Raw Intel

BAE Systems’ new identification friend or foe system for the F-16 has been certified by the U.S. Department of War, clearing it for use on U.S. Air Force fighters, the company said Sept. 29. The AN/APX-127(V)1 Combined Interrogator Transponder received AIMS certification, the approval that shows an identification system meets U.S. and NATO standards and […]View the full article

China’s military said it tracked and monitored the U.S. Navy littoral combat ship USS Charleston (LCS 18) after the vessel sailed near Sabina Shoal, a disputed feature in the Spratly Islands that both China and the Philippines claim, early on Oct. 20, 2026. The People’s Liberation Army Southern Theater Command Navy said in a statement […]View the full article

Americas Saguaro Business Solutions won a $67.3 million contract for aircrew training and courseware development. This contract provides all personnel, equipment, tools, materials, supervision, and all other items and services that are required to perform 552 Air Control Wing E-3 Aircrew Training and 752nd Operations Support Squadron and Reporting Center support at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. Estimated completion date is April 30, 2026. Bell Textron won a $8 million deal, which provides engineering and technical field services for the H-1 aircraft to include airframes, avionics, electrical power plant systems and associated equipment, on and off-site proficiency tra…

Americas Legacy Aircraft Services won a $20.5 million deal for A-10 and F-16 aircraft wiring harnesses. This was a competitive acquisition with four responses received. The A-10C Thunderbolt II is the first Air Force aircraft specially designed for close air support of ground forces. The A-10 Thunderbolt II has excellent maneuverability at low air speeds and altitude, and is a highly accurate and survivable weapons-delivery platform. The aircraft can loiter near battle areas for extended periods of time and operate in low ceiling and visibility conditions.Work will take place in California. Performance completion date is February 8, 2025. SpaceLogistics, a Northrop Grumm…

About the only institution I hold is more contempt than the UN in so far as its inability to do anything well related to its core mission is probably the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). Over at the National Interest, Ramon Marks just about gives me an aneurism. How does one start here? I don't have much whitespace in my calendar today, so let me just pull this jewel out. The West is going to have to figure out how to resolve the Russo-Ukrainian War while simultaneously bringing lasting stability to Ukraine and Europe without pushing a paranoid Russia further into China’s arms. A Congress of Vienna-type approach could be an option under the mu…

Yes, progress towards a color blind society where individuals are seen as - individuals - who should be judged by the content of their character and not the color of their skin (or other immutable characteristics) can be found here and there, but we have a long way to go. It appears that things will have to get worse - much worse - before they get better. Elections have consequences, and when one side conducts a full court press when they are in power, and then cow the other party to only stand still when they get their turn in power, you get what you get. Though it is happening on his watch and with his Executive Orders, this cannot be put squarely on the shoulders of P…

Americas The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) has upheld the army’s decision to award a $9.7-billion Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) production contract to AM General instead of incumbent contractor Oshkosh Defense. The decision was released three months after the Wisconsin-based firm filed a protest, citing “significant concerns” about how competing proposals were evaluated. Leidos […]View the full article

Americas Northrop Grumman’s AN/ALQ-257 Integrated Viper Electronic Warfare Suite (IVEWS) for the F-16 fighter jet has successfully completed testing at the US Air Force’s Joint Preflight Integration of Munitions and Electronic Sensors (J-PRIMES) facility, paving the way for flight testing on Air Force F-16 aircraft. The J-PRIMES testing, conducted in an anechoic chamber, subjected the IVEWS to complex radio frequency spectrum threats, simulating real-world combat scenarios. The system demonstrated its capability to detect, identify, and counter advanced RF threats while maintaining compatibility with other F-16 systems. Austal has rolled out the US Navy’s 15th Spearhead-c…

Israeli defense technology firm SMARTSHOOTER has secured a new order for hundreds of its SMASH 3000 fire control systems from an undisclosed Asia-Pacific customer, the company announced. The systems will be used for counter-small unmanned aircraft systems (C-sUAS) missions and precision engagement of ground targets. The contract follows what SMARTSHOOTER described as a period of […] The post Mystery Asian customer buys Israeli-made computerized rifle sights first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, Ukraine’s defense industry has significantly expanded its armored vehicle output, with one manufacturer confirming record deliveries to frontline units. On September 10, Vladislav Belbas, director of the company Ukrainian Armor, announced that his firm has supplied more than 1,000 Novator armored vehicles to Ukraine’s Defense Forces. […] The post Ukraine ramps up production of armored vehicles first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

During the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza on October 10, amid the ongoing ceasefire agreement, previously unseen variants of the U.S.-made Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) were observed in use by the Israel Defense Forces. The vehicles appeared to feature new satellite-based communication systems, suggesting they have been converted into mobile command-and-control platforms. Footage […] The post New Israeli JLTV variant spotted in Gaza first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The Ministry of National Defense of Taiwan reported that 38 sorties of Chinese military aircraft and 9 naval vessels operated around the island in a 24-hour period ending at 6 a.m. (UTC+8) on November 7. According to the ministry, 31 out of the 38 aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered […]View the full article

Russian President Vladimir Putin praised the T-90 tank family in an interview with India Today, calling it one of the best main battle tanks in the world and highlighting India’s domestic production of the platform. “India produces our famous T-90 tanks. Believe me when I say these tanks are considered among the best in the […]View the full article

Russia has revealed a new set of battlefield tactics for its tank units, describing coordinated maneuvers that pair armored vehicles with unmanned aerial systems in ongoing combat operations, according to statements released by the Russian Ministry of Defense and the state corporation Rostec. The Ministry said frontline units now employ a two-tank method in which […]View the full article

SRT Marine Systems announced it has signed a new $261 million contract with a sovereign government customer to deliver a national Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) system, the company said in a statement. The agreement represents a new addition to SRT’s Sovereign Partnership Programme and will provide the customer with an integrated platform for monitoring activity […]View the full article

BAE Systems said Thursday it has delivered the final ACV-Personnel, or ACV-P, vehicle to the United States Marine Corps. The handover closes out deliveries of the troop-carrying version of the Amphibious Combat Vehicle, the platform intended to replace the Marine Corps’ aging Assault Amphibious Vehicle fleet. The ACV-P serves as the primary carrier for Marine […]View the full article

The commander of Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces publicly accused domestic warhead manufacturers of delivering substandard products that are forcing frontline units to expend far more drones than necessary to destroy a single target — and he used a real combat operation to prove it. Robert Brovdi, call sign “Madyar,” commander of the Unmanned Systems Forces […]View the full article

A Romanian Air Force F-16 patrolling Baltic skies under NATO’s air policing mission shot down a suspected Ukrainian drone over southern Estonia on May 19, marking the first time NATO fighters have actively intercepted and destroyed a drone over the Baltic states rather than simply scrambling to track one. The incident unfolded around midday, with […]View the full article

Flying a military helicopter in combat means managing a constant stream of radio chatter from multiple sources simultaneously, often while navigating at low altitude, coordinating with other aircraft, and making time-sensitive tactical decisions. For decades, U.S. Army aviation pilots have handled all of that through a single mono audio channel in their headsets, meaning every […]View the full article

NATO has handed three American and European tech companies the chance to reshape how the alliance’s 32 member nations talk to each other during a real air war, awarding contracts to Anduril, Palantir, and French firm Athea SAS on July 7 as part of a competition to build the software backbone for the alliance’s next-generation […]View the full article