved into the towns of Deir Hafer and Maskana following the withdrawal of Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) units from the area. The flights were observed as Syrian army units entered […]View the full article

The SM-2 Block IIIC/CU medium-range surface-to-air missile was showcased publicly for the first time at the Surface Navy Association (SNA) 2026 symposium, bringing new visibility to the next-generation interceptor developed for U.S. Navy surface combatants. Footage from the exhibition shows the SM-2 Block IIIC/CU, designated RIM-66P by Raytheon, displayed as part of ongoing efforts to […]View the full article

The French Army’s 2nd Armored Brigade presented new combat systems shaped by battlefield lessons from the war in Ukraine during an Innovation Day held on January 15, 2026, in Bitche, highlighting France’s effort to rapidly adapt its ground forces to modern high-intensity warfare. The event focused on technologies developed by brigade regiments over nearly two […]View the full article

The United States Army has deployed M1 Abrams main battle tanks to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, confirming a new movement of heavy armored forces into the Middle East as regional tensions remain elevated. U.S. soldiers assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment, Task Force Reaper, were photographed driving an M1 […]View the full article

Lebanon-based manufacturer Frem has revealed new images showing development progress of its next-generation tactical vehicle, Venom, as the company continues work on a prototype designed for special operations missions, CEO David Frem confirmed. The images, shared by Frem, show the vehicle under construction in its Special Operation Vehicle (SOV) configuration, a lightweight variant focused on […]View the full article

An Israeli defense entity has placed its first purchase order for ParaZero Technologies’ DefendAir counter-unmanned aerial system, the company announced, confirming a new procurement of anti-drone equipment amid heightened drone activity identified in recent conflicts. The order represents ParaZero’s first direct contract with a main Israeli defense organization for its DefendAir system and includes delivery […]View the full article

Teledyne FLIR Defense has secured a $32 million contract to supply reconnaissance and surveillance sensor kits for Bulgaria’s Stryker armored vehicles, the company confirmed. The contract was awarded by the U.S. Army Contracting Command at Aberdeen Proving Ground and covers the integration of advanced sensor systems on nearly 200 U.S.-made Stryker vehicles that Bulgaria is […]View the full article

NATO Air Command confirmed that Italian Eurofighter Typhoon jets deployed to Amari Air Base in Estonia were scrambled at 11:30 a.m. on January 16 to intercept a Russian Be-200 aircraft approaching the Baltic Sea. The interception took place as part of NATO’s routine air policing mission in the region, aimed at monitoring and responding to […]View the full article

One thing my father taught me at an early age was to treat everyone you meet with respect. You never know someone else’s story. You never know what fate has in store for them. The old man with an oxygen tank sitting on a bench outside the commissary. The young JROTC cadet from the family at the end of the street. The guy you bump into while getting another cup of coffee at the VA. Respect. You just never know. “Show them the proper respect.” … that is what I hear in my father’s voice in my head, though he never really had to say it. Just a look was sufficient. Every time I hear another story about people like Clarence Sasser, I’m reminded of how my father insisted I liv…

Russia has equipped a BM-35 one-way attack drone with a Starlink-type satellite terminal, Ukrainian specialists said after the aircraft was shot down and examined this week. According to Serhii Beskrestnov, known by the call sign “Flash,” the recovered drone showed clear evidence of remote control through the Starlink system. “For the first time, the fact […]View the full article

Russia has begun using a previously unseen jet-powered one-way attack drone. Such drones were spotted after a Russian military unit released footage showing the system striking a Ukrainian HIMARS launcher during an operation recorded earlier this week. The video was published by the unit operating the reconnaissance drone and captured the moment the target was […]View the full article