Raw Intel

Japan’s Ministry of Defense on Feb. 7 held a ceremony marking the deployment of F-35B fighter aircraft at Nyutabaru Air Base, according to a statement released by the ministry. The event formally marked the start of F-35B basing at Nyutabaru, a key installation of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force. The ministry said the ceremony was […]View the full article

The Swiss Federal Council confirmed on March 6, 2026, that Switzerland will proceed with the acquisition of Lockheed Martin F-35A fighter jets but will no longer pursue the originally planned fleet of 36 aircraft due to financial constraints. Instead, the government intends to purchase the maximum number of aircraft possible within the financial framework approved […]View the full article

The United States Air Force appears to have launched a combat search-and-rescue mission over Iran after the crew of a U.S. F-15 reportedly ejected following a crash. Current reporting indicates that two crew members successfully ejected, but their exact location had not been determined at the time of publication. That uncertainty appears to have triggered […]View the full article

Every few years I repost this little bit from 2005. It has been a half decade. It is time again, with some slight improvements. In a culture where more often than not, all your neighbors are really just transients - they move in and out every few years, chasing whatever opportunity or ambition pulls them next. Their families are scattered hither and yon; few really related to anyone. I've wondered for a while what impact the reality of the rolling, self-imposed Internally Displaced Persons has had on our nation - perhaps causing us to miss something. Is it a net gain, or a net loss? Well, perhaps I’m projecting; I have always thought I was missing something. Sure, p…

Russia sank the original Henichesk in 2022, striking the minesweeper with cruise missiles launched from occupied Crimea while it was covering the withdrawal of special forces troops near the Kinburn Spit, and on Monday Ukraine got the name back in the only way that matters at sea: on the bow of a warship flying the […]View the full article

Türkiye has reportedly sold its Russian-made S-400 air defense system to a Gulf state, according to Hürriyet columnist Abdülkadir Selvi, whose report ties the transaction directly to Türkiye’s yearslong effort to escape American sanctions and potentially reopen the door to purchasing F-35 fighter jets. Selvi wrote that the sale had been finalized after last-minute details […]View the full article

Japan’s government has used its most authoritative annual security document to declare that China and Russia are no longer just cooperating occasionally near its shores, they are actively strengthening coordinated military activity, Nikkei reported. Japan’s Ministry of Defense published its 2026 Defense White Paper on Aug. 4, expressing new alarm over deepening military cooperation between […]View the full article

The U.S. Department of War has ordered 14,000 attack drones and explosive payloads from California drone maker Neros after the company finished near the top of both events in the Pentagon’s latest Drone Dominance competition, a deal Neros values at more than $100 million. Neros announced the order on Sept. 30 and said it had […]View the full article

Airbus has delivered the third A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport to Spain, completing the three-aircraft order the Spanish Ministry of Defense placed in 2021. The company announced the handover on X, and Spanish media reported that the ceremony took place on Oct. 20 at its plant in Getafe, outside Madrid. The tanker will join the […]View the full article

This will be a wonderful capability some day, but when, and at what price? Without timely and accurate intelligence, regardless of source, an operator cannot maneuver his fleet or employ his weapons. Whether we want to find, fix, and finish terrorists from the sea, or engage in long range maritime scouting against a belligerent Navy, a sufficient quality and quantity of "multi-int" capable air platforms is essential. The SECDEF realized in 2008 that a shortage of airborne intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) platforms was hurting our efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Following some prodding, the Air Force finally shifted into gear and began to build…

The Navy just released an interesting video of Raytheon's Griffin missile testing from USS Monsoon (PC-4) off VACAPES last month. Although relatively short-range (about 5km), Griffin brings some much-needed offensive firepower to the PCs. The $45k a pop Griffin has proliferated in the U.S. military in the past few years, with roll-on installations on Marine Corps C-130s and other aircraft. Monsoon's testing also represented a successful demonstration of laser designation and targeting at sea (albeit on a clear day). The dual quad-pack Griffin set up onboard Monsoon is very compact and lends itself to installation onboard even smaller vessels such as the MK VI. The …

My youngest daughter was born in the first half of 2001. I was deployed for half of the first year of her life. She's now a sophomore in college and a great blessing is that I still see her and her friends on a regular basis. A few of her peers have already been in the military for a year or more. All they have known their entire life is that, of course, we have always been at war in Central Asia. As readers here know, I helped in a very minor role to kick off the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan and then deployed there again in 2008 and 2009 as another staff weenie before I left active duty to come home. I've been thinking a lot about that country for two decades. I've …

Americas General Electric won a $101.5 million contract modification, which procures 21 T408-GE-400 turboshaft engines and associated engine, programmatic and logistics services in support of CH-53K King Stallion Lot Five low rate initial production aircraft. The King Stallion is the premier heavy-lift helicopter ever built by the United States government. It is an all-new heavy-lift helicopter that will expand the fleet’s ability to move more material more rapidly. That power comes from three new General Electric T-408 engines, which are more powerful and more fuel efficient than the T-64 engines currently outfitted on the CH-53E. The T408 gives the CH-53K helicopter the…

Just a quick post to put down a marker about something that has been around our Navy a long time, and that we've covered here for over a decade; affinity groups. They seem harmless, and just pop up now and then. Here's a typical example from 2019; Unless you've been to one of their meetings, read their literature, or subjected your admin department to processing their flood of self-serving awards, you may not have insight in to where they are in the diversity industry ecosystem and what role they play in keeping people divided along sectarian lines. They know what they are and what their mission is - heck look them up yourself - but only now and then to they let the …

One thing the USA can do better than anyone else is move a lot of people quickly even in the most hazardous environment. As mentioned by MG Taylor, USA this AM, in the last 24-hrs 25 C-17, 3 C-130 and 61 commercial aircraft carried 16,000 people out of Kabul. The US military was responsible for a little under 11,000 of those. MG Taylor: As of this morning, 25 U.S. Military C-17s, 3 U.S. Military C-130s and 61 charter/commercial flights departed Kabul. The total passenger count for those flights was approximately 16,000. Of that number, the U.S. military transported just under 11,000 personnel. pic.twitter.com/wsZYBAa3Mh — Department of Defense 🇺🇸 (@DeptofDefense) August…

As I like to do on Thanksgiving, I would like to thank one specific blessing; the US Navy's Culinary Specialists, Mess Cranks, and everyone who makes the extra effort to put together such an important feast for our Sailors on such an important national holiday. We love you guys ... and maybe we don't say it enough - but even if we do, we'll say it again today. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?d=yIl2AUoC8zA http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?d=qj6IDK7rITs http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=jzvfEIu-aQY:I4fY5tL1bFw:gIN9vFwOqvQ http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=jzvfEIu-aQY:I4fY5tL1bFw:-BTjWOF_DHI http://feeds.feedburner.…

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kcH8VE_NEvU/U__5GZlYeuI/AAAAAAAAImQ/bUmQEYfEGI4/s320/horba1.jpgWhen do you accept defeat? When do you allow your morale to be beaten down? Think you have an excuse to complain about things in your military career that are beyond your control? Really? Years ago Pawel sent me a link to one of the many unsung (at least in the Anglosphere) heroes from Poland who fought on the Western front. I've always had a soft spot for their story, but we've discussed them here mostly in their ground component support. Simply an amazing story of so many who fought for their nation only see it liberated from one occupier to be handed to another. Those who survive…

A nation’s foreign policy is driven by more than just the whims and desires of the Chief Executive. Through government, academia, institutions, and individuals of influence there are a variety of different schools of thought on what should underpin the decision making process. Well known general descriptors of these schools include “interventionist,” “isolationist,” “internationalist,” and even well known sub-species of the major schools who are known by the actions they wish to take - usually that involve the use of military power - “Responsibility to Protect,” to “Nation Building” to the old saw from over a century ago, “Make the World Safe for Democracy.” One long-stan…

Americas Lockheed Martin won a $214.5 million deal for multinational early start engineering efforts including planning and advance studies, requirements development, and performance assessment of the planned modernization and new combat system capabilities selection for current and future International Partner ships operating AEGIS. This contract involves Foreign Military Sales to Canada and other countries. Work […]View the full article

Americas The US Navy has taken delivery of the second John Lewis-class fleet replenishment oiler, the USNS Harvey Milk (T-AO 206), from General Dynamics National Steel and Shipbuilding Company. The handover follows the completion of acceptance trials to assess the vessel’s readiness and overall capability. The Brazilian Air Force 1st Air Defense Group (1st GDA) […]View the full article