Raw Intel

The French Army’s 35th Parachute Artillery Regiment (35e Régiment d’Artillerie Parachutiste) carried out its first live-fire demonstration with the new PROTEUS counter-drone system at the Canjuers training area on October 18. According to the regiment, it is the first French Army unit to receive PROTEUS systems configured to the latest Standard 1 version. The 4th […] The post French paratroopers test new PROTEUS anti-drone system first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Americas Northrop Grumman won a $119 million long-term, requirements contract for the repair of 17 weapon replaceable assemblies and shop replaceable assemblies in support of the E-2 aircrafts. Work will take place in Syracuse, New York; Duluth, Georgia; Woodland Hills, California (4%); Burnsville, Minnesota; and Ronkonkoma, New York. No funds will be obligated at time […]View the full article

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It’s time to catch up on the latest issues on the maritime and national security front and get out of the summer heat. Midrats goes LIVE today at 5pm Eastern in our free-for-all format. Hop in the show chat room and offer your topics and question…or observations of the topics we’ll discuss. You can join live at this link, but if you are reading this after the show, just check this Substack post later Sunday when I’ll update this page with the podcast. COME JOIN US! Leave a comment Share This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. View the full article

Americas Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. has received a $100 million contract modification to improve and maintain H-53 helicopters. The work includes software updates, cost reduction analysis, and extending the helicopters’ service life. This project will benefit the Marine Corps, Navy, and foreign military customers. The work will mainly take place in Stratford, Connecticut, and is set to finish by March 2028. Tyonek Technical Services LLC has been awarded a $46 million contract to provide on-site depot maintenance for Air Force Special Operations Command’s C-130 fleet. The work, which includes support for weapons systems and subsystems, will take place at Hurlburt Field, Flori…

B-52 aircraft from the United States Air Force have arrived at Morón Air Base in Spain as part of Bomber Task Force Europe 26-1, according to information provided by the service. The bombers deployed from Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, on November 8, 2025, and will conduct multilateral training missions with Finland, Lithuania and Sweden, […]View the full article

An exclusive report by Babel has revealed the operations of a Ukrainian strike unit that converts commercial ultralight aircraft into long-range unmanned combat drones capable of hitting Russian targets hundreds of kilometers away. The covert unit, part of the 14th Regiment of Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces, has carried out 102 missions, 78 of which were […] The post Ukraine converts ultralights into unmanned bombers first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Americas The US Department of Defense has introduced a new strategy aimed at enhancing the protection of military facilities and personnel from the growing threat of drones. While the strategy itself is classified, an unclassified fact sheet details its broader scope, including expanding the Pentagon’s knowledge of emerging drone threat patterns. The strategy also emphasizes stronger collaboration with allies and industry partners to ensure the rapid, large-scale deployment of counter-drone solutions. Northrop Grumman has been tapped to provide a significant upgrade to the US Marine Corps’ F/A-18 fleet, enhancing the aircraft’s targeting capabilities with its Advanced Tac…

Ukrainian military-affiliated sources report that Russia has begun using its newest air-to-air missile, known as Izdelie 180 or the K-77M, in combat operations over Ukraine. The missile, a modernized variant of the earlier Izdelie 170 (R-77), is believed to feature a two-mode propulsion system, enhanced aerodynamic control surfaces, and a new active radar seeker. According […] The post Russia fields new long-range air-to-air missile first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Americas Boeing won a $2 billion modification for E-7A Rapid Prototyping. The modification is for the definitization of the UCA. Work will be performed in Tukwila, Washington, and is expected to be completed by August 28, 2029. There are no funds being obligated at the time of award. Hanscom Air Force Base, Bedford, Massachusetts, is the contracting activity. The deal represents a significant milestone for both parties, who have been working to finalize terms since an initial agreement was signed in 2023. The path to contract finalization was fraught with challenges. The Air Force initially faced difficulties in aligning its requirements with those of the United Kingdom, …

Hypersonic missiles are forcing a rethink of global air defense, and Israel is urging South Korea to join the next phase of technological development. Yuval Baseski, Vice President of Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, told the South Korean outlet Maeil Business Newspaper that both North Korea and Iran are investing heavily in hypersonic missile programs. […] The post Israel pushes Korea to join hypersonic defense development first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Ukrainian forces have introduced a new naval drone designed for operations on the Dnipro River, according to a report from the defense news outlet Militarnyi. The system, named Barracuda, was developed by the special unit “Barracuda,” which operates under the 40th Separate Coastal Defense Brigade, part of the 30th Marine Corps. The report said the […] The post Ukraine’s Marines develop new naval drone for littoral warfare first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Finland-based arms manufacturer SAKO has announced the launch of its new Arctic Rifle Generation (ARG), a family of military rifles developed in close cooperation with the Finnish and Swedish Defense Forces. The company says the system is designed to replace aging assault rifles with a modular, next-generation platform tailored for Arctic warfare and tested to […] The post Finnish gun-maker debuts ARG next-gen rifle system first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Americas Lockheed Martin has announced the first-ever launch of a Patriot PAC-3 missile segment enhancement (MSE) interceptor using the Virtualized Aegis Weapon System. Conducted in collaboration with various US Department of Defense components, the test saw the advanced missile engage and neutralize a cruise missile target mid-flight. It utilized a ground-based MK-70 containerized launch platform from […]View the full article

Ukrainian defense advisor Serhii “Flash” Beskrestnov has published technical details of a little-known Russian interceptor drone known as “Yolka.” According to Beskrestnov, the Yolka interceptor operates only during daylight and cannot be used in rainy conditions. Its effective range is approximately 3 kilometers, with a stated speed of up to 200 km/h. The system is […]View the full article

Americas Lockheed Martin won a $22.7 million modification to exercise an option for industrial post-delivery availability support for the Freedom-variant Littoral Combat Ship USS Cleveland (LCS 31). Work will be performed in Marinette, Wisconsin, and is expected to be completed by March 2025. Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, DC, is the contracting activity. Green Expert […]View the full article

South Korea is launching a sweeping initiative to ensure that every soldier in uniform learns to operate drones, with the Ministry of National Defense unveiling its “500,000 Drone Warriors” program on September 4. The effort is designed to integrate unmanned systems into all Army units, making drone flight skills a standard part of military training. […] The post South Korea to train every soldier as drone operator first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Defense technology firm V2X has unveiled its new Tempest combat vehicle at the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) 2025 exposition. According to the company, Tempest is purpose-built for fast, low-profile missions where mobility and survivability are critical. The vehicle can detect, track, and neutralize Class 2 and Class 3 unmanned aerial systems (UAS) […] The post V2X develops missile-armed dune buggy first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Americas The Swiss Federal Office for Armaments (armasuisse) has started delivery of 22 decommissioned F-5E/F Tiger II fighter jets to the United States. The first aircraft was picked up by the United States Marine Corps (USMC) on March 18 from Emmen Air Force Station aboard a Lockheed KC-130J transport aircraft. The sale, finalized in 2020, […]View the full article

For a long time running, it has been an eye-rolling joke how off-the-rails, political, and nonsensical ship naming and classifications conventions have become. The classic example is from many of the navies in Europe where everything has to be a frigate. Even when clearly some are destroyers or even light cruisers: frigate. All over the place, civilian politicians who are high on the emotion and low on the reason scale of things—and are beset with almost no knowledge of sea power or naval history—think they can make everything soft-soft by not seeming too “belligerent” with their <checks notes> military. They are haunted by other generations’ ghosts and bad academi…