Raw Intel

Russia has begun fielding a previously unseen type of drone over Ukraine, featuring an unusual ring-wing design likely aimed at improving aerial endurance and strike capabilities, according to a Ukrainian military electronic warfare specialist. Serhiy Beskrestnov, also known by his callsign “Serhiy Flesh,” said in a public statement that Russian forces have started using drones […] The post Mysterious Russian drone spotted in combat zone first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

M1A2 SEP (click to view full) America’s M1 Abrams tanks come in a number of versions. In addition to the M1A1 that is now standard, the US Army is beginning to field its M1 TUSK for urban warfare. It also operates the M1A2 System Enhancement Program (SEP), currently the most advanced standard variant. This Spotlight […]View the full article

Americas L3Harris has announced that its new electronic warfare suite “Viper Shield” is nearing another major milestone ahead of planned production in 2025. Company official Anna Gragossian told Breaking Defense that the next program milestone will demonstrate the system’s ability to detect enemy radar activities, helping military pilots evade threats. The demonstration is expected to take […]View the full article

Katwijk-based aerospace company Destinus has announced the successful field test of its Hornet Counter-Drone System during the TEC2 Exercises in Viator, Almería, organized by the Spanish Army under its 2025 Tactical Experimentation Campaign. According to the company, the Hornet successfully demonstrated its capability to autonomously intercept an aerial target during a Concept Demonstration Exercise led […]View the full article

Americas Science Application International won a $102.5 million to exercise options for the production, spares, production support material, engineering support and hardware repair of components for MK 48 Heavyweight Torpedo All Up Round. This modification is in support of the MK 48 Mod 7 Heavyweight Torpedo program. This contract combines purchases to support the Navy, […]View the full article

Gabon unveiled newly acquired Chinese armored vehicles during its Independence Day military parade on August 17, underscoring Beijing’s growing defense presence in Africa. The display featured the eight-wheeled VN-1 infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) and the WMA-301, a 105mm wheeled assault gun widely exported across the continent. The VN-1 IFV, manufactured by China North Industries Corporation […] The post Gabon receives Chinese-made VN-1 fighting vehicles first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

India’s defense industry is pressing ahead with new strike options as JSR Dynamics has showcased its LRP2GM, a lightweight stealth cruise missile, to the Indian Navy, highlighting a domestically developed system aimed at long-range precision missions. According to the company website, the weapon is described as a “light weight cruise missile termed as long range […]View the full article

Americas Lockheed Martin won a $46 million order by the US Navy, which provides non-recurring engineering for the development, integration, testing, and deployment of the MH-60 aircraft product line system configuration 26 fleet release for all MH-60 air platform variants, to include baseline management integrated management planning, integrated development environment support, support equipment baseline management, […]View the full article

Americas The Pentagon has awarded QinetiQ a $13.3-million contract to supply its Vindicator II uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) target support services to the US Navy (USN). As QinetiQ Target Systems is based in Canada, the deal was facilitated by the Canadian Commercial Corporation as the prime contractor together with Public Services and Procurement Canada. The five-year deal – with a six-month extension provision – came into effect in December and includes Canadian personnel deployed to provide services to the USN. Lockheed Martin won a $678.4 million modification to support the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft retrofit and modification efforts for the Air Force, Marin…

A U.S. defense contractor has revealed a high-fidelity replica of China’s HQ-22 surface-to-air missile (SAM) system, part of an expanding program to create realistic threat targets for American military training. Torch Technologies’ Integration and Prototyping Center (TIPC) is producing the decoy systems, which are designed to replicate the equipment, capabilities, and operations of foreign air […] The post U.S. firm creates replica of Chinese HQ-22 air defense system first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Global Military Products will participate in the U.S. Army’s upcoming Transformation in Contact (TiC) 2.0 event with its Scorpion Light 81mm mobile mortar system, part of an ongoing effort to modernize indirect fire capabilities under the Soldier Enhancement Program (SEP). The trials, conducted under a contract with the Product Manager for Artillery Mortars and Precision […] The post U.S. Army to test new Scorpion light mortar system first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Americas Northrop Grumman has received a $1.5-billion contract to deliver E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft to the US Navy and Japan. A recent US Department of Defense announcement states that the company will produce nine new Hawkeyes – four for the navy and five for Tokyo. It will also provide associated support services to both customers. Most work for the contract will be performed in Florida, with an estimated completion date of March 2029. Bollinger Shipyards announced that its Pascagoula Mississippi shipyard now exceeds 1,000 employees, touting the milestone as it gears up to make the first heavy icebreaker in the US in more than 50 years – vessels Washington is keen …

Americas Lockheed Martin won a $34.7 million modification, which provides program management, software engineering, software engineering transformation, and cyber support to develop the Beyond Line of Sight F-35 Capability. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas (50%); and San Diego, California (50%), and is expected to be completed in February 2026. Fiscal 2023 research, […]View the full article

Swarmbotics AI, a robotics developer, is pitching a new class of ground-based, modular unmanned systems that operate in coordinated swarms and carry anti-tank effects, the company says. The firm confirmed that its antitank variant is called FireAnt, a lightweight, attritable unmanned ground vehicle intended to work in groups under a single operator to detect, track […]View the full article

Americas Boeing won a $264 million deal, which provides inspections, modifications, and repairs to the F/A-18 E/F and EA-18G aircrafts to include inner wing panel repairs in support of remanufacturing efforts to restore the inner wing panel service life projections to the new design specifications. Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. The Canadian Department of Defense started construction of a Quick Reaction Alert facility at the Bagotville base in Quebec. The site will house Ottawa’s future F-35A combat aircraft fleet and support North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) operations in partnership with the US military. …

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

Americas The US Marine Corps has created the Marine Corps Attack Drone Team (MCADT) to enhance combat effectiveness by integrating advanced drone technology into its operations. This team will focus on training Marines to use first-person view (FPV) drones, which are increasingly important in modern conflicts. MCADT will also act as a hub for expertise in drone tactics, helping the Marine Corps develop new capabilities and refine requirements for unmanned systems. Based at Weapons Training Battalion in Quantico, Virginia, the team will collaborate with the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory to ensure Marines remain agile and effective in evolving battlefields. The initia…

The United States Air Force has awarded $400 million in construction contracts to seven Spanish companies to maintain and improve Morón Air Base, a strategically critical installation in southern Spain, even as the base sits at the center of one of the most significant diplomatic ruptures between Washington and a NATO ally in recent memory. […]View the full article

Breakthrough… (click to view full) The US Navy flies the F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet fighters, and has begun operating the EA-18G Growler electronic warfare & strike aircraft. Many of these buys have been managed out of common multi-year procurement (MYP) contracts, which aim to reduce overall costs by offering longer-term production commitments, so contractors can […]View the full article

MGI Engineering has officially unveiled its new long-range autonomous strike drone, dubbed TigerShark, at the DSEI 2025 defense exhibition in London. The system, built in the United Kingdom, is designed to offer cruise missile–level performance at a much lower cost, according to Calibre Defence. The drone is intended for deep-strike operations against high-value targets and […] The post UK unveils new deep-strike drone first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article