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1. Make the metrics. 2. Adjust the metrics. 3. Make the metrics look good. Those who have served on staffs in large bureaucracies know these three steps. To get there, on any subject, you first have to get good data sets – otherwise garbage in, garbage out. Looking desperately to avoid investing time and resources to investigate their epic failure as a primary player in our national humiliation in Afghanistan, the State Department seems to want to update their data. The State Department, as part of an agency-wide modernization effort, is focused on using its vast inventory to further its diplomatic mission. The State Department’s Enterprise Data Strategy, released in Sep…

Americas Sikorsky won a $99.3 million deal, which provides products and support required to rapidly integrate and field VH-92A aircraft simulators and trainers in support of the Presidential Helicopter Program. The products include delivery of technical analysis, technical reports, trade studies, and retrofit kits for ground support equipment modifications that support deficiency resolution, capability/technology insertions, obsolescence redesigns, and reliability/sustainability improvements. The support includes program management, engineering, integrated logistics support, configuration management, system integration lab operation and maintenance, testing support, and F…

When you discover that you need to become a sea power in order to secure your nation and its people ... it can't happen over night. In 1520, the Danish king Kristian II mobilized his fleet and seized Stockholm, thus strengthening his position and control of commerce. In order to oust the Danes and decrease their dominance in the Baltic Sea, Sweden needed a fleet. King Gustav Vasa purchased ten ships equipped with weaponry and arms from Lübeck and they were delivered on 7 June 1522 at Slätbaken, close to Söderköping, and since then, this day has been recorded as the birth of the Swedish Navy. ...sometimes it takes two years and you have to outsource it ... but ever since …

A sad chapter in the loss over two years ago of the USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) has finally come to a close. With the loss of an almost freshly modernized large amphib and $1.2 billion already being cut in to scrap - the whole story is yet to play out, but one of the saddest chapters is now closed. In a just world there would be scalding Congressional hearings, but alas we do not live in such a world. Megan Rose at ProPublica put out a superb review and report a couple of weeks ago you really need to read in full. Considering all the own-goals our Navy has executed the last few years, a navalist can be a little numb to the ineptitude ... but we need to look at. We need …

Americas Embraer and the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) have commenced midlife upgrade (MLU) studies for the A-29 Super Tucano aircraft. The A-29, currently utilized by the FAB for training, air interception, and surveillance missions, as well as by the renowned Air Demonstration Squadron (EDA), known as the “Smoke Squadron,” will undergo enhancements to meet evolving […]View the full article

Americas Lockheed Martin won a $90 million modification to exercise options for MK 41 Vertical Launching Systems. This modification combines purchases for the Navy; and the government of Spain, under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. Work will be performed in Moorestown, New Jersey; Indianapolis, Indiana; Saginaw, Michigan; Farmingdale, New York; St. Peters, Missouri; San […]View the full article

Americas Raytheon won a $1 billion contract for Group B hardware, spares, and support equipment. This contract provides for the F-22 sensor enhancements program that is designed to improve the F-22 sensor capabilities. Work will be performed in McKinney, Texas, and is expected to be completed by May 8, 2029. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity. The Idaho Air National Guard’s 124th Fighter Wing recently hosted German armed forces joint terminal attack controllers (JTACs) for a joint training exercise. This marks the second time this year that the two nations have collaborated on training. The traini…

Americas Polaris Government and Defense has introduced two military snowmobile models built with enhanced capabilities for sub-zero conditions. Powered by the 850 Patriot engine, the 2026 Military 850 TITAN 155 arctic workhorse vehicle features 25 percent more torque and power than its predecessor, the 2025 Military 650 TITAN 155. Meanwhile, the lightweight 2026 Military 850 RMK 155 is optimized for deep snow and off-trail patrol and reconnaissance operations. GE Aerospace has secured a subcontract from Bell Textron to design, develop, and deliver avionics systems for the US Army’s Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) program. The award follows Bell’s Milestone B a…

India’s Air Force chief has publicly claimed that the country’s air defenses shot down five Pakistani fighter jets and one airborne early warning aircraft during clashes in May, marking the first official statement from New Delhi on Pakistan’s reported losses in the brief but intense exchange. Speaking in the southern city of Bengaluru on Saturday, […] The post India says six Pakistani warplanes downed in May first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

In what has become and will remain a yearly tradition. As I saw it, that afternoon in the C5F AOR, morning in America.. Share Leave a comment This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. View the full article

A German defense technology company has announced the completion of the final design review for the sensor module of its ARGOS APS drone defense system, presenting the platform as a compact, mobile counter-UAV solution designed for battlefield environments where concealment and survivability matter as much as detection. RISEPORT EUROPE said the ARGOS APS is being […]View the full article

As a kid, I grew up hearing about he exploits of the Wild Weasels from the Vietnam War. If you’re not familiar with their origin story, “First in, Last Out” is superb. From F-100s to F-105s to F-4s and now F-16s, they are still making the magic happen, giving the USA a capability unmatched by other nations. They’re still leading the way. In case you missed it, a great story from the strikes in Yemen. Parks, while commanding the 480th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, was serving as the mission commander for a force package consisting of 21 strike aircraft while simultaneously leading four F-16 Fighting Falcons conducting Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses. Parks intentionall…

It would be an understatement to say that I am not all that pleased with where we are in January 2026 with the Greenland question. This would not have been the productive path I would have recommended because, in the end, this is a very serious issue. Sure, in the first few months of 2025, the meme-ish nature of it all was fun and funny…but only to a point. In 2026, Denmark is not going to sell or otherwise transfer Greenland to the USA like they did with the now-U.S. Virgin Islands a bit more than a century ago. However, before we go further, if you have a knee-jerk reaction to support or oppose anything or any topic because DJT is involved, please repress that feeling u…

Still, almost nine years later, the disasters of the summer of 2017 involving the USS Fitzgerald and USS McCain come up in conversation with others, and out of nowhere pops into my mind. As I last did back in 2021, let’s look back to AUG 2017 when I first wrote this. There can be only one FbF today, nothing else comes close. The supplemental preliminary inquiry into the collision involving the USS FITZGERALD (DDG 62) and the ACX CRYSTAL from 17 JUN of this year is out. The report is dated 11 AUG 17. You can get it from the SECNAV’s site here, or read the whole thing posted below. I wanted to pull one extended quote from it for your review. It really got hold of me, as i…

The United States Air Force conducted a test launch of an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile late March 3 from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, according to Air Force Global Strike Command. The missile, equipped with two test reentry vehicles, lifted off at 11:01 p.m. Pacific Time as part of a routine flight […]View the full article

Russia and Ukraine sharply increased long-range strike operations in March, with both sides expanding drone and missile attacks deep beyond the front lines, according to a new assessment provided by ACLED senior analyst Witold Stupnicki. The data points to a sustained rise in strike intensity, highlighted by what ACLED described as a record 948-drone Russian […]View the full article

The Pentagon’s top research arm, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), launched a new research program on April 23, 2026, calling on industry and academia to develop autonomous underwater vehicles capable of reaching full-ocean depth — the deepest points on the planet — at a fraction of the size of anything that exists today. The […]View the full article

GE Aerospace has secured a U.S. Air Force contract to advance the preliminary design of its GE426 engine, a propulsion system built specifically for the medium-thrust class of autonomous combat aircraft the Air Force is developing to operate alongside crewed fighters. The award marks the next development milestone for a program that passed its concept […]View the full article

Hypersonic weapons have long been the most expensive category of precision strike munitions in any military’s arsenal, costing tens of millions of dollars per round and taking decades to develop. The U.S. Navy is now betting on a different model entirely, awarding Castelion Corp., a defense technology startup based in Torrance, California, a $23.4 million […]View the full article

Key Topics:Reflection on America’s 250th celebration and patriotic observances, including the significance of the World Cup and tall ships. Analysis of Iran’s naval activities and the prospects of extended punitive campaigns in the Gulf. Insights into Ukraine’s ongoing conflict, new missile capabilities, and the normalization of long-range conventional st… Read more View the full article