Raw Intel

Americas Bell Textron has selected Integris Composites to supply armor systems for the US Army’s Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) program. Integris highlighted that its contribution will focus on enhancing the upcoming rotorcraft’s durability, speed, range, and payload capabilities. The new aircraft will contribute to “our nation’s warfighters have the decisive edge in any theater where they are operating,” Integris Composites President Andrew Bonham. The US Army has awarded Lockheed Martin a contract to expand production capacity for the Patriot Advanced Capability – 3 (PAC-3) missile to 650 units annually. Lockheed emphasized that this initiative is a crucial …

India’s defense exports received a boost this month as BrahMos Aerospace signed cruise missile contracts worth ₹4,000 crore (approximately $455 million) with two foreign countries, according to Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. The announcement coincided with the ceremonial dispatch of the first batch of BrahMos missiles from the new BrahMos Integration and Testing Facility in […] The post India signs $455M BrahMos missile export deals first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Sweden is preparing to export up to 150 of its domestically built Gripen fighter jets to Ukraine under a new long-term defense cooperation framework, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson announced Wednesday. Following a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Linköping, Kristersson said that Sweden is committed to “exploring all the possibilities in providing Ukraine […] The post Ukraine begins talks for 100+ Gripen fighter jets first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

On August 28, 2025, the Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) of Ukraine confirmed that its special operations forces carried out a coordinated drone attack against a Russian Project 21631 Buyan-M small missile ship. The vessel, a known Kalibr cruise missile carrier, was operating near the Temryuk Bay area off the coast of temporarily occupied Crimea. According […] The post Ukraine hits Russian Kalibr carrier in Azov Sea first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Americas Performance Drone Works (PDW) has received more than $15.3 million in contracts to deliver its proprietary C100 small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS) to the US Army. The drones will support the force’s posture across high-profile theaters, according to the Alabama-based company, with most to be distributed across the Indo-Pacific, European, and Central Command areas of responsibility. The “game-changing” capabilities are expected to provide medium-range reconnaissance and tactical air support. Raytheon has been awarded a $401.2 million full-rate production contract by the US Navy for 131 Block V Tomahawk missiles. As part of the contract, 26 missiles will be deliv…

Ukrainian unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) developers are accelerating battlefield innovation through hands-on testing with frontline troops, using feedback from the recent Strike UGV Crash Test to refine their platforms for real combat conditions. Organized by the Snake Island Institute, AB3 TECH, the 3rd Assault Brigade’s NC13 Strike UGV Company, and the 3rd Army Corps, the […] The post Ukraine puts UGVs through battlefield stress test first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Boeing has been awarded a $2.04 billion task order to continue development work on the B-52 Commercial Engine Replacement Program, a major step in the long-running effort to modernize the U.S. Air Force’s B-52H bomber fleet. According to the award notice, the task order covers post–Critical Design Review development under the B-52 Commercial Engine Replacement […]View the full article

The U.S. Army has moved a step closer to fielding its next-generation main battle tank, the Abrams M1E3, by issuing a comprehensive market survey to American industry. The request, released by the Program Executive Office for Ground Combat Systems (PEO GCS) through the federal System for Award Management portal, seeks detailed information on industrial capacity […] The post U.S. Army prepares for next-gen tank production first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Ukrainian drone operators have intercepted and destroyed a rare Russian Skat-type reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicle, according to video and a statement released by Wild Hornets, a developer of interceptor drones. Systems like the Skat-450M are used not only for surveillance but also for guiding strikes, including those carried out with Iskander ballistic missile systems. Wild […]View the full article

South Korea’s military is quietly preparing for what it sees as a deeply troubling possibility: that North Korea could use a future conflict over Taiwan as an opportunity to attack the South or destabilize the Korean Peninsula while U.S. forces are engaged elsewhere. In a conversation with Defence Blog on condition of anonymity, a senior […] The post South Korea prepares for possible Northern attack during Taiwan war first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Happy ‘trails… (click to view full) The C-17 has had more money-driven last hurrahs than The Who. Even so, FY 2010 featured the USAF’s last planned orders of C-17 Globemaster III short field, heavy-lift transport jets. The Pentagon had been trying to end the program for years, but 3 factors led Congress to keep adding […]View the full article

China is advancing efforts to challenge one of the world’s most widely exported combat drones, the Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2, with a new domestically developed system undergoing flight testing. At the AVIC test range, engineers are putting the CH-3D combat drone through a series of evaluations. The aircraft, developed by China’s state-owned aviation giant AVIC, is […] The post China targets Bayraktar TB2’s market dominance with new armed drone first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Kymeta Corporation announced today that its Osprey u8 satellite terminal has been selected as a multi-orbit communications solution for the U.S. Army’s Next Generation Command and Control (NGC2) Pilot, underscoring the service’s push for resilient, mobile networking capabilities in complex operational environments. The selection of Kymeta’s technology follows Army assessments under programs such as Armored […] The post U.S. Army selects Osprey u8 satellite terminal for resilient comms first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Americas Global military spending reached $2.718 trillion in 2024, marking a 9.4 percent increase over 2023, the largest annual rise since the end of the Cold War, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) reported. This marks the 10th consecutive year of rising spending worldwide, particularly in Europe and the Middle East. The top five spenders last year were the US, China, Russia, Germany, and India. “As governments increasingly prioritize military security, often at the expense of other budget areas, the economic and social trade-offs could have significant effects on societies for years to come,” said Xiao Liang, Researcher with the SIPRI Military …

Americas The US Air Force has awarded Conti Federal a $31.7-million deal to establish a B-21 Raider stealth bomber fuel cell hangar at Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota. The project will convert the installation’s existing Dock 81 to Fuel Cell Hangar B7242, comprising fuel systems maintenance supporting the precision strike aircraft. At approximately 26,000 square feet (2,415 square meters), the site will include a fuel cell bay to fit one aircraft, sustainment storage spaces, and service utility divisions. Renovations will deliver a corridor connecting the hangar to the Fuels Systems Maintenance Dock currently under construction by the company. The US Air Force has accepted th…

Americas Mass Virtual Inc. has launched an extended reality (XR) solution at Fort Bliss to optimize the training of US Army aerial intelligence units. The project covers the installation of the Florida-based company’s proprietary MassXR simulator, which provides “high-fidelity” and “repeatable” virtual lessons on the operation and sustainment of critical sensors and surveillance aboard an aircraft. It’s now part of the Virtual Aerial Systems Trainer (VAST) program, which trains future aircrews for ATHENA and HADES surveillance aircraft. The US Air Force is bringing cutting-edge helmet display technology to its veteran fighter fleet, announcing a contract with Thales for S…

Americas The US Navy has introduced a tethered capability to accelerate experiments for tactical unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Called the Tethered Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Experimentation Payload System (TULEPS), the solution supports the evaluation of drone software and mission equipment under real-world conditions. Users can attach the machine’s cord directly to a generic UAV airframe without requiring flight authorizations, under all weather conditions, and with various power payloads for endurance trials. The Pentagon’s Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) has contracted six small businesses to expedite the construction of Virginia-class submarines. The $5-billion Maritim…

Americas The US Navy has provided upgrades to three Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruisers to extend their service life for 10 years from 2026 to 2029. Revealed by US Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro, the modernization will sustain the American surface fleet’s capability as the force and industry partners build more advanced platforms. Selected vessels under this initiative are the USS Gettysburg (CG 64), USS Chosin (CG 65), and the USS Cape St. George (CG 71), which were all built in the 1980s. As part of the Army’s quest to boost weapons production, it is reestablishing TNT production on US soil, inking a deal to build out a new facility in Graham, Ky. “For the first t…

France’s next-generation military helicopter, the H160M Guepard, has completed a flight milestone at Airbus Helicopters’ Marignane facility, according to an announcement from the Direction générale de l’armement (DGA) on July 24. Developed as part of the Light Joint Helicopter (HIL) program, the Guépard is intended to provide a modular, multi-role rotorcraft platform across all three […] The post France’s next-gen military helicopter makes its first flight first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

What, pray tell, does one have to have to have a lead role in a FbF? Character. Today, we have the character of a strong, smart women who lived in a period of time when most women were little more than property. Another great woman who we just have a hint of what she was; I give you .Ela, Countess of Salisbury. Ela, only child of Eleanor de Vitre and William, 2nd Earl of Salisbury, from whom she inherited large estates in Wiltshire, was born (date unknown) at Amesbury. The estates, including Chitterne, had been held by Ela’s great- great-grandfather, Edward, after William the Conqueror defeated King Harold. Ela’s grandfather, Patrick, constable of Salisbury, was create…