Raw Intel

I like to bring back old FbF from the OB Blog—I’ve been doing them for over two decades…there are a lot—for the thousands of new subscribers (nothumble brag) who have not seen them. As one of the kids and I just finished all three Lord of the Rings movies in the extended director’s cut, I remembered that I did an FbF a dozen years ago about Christopher Lee (who played Saruman). I know there is some controversy about what he did or did not do. All that being said, what was verified was quite enough to deserve an FbF. Of the many reasons I left blogspot for Substack is that google owns blogspot, and at the height of wokeness, they started hiding or putting some of my post…

Ukrainian anti-drone systems manufacturer Kvertus has successfully tested a new maritime application scenario for its Azimuth electronic intelligence system, according to a report published by the defense outlet Oboronka. The company said the test demonstrated the system’s ability to provide early detection of radio-controlled unmanned aerial vehicles at sea, warning operators about approaching threats before […]View the full article

Ukraine has developed and tested a new multi-caliber air defense system named “Shershen,” according to a report published by the Ukrainian defense outlet Militarnyi. The main developer and systems integrator is a company that is part of the National Association of Defense Industries of Ukraine (NAUDI), working with several Ukrainian firms responsible for missile guidance […]View the full article

The United States Department of War has awarded BAE Systems a contract with a ceiling of $145 million for the development, manufacturing, and delivery of Counter Unmanned Aerial Systems weapon systems, the department announced Feb. 11, 2026. The contract includes an initial delivery order valued at $66,673,298 under FA8681-26-F-B012. Work will be performed in Hudson, […]View the full article

Rotron, a UK-based advanced defense technology company, has entered into a strategic agreement under which it will be acquired by Ondas, a move the company says will accelerate its global growth as a provider of long-range autonomous defense systems. The agreement positions Rotron to expand its reach across UK, NATO and allied markets while integrating […]View the full article

Russia’s state defense conglomerate Rostec confirmed that its High-Precision Systems holding has delivered a new batch of BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicles to the Russian Ministry of Defense, with January shipments exceeding planned targets by 40 percent. According to a statement from Rostec’s press service, the latest delivery includes upgraded BMP-3 vehicles incorporating a range of […]View the full article

A Ukrainian hacktivist group known as “256 Cyber Assault Division,” working alongside OSINT organizations InformNapalm and MILITANT, announced it conducted a counter-operation targeting Russian efforts to bypass Starlink restrictions and activate terminals through Ukrainian intermediaries. In a statement, the group said it launched a network of channels and bots to identify Russian military personnel attempting […]View the full article

Ukrainian armored vehicle manufacturer UKR ARMO TECH announced its intention to expand into the Middle East market while increasing production capacity to meet potential export demand, following its participation in the World Defense Show in Saudi Arabia. The company showcased its DESNA multi-purpose tactical vehicle and GYURZA-03 MRAP-class platform at the exhibition in the Kingdom […]View the full article

Everyone who has been to sea has this nightmare. A U.S. warship and a Navy supply vessel collided during refueling Wednesday afternoon, the U.S. Southern Command told Reuters in an emailed statement on Thursday. The Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Truxtun and the Supply-class fast combat support ship USNS Supply collided during a replenishment at sea, said the statement from the Southern Command, whose areas of responsibility include Central and South America and the Caribbean. It did not specify the location of the collision. The video is…something to behold. I have heard that the USS Gettysburg was on the other side when this took place, but was not dam…

Ukrainian Defense Forces struck one of Russia’s largest ammunition storage sites overnight on Feb. 12, targeting a comprehensive missile, munitions, and explosives arsenal near the settlement of Kotluban in Russia’s Volgograd region, according to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In a statement, the General Staff said units of the Defense Forces […]View the full article

United States Army Yuma Proving Ground is conducting live-fire tests of the Next Generation Rocket Assisted Projectile, a new 155mm artillery round designed to replace the legacy M549A1 and extend the range of current howitzer systems. According to officials at YPG, the Next Generation Rocket Assisted Projectile, or NGRAP, is intended to dramatically increase the […]View the full article

UAV Navigation-Grupo Oesía announced on Feb. 12 in Madrid that it has partnered with Poland-based Ekolot Aerospace & Defense (EAD) to integrate its flight control system into the ZEUS fixed-wing VTOL unmanned aircraft platform. According to the company, the collaboration will see UAV Navigation-Grupo Oesía’s guidance, navigation, and control systems embedded into ZEUS, Ekolot EAD’s […]View the full article

Recent photos and videos circulating on social media show that Iran has received Russian-made Mi-28NE attack helicopters, with aircraft spotted at Tehran’s Mehrabad Airport and observed conducting flight tests over the capital in early 2026. Several images of Mi-28NE helicopters have appeared from within and around hangars at Mehrabad Airport, where assembly work was reportedly […]View the full article

The UK-built HYDRA-400 ultra heavy-lift drone has successfully completed its first flight, according to a report by The Daily Express, drawing interest from the British Army and several NATO partners. The aircraft, developed by Hampshire-based manufacturer Hybrid Drones, is described as a first-in-class ultra heavy-lift uncrewed aerial vehicle capable of lifting up to 400 kilograms. […]View the full article

I’ve about reached my limit on lazy, high-emotion/low-reason, or performative reporting from Europe on the NATO/U.S. relationship. If the EuroLeft/EU-uber-alles crowd was really concerned about keeping the relationship between the U.S. and European NATO as good as possible, they would be making an effort to bridge and salve over some of the tough-love comments coming out of DC. However, that is not what they are doing. No, they are seeing a gap, and are trying to pound a wedge into it. They see a spark, and look to throw a litre of petrol on it. I guess what galls me the most is that their actions are, in operation, producing exactly the opposite condition they will tell…

Raytheon announced today that it has successfully tested a non-kinetic variant of its Coyote counter-drone system, known as Coyote Block 3NK. The company said Coyote Block 3NK is a counter-unmanned air system capable of loitering and defeating drone swarms while using a non-kinetic payload intended to minimize the potential for collateral damage. According to Raytheon, […]View the full article

Ukrainian defense manufacturer Inguar Defence has developed a new pickup variant of its Inguar-3 armored vehicle designed specifically for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) crews, the company announced this week. The new configuration, described by the manufacturer as an “Inguar-3 Pickup for UAV crews,” was developed “in strict compliance with the operational requirements defined by Lasar’s […]View the full article

The United States Army Maneuver Center of Excellence (MCoE) at Fort Benning launched the first pilot of the Robotic Autonomous Systems Leader Tactics Course (RASLT) on Feb. 10 as part of Army-wide Transforming in Contact initiatives. The three-week course is designed to prepare Army leaders for future conflicts in which autonomous and robotic systems will […]View the full article

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the Pentagon’s research and technology arm, issued a solicitation for its Compositional Learning-And-Reasoning for AI Complex Systems Engineering (CLARA) program, inviting proposals for high-assurance artificial intelligence research. The solicitation was released by DARPA’s Defense Sciences Office and seeks innovative basic or applied research concepts in “high assurance artificial […]View the full article

The U.S. Army issued a Request for Information to support market research for the Red Sands Hard Kill Challenge 2026, focused on countering Group 1–3 small unmanned aerial systems, including activities at the Red Sands Integrated Experimentation Center 23.2 at Shamal-2 Range in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The notice seeks industry input to assist […]View the full article