Raw Intel

Americas Northrup Grumman won a $30.7 million modification, which exercises options to procure continued manufacturing and installation efforts necessary to retrofit the aerial refueling capability on 25 E-2D Advanced Hawkeye fleet aircraft for the Navy. Work is expected to be completed in August 2025. Fiscal 2025 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $30,692,100 will be obligated at the time of award of which none will expire at the end of the fiscal year. Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Laurel Technologies won a $7.5 million firm-fixed-price contract for the procurement of common frequency generator assembli…

Americas The US Navy has announced a life service extension for 12 Arleigh Burke-class (DDG 51) guided-missile destroyers beyond their expected 35-year operability. Ships selected involve Flight I systems commissioned between 1991 and 1997, which incorporate older designs and components, particularly in their primary anti-submarine warfare helicopter support capabilities. The Peruvian Air Force has received the first of two Beechcraft King Air 360C air ambulance aircraft for medical evacuation missions. Acquiring the jets will strengthen the country’s light transport, aeromedical evacuation, disaster response, and risk management capabilities. The aircraft is assigned to …

Americas The US Department of Defense has contracted BAE Systems Land & Armaments to produce more Bradley armored fighting vehicles for the army. The $656.2-million award stipulates the vehicles in their M7A4 and M2A4 variants, which have been supporting American land forces since the 1980s. Location and funding for the manufacturing will be determined on each order, according to the Pentagon’s notice, with BAE to continue the project until November 2027. The US Department of Defense has announced the creation of a new office dedicated to the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into military systems. Named the Artificial Intelligence Rapid Capabilities Cell (A…

Americas The US Army has signed a $756-million deal with Lockheed Martin to acquire new capabilities for the country’s Long Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW) system. Under the contract, Lockheed will provide additional LRHW battery equipment, systems and software engineering support, and logistics solutions. The items will boost the force’s ability to launch hypersonic missiles from ground […]View the full article

Americas Lockheed Martin won a $25 million modification to keep working on the AEGIS system for ships. This work includes keeping the system running well, making sure all parts work together, writing instructions and helping people use it. The Navy office in Washington, D.C. that handles ship-related contracts gave them this extra work on January 30, 2025. Lockheed Martin got $383 million to make a new version of the Trident II D5 for the US Navy. This new missile, called D5LE2, is supposed to work until 2084. It will be used on new submarines called Columbia-class, which will replace older Ohio-class submarines. Jerry Mamrol, Lockheed Martin VP, said this upgraded missil…

Americas Top Aces has introduced an innovative AI-driven “constructive wingman” designed to enhance adversarial air combat training. Developed in collaboration with EpiSci, Coherent Technical Services Inc. (CTSi), and Seger Aviation LLC, this technology mimics the flight patterns and maneuvers of advanced enemy aircraft for realistic pilot training. The AI-powered wingman is integrated into Top Aces’ F-16 Advanced Aggressor Fighters (AAF) via the Advanced Aggressor Mission System (AAMS). Using a Hands-On Throttle and Stick (HOTAS) interface, pilots can control formations and tactics in real-time, simulating complex Beyond Visual Range (BVR) scenarios. The system also incr…

A T-90MS main battle tank that once stood on display at the International Defence Exhibition (IDEX) in the United Arab Emirates has now been deployed to the battlefield in Ukraine, according to a statement from the manufacturer. The tank, originally painted in desert camouflage for its appearance at IDEX 2025, was returned to Russia, repainted […] The post Russia sends exhibition T-90MS tank to frontline first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Germany’s Siemens and Illinois-based Ingersoll Machine Tools have unveiled a next-generation, containerized 3D printing and milling platform designed for field deployment. The system—called MasterPrint Deployable—combines additive and subtractive capabilities in a transportable unit powered by Siemens’ SINUMERIK ONE CNC control platform. Ingersoll, a 133-year-old builder of large-format machine tools, has collaborated with Siemens to create […] The post Ingersoll unveils containerized 3D printing factory first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Americas Elbit Systems of America has scored a major win with the US Air Force, securing an Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (ID/IQ) contract with a ceiling of $89 million for replacing outdated Head-Up Displays (HUDs) in the service’s F-16 Block 40/42 fleet. The contract, announced on November 21, calls for the installation of Elbit’s Wide-Angle Conventional Head-Up Display (WACHUD) in place of the existing Diffractive Optic HUDs currently in use. The first delivery order, worth over $57.5 million, was placed in September 2024, with work scheduled to be carried out at Elbit America’s Talladega, Alabama facility and systems expected to be delivered by September 202…

Taiwan’s National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST) has confirmed it is partnering with U.S. defense company Kratos to develop a low-cost cruise missile program based on the MQM-178 Firejet target drone. The project, described as a joint development rather than a commissioned military program, is aimed at both domestic demonstration and potential foreign […] The post Taiwan develops low-cost cruise missile first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Taiwan has announced an expansive new procurement initiative for over 50,000 additional unmanned aerial systems (UAS), marking one of the largest drone acquisitions in the country’s history. Combined with the Ministry of National Defense’s recent order for nearly 49,000 units, the total demand now exceeds 100,000 drones—effectively securing the domestic industry’s production capacity for at […] The post Taiwan to buy over 100,000 military drones first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Americas The US Navy is paying BAE Systems $70 million to improve their Mk 45 ship guns. This includes $47 million they agreed to earlier, plus $23.5 million more just added. The improved guns will be able to fire stronger bullets, making them 50% more powerful. BAE will do this work at their factory in Louisville, Kentucky, and finish by the end of 2028. The US Air Force is testing small, 3D-printed parts called microvanes on their big C-17 cargo planes. These microvanes are thin, blade-like pieces about 4 inches wide and 16 inches long. By putting many of these blades on the plane, they change the plane’s aerdynamic profile. This helps the plane fly more smoothly, using…

Americas Sierra Nevada Co. won a $400 million contract for the Airborne Mission Networking System. The contract provides for Airborne Mission Networking system kits for the MC-130 aircraft, as well as engineering services, contractor logistics support, program management, field service representative support, and over and above. The locations of performance are Centennial, Colorado; Colorado Springs, Colorado; Englewood, Colorado; Hagerstown, Maryland; Robins Air Force Base, Georgia; Eglin AFB, Florida, and Hurlburt Field, Florida. The work is expected to be completed by June 27, 2029. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Robins AFB, Warner Robins, Georgia, is the …

The U.S. Army has taken delivery of its first mobile laser weapon systems designed to counter unmanned aerial threats, according to a release issued September 3 by AeroVironment, Inc. The company confirmed the handoff of two prototype Laser Weapon Systems (LWS) under the Army’s Multi-Purpose High Energy Laser (AMP-HEL) program, a directed energy initiative managed […] The post U.S. Army gets first laser-armed squad vehicles first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Javelin, firing (click to view full) The FGM-148 Javelin missile system aimed to solve 2 key problems experienced by American forces. One was a series of disastrous experiences in Vietnam, trying to use 66mm M72 LAW rockets against old Soviet tanks. A number of replacement options like the Mk 153 SMAW and the AT4/M136 spun […]View the full article

RQ-4A Global Hawk (click to view full) Northrop Grumman’s RQ-4 Global Hawk UAV has established a dominant position in the High Altitude/ Long Endurance UAV market. While they are not cheap, they are uniquely capable. During Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), the system flew only 5% of the US Air Force’s high altitude reconnaissance sorties, but […]View the full article

For the first time, South Korea’s most secretive military intelligence unit, the Korea Defense Intelligence Command (KDIC), has gone public with a call for new recruits. On August 25, 2025, the Korea Forces Network (KFN), South Korea’s official defense media outlet, released a recruitment video announcing that KDIC is accepting applications for non-commissioned officers. The […] The post South Korea’s secretive spy force goes public first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

An Israeli-made Heron MK II unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) has been spotted at Shirahama Airport in Japan during a test flight conducted by Kawasaki Heavy Industries. Images shared on X by defense watcher Shiki Kuroha show the UAV, registered as 4X-NBB, fitted with electronic surveillance equipment. Under each wing, the aircraft carries electronic support measures […] The post Japan evaluates Israeli-made spy drone first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Americas General Dynamics Mission Systems Inc., based in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, has been awarded a $31.3 million contract modification to provide design and maintenance services for the US Navy’s Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ships. The work will include engineering, lifecycle sustainment, and system upgrades for these ships, with operations taking place in San Diego, California. The project is expected to be completed by March 2027. Funding for the contract comes from various Navy budgets. The fiscal 2025 procurement funds amount to $8,513,491, which is 78% of the total. Fiscal 2025 operation and maintenance funds contribute $1,537,260, or 14%. Additionally, t…

Americas Rockwell Collins, based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, has been awarded a $13.7 million contract to help maintain and improve the communication systems on KC-135 aircraft. The project includes adding a second radio to the planes for better communication. The work will take place in Cedar Rapids and at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma, and is expected to be finished by March 22, 2027. The Air Force is providing $7.35 million from its 2023 research and development budget to start the project. The contract is managed by the Air Force Lifecycle Management Center’s Legacy Tanker Branch at Tinker Air Force Base. The US Navy’s USS Toledo (SSN 769) has returned to service after…