Raw Intel

Venezuela accused the United States of carrying out a “very serious military aggression” early Saturday, after explosions were reported in Caracas and surrounding regions, according to an official government statement. In a statement released in the early hours, the Venezuelan government said it “repudiates and denounces to the international community the very serious military aggression” […]View the full article

The United States carried out strikes on multiple Venezuelan military and infrastructure targets on Friday, including air bases and port facilities in and around Caracas, according to local reports. Confirmed targets included Isla Margarita near La Guaira, Generalissimo Francisco de Miranda Air Base in Caracas, the port at La Guaira, El Libertador Air Base, Fort […]View the full article

U.S. Marine Corps F-35 fighter jets destroyed Venezuelan Air Force aircraft during precision strikes on air bases across Venezuela, according to local reports describing the operation. The reports said Marine Corps F-35s carried out targeted attacks on Venezuelan fighter aviation bases shortly after missile strikes hit areas hosting long-range air defense systems, including S-300V and […]View the full article

President Donald Trump approved U.S. military strikes in Venezuela days before the operation was carried out, according to two U.S. officials who spoke to CBS News under condition of anonymity to discuss national security matters. The officials said the president gave the U.S. military authorization to conduct land strikes in Venezuela several days ahead of […]View the full article

The United States struck the residence of Venezuela’s defense minister during air attacks on Caracas on Friday. Reports indicated that the home of Vladimir Padrino López, Venezuela’s Minister of Defense, was targeted during the bombing campaign. The strike was reported amid ongoing U.S. air operations over Caracas, where multiple military and government-linked sites have been […]View the full article

The United States carried out precision strikes on military command and control facilities in Caracas and surrounding hills on Friday, disrupting Venezuela’s ability to coordinate its air and ground defenses, according to local reports. The strikes targeted core command, control, and communications nodes of Venezuela’s armed forces in the capital and nearby elevated areas. Multiple […]View the full article

The United States carried out missile and air strikes against Caracas and surrounding areas on Friday, targeting Venezuelan air defense systems, an airport, military aircraft, and government facilities linked to the country’s leadership, according to multiple officials and regional statements. The attacks hit air defense systems in the capital region, struck an airport near Caracas, […]View the full article

Russia will equip a new batch of T-90M main battle tanks with the Arena-M active protection system featuring an “anti-drone” mode, a Russian Defense Ministry officer said during a broadcast on Russia‑24. The officer said work on updating the Arena-M software was completed in 2025, adding a dedicated sub-mode designed to intercept drones as they […]View the full article

A drone crashed on the outskirts of Maidan Shahr, the provincial capital of Afghanistan’s Maidan Wardak province, on January 1, 2026, with debris discovered about 40 kilometers southwest of Kabul, according to local reporting. Residents and local sources said wreckage from the unmanned aircraft was found near the administrative center of the province earlier that […]View the full article

The United States Air Force confirmed the completion of Exercise Virtual Flag: Coalition 26-1, a large-scale multinational distributed battle management exercise hosted by the 705th Combat Training Squadron at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, integrating U.S. and allied forces in a simulated high-end Indo-Pacific conflict. According to the U.S. Air Force, the exercise brought […]View the full article

Saudi airstrikes hit positions near the Saudi border in Yemen’s Hadramout province on Friday amid clashes between forces loyal to the Saudi-backed provincial governor and fighters aligned with the separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC), according to statements from local officials and the STC. The STC accused Saudi Arabia of carrying out seven airstrikes against its […]View the full article

Russia’s Ministry of Defense said on Thursday, January 1, that it handed over decrypted routing data and a flight controller from what it claims was a Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle involved in an alleged attack on President Vladimir Putin’s residence near Lake Valdai to a representative of the U.S. embassy’s military attache office. According to […]View the full article

Last week was the story of the HMS JERVIS BAY and her crew during the Battle of Convoy HX84. When we finished last week, HMS JERVIS BAY was out of the fight and the convoy was scattered - but she did her job. By the time they realized that the Jervis Bay had been terribly alone, an hour had been lost. The convoy had been given time enough to break up and begin to flee. ...and so the pocket battleship ADMIRAL SCHEER, unopposed now, closed in. However, there was a Canadian ship, the SS BEAVERFORD, armed with one 4 inch & one 3 inch gun who turned towards the SHEER and her six 11 inch, eight 5.9 inch guns and eight 21 inch torpedo tubes. What was the BEAVERFORD? Beave…

Ukraine’s military intelligence confirmed the delivery of a newly developed armed patrol boat to the Main Directorate of Intelligence on January 1, describing it as a New Year’s transfer to support maritime operations. According to a statement released by the Main Directorate of Intelligence of Ukraine, the specialized vessel was purchased and handed over by […]View the full article

Ukraine’s military intelligence confirmed the delivery of a newly developed armed patrol boat to the Main Directorate of Intelligence on January 1, describing it as a New Year’s transfer to support maritime operations. According to a statement released by the Main Directorate of Intelligence of Ukraine, the specialized vessel was purchased and handed over by […]View the full article

Ukrainian forces confirmed on January 1, 2026, that operators from the Asgard Battalion of the 412th Nemesis Unmanned Systems Brigade struck a multifunction radar of Russia’s S-350 Vityaz air defense system and self-propelled launchers of the Tor and Buk systems on temporarily occupied territory in the Donetsk region. As reported by Militarnyi, the strike targeted […]View the full article

What is one of the fundamentals that we keep returning to here? If you want to know what will be important in and needed for the next large war, look closely at the most advanced small and medium sized wars happening now. There is no better judge, test, or simulation to help you see the utility of a weapon system than actually having it perform in sustained combat conditions against a non-cooperative target. As we approach the 4th anniversary of the Russo-Ukrainian War of 2022, untold pages of text have been written about FPV and other drones. Yes, these are important and are a new tool for war—but they are not the answer to all. Gunpowder, machine guns, airplanes, subma…

As the final post of 2025, let’s look at the warships the U.S. Navy commissioned this year. Carriers: None. Next scheduled in 2027. Amphibious Ships: None. Next LHA expected in 2026. Destroyers: None. Two expected in 2026. Frigates or Other Small Surface Combatants: USS Pierre, LCS-38 Attack Submarines: USS Iowa, SSN-797 So, a LCS and a SSN. 2026 should be a bit better, but it is what it is. Two. As Sal pointed out, we have had a few auxiliaries as well, but this is about warships. Meanwhile, how is the largest Navy in the world, the navy of the People’s Republic of China doing? Via SomePLAOSINT - some great graphics. Using the same format as we did for the U.S. Navy, w…

The United States Missile Defense Agency has awarded Lockheed Martin Space a $142.6 million contract modification to provide continued maintenance and sustainment support for two Terminal High Altitude Area Defense batteries operated by the United Arab Emirates, according to an official contract announcement. Lockheed Martin Space, based in Sunnyvale, California, received the noncompetitive contract modification, […]View the full article

The United States Air Force has awarded Strategic Test Solutions LLC a $1.87 billion service contract to support operations and maintenance at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, according to an official contract award notice released this week. Strategic Test Solutions LLC, based in Huntsville, Alabama, received a contract valued at $1,868,902,857 for the Eglin […]View the full article