Raw Intel

Washington has approved Brazil’s request to purchase 100 FIM-92K Stinger Block I missiles to enhance the country’s short-range air defense capability, in a transaction valued at $330 million that upgrades South America’s largest military’s ability to protect its own airspace, with the State Department saying the sale would support Brazil’s territorial security and counter narco-terrorist […]View the full article

The Czech Army held a handover ceremony on July 10 at the 73rd Tank Battalion’s base in Přáslavice, a garrison town in the Olomouc region of eastern Czechia, marking the delivery of the final Leopard 2A4 in a fleet that now totals 42 tanks. The Leopard 2A4 is an earlier variant of Germany’s Leopard 2 […]View the full article

A Russian air defense battery that had been launching missiles at Ukrainian cities for days finally went up in flames, and Ukraine’s drone operators are taking credit for putting it there. Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces, a dedicated branch of the country’s military built specifically around drone warfare, struck a Russian S-400 Triumf air defense position […]View the full article

Israeli satellite company ImageSat International unveiled a new Earth observation satellite on September 8 designed to capture imagery sharp enough to identify small objects on the ground from orbit, while processing some of that data in space before it ever reaches an analyst. The satellite, called EROS NOVA, will capture imagery at a native resolution […]View the full article

Latest updates: Total rises to 68. Replacement required (click to view full) War takes its toll on equipment, as well as men. In some cases, it wears out. In other cases, enemy fire or accidents destroy equipment. The USA has recognized this fact by funding wartime replacement expenditures as supplemental funding, which is outside the normal budgetary process. The intent is that this money will be spent on replacing equipment that has been worn out, damaged or destroyed, or will be used to provide specialized capabilities like MRAP mine-resistant vehicles that are directly related to front-line demands. Admittedly, this hasn’t always been true. Politicians are what …

Americas The Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile – Extended Range (AARGM-ER) carried out a captive carry flight on an F/A-18F on April 22 and the missile was able to communicate with the host aircraft for the first time. This flight is in support of the first live fire test of the AARGM-ER that is scheduled this spring. A series of aerial maneuvers done during the flight validated the compatibility of the missile with the F/A-18E/F. The first two F-15EX fighter planes of the US Air Force are participating in an Alaska training exercise, the Air Force said. Two of the new-model aircraft have been built, and both are elements of the Northern Edge 21 exercise underway un…

Time to pull out the Salamander wargame matrix. When I talk “wargame” I am not talking about something that is done with a board with a bunch of little pieces being moved around, that is a Tactical wargame. No, what I am talking about is a grey-matter wargame at the Operational and Strategic level. For those who don’t follow me on twitter, I outlined how this works a couple of weeks ago, For those not in "the guild" - "Blue" here are the good guys, the "Red" here are the bad guys. I'm only going to do 1 combination and 1 round. I'll define that for you; "1 combo" is how you run Blue vs. Red in the matrix you see here. You simplify Blue & Red in to two Courses of Act…

Americas Continental Maritime of San Diego won an $88 million deal for the execution of the USS Chafee (DDG 90) fiscal 2023 depot modernization period and the USS Momsen (DDG 92) fiscal 2024 depot modernization period. These availabilities will include a combination of maintenance, modernization, and repair for both the USS Chafee and USS Momsen. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $204,493,154. Work will be performed in the San Diego, California, and is expected to be completed by June 2025. Two aerial porters from the 87th Aerial Port Squadron were impressed when they were allowed to use a pneumatical…

As we ended last week's show with a whole list of topics we wanted to discuss, this Sunday we're going to pick up right where we left off with a Midrats Maritime Melee! From submarines to Australia to the opening of mud season in Ukraine, we'll cover the latest - or at least the more interesting - topics in the national security arena. As with all our free-for-all formats, we have open topic and the switchboard phone line is open. If you have a topic you would like to discussed or want to call in with a question for the hosts ... join us live from 5-6pm Eastern. No guests, no set agenda, just open phones, open minds, and open chat room for those who are with us live Sunda…

Americas Triumph Engine Control Systems won a $49.2 million deal by the US Army for CH-47 Chinook main fuel control overhauls and upgrades. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of July 31, 2028. Raytheon won a $175 […]View the full article

Americas Raytheon won a $38.2 million order for the procurement of AEGIS modernization kits for Navy guided-missile destroyers and allied nations. This contract combines purchases for the US. Navy; and the governments of Japan and Australia, under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. Work is expected to be completed by February 2028. Naval Sea Systems […]View the full article

Americas Raytheon won a $14 million modification for the continued design, integration, test, and delivery of Joint Multiple Effects Warhead System to be installed into the Recertified Tomahawk All-Up-Round in support of the Navy. Work is expected to be completed in August 2025. Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Canada is advancing its program to construct new conventionally-powered submarines, issuing a request for information from industry stakeholders to assess their capability and capacity to build and deliver up to 12 submarines. Public Services and Procurement Canada issued the request “to gain further information on t…

Taiwan’s military has unveiled what appears to be a mobile missile launcher disguised as a civilian delivery truck—part of what analysts say may be a growing fleet of improvised yet highly capable coastal defense systems aimed at deterring a potential amphibious assault by China. Footage recently released by Taiwanese defense forces shows a standard-looking commercial […] The post Taiwan hides Hellfire launcher in civilian truck first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported that Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) vessels engaged in aggressive and dangerous actions against a Philippine government vessel in the West Philippine Sea on Tuesday morning, damaging equipment and injuring a crew member. According to PCG spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela, the incident occurred at approximately 9:14 AM while the BRP […] The post Chinese Coast Guard attacks Philippine vessel first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Pick a time, any time, in the last dozen years that there wasn’t a clear bipartisan agreement that this nation needed a Navy to match the strategic challenge on the other side of the International Date Line. From President Obama’s Pacific Pivot 14 years ago, to the Davidson Window, to Trump-45’s 350-ship Navy, to the Trump-47 re-focus on the Pacific. It is all right there. Where a bit under a century ago, in the midst of a global depression, those in Congress and industry saw the same threat for their time. In 1936, they turned into the wind so by the time war was upon them a half decade in the future, they already had a head of steam going to bring the fleet in early 194…

Italian Centauro B1 wheeled tank destroyers have been spotted on Ukrainian frontlines, the press service of the 78th Separate Assault Airborne Regiment said, offering the first visual confirmation of the vehicles’ presence despite reports that surfaced earlier. The footage, released to mark Airborne Forces Day, shows Centauro B1s fitted with an array of improvised protective […]View the full article

The U.S. Department of State has approved a potential Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Belgium for up to 240 Hellfire missiles, along with a broad package of support equipment and services, at an estimated cost of $79 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) announced that it has delivered the required certification notifying […]View the full article

France’s Dassault Aviation announced that it delivered 26 Rafale fighter jets in 2025, surpassing its annual plan of 25 aircraft. The company said the deliveries included 15 jets for export customers and 11 for the French Armed Forces. According to Dassault Aviation, the 2025 output exceeds the previous year, when 21 Rafales were delivered — […]View the full article

London Defence R&D publicly revealed its new Raptor Pilot AI Pro system at the World Defense Show, presenting the platform as an AI-powered autopilot designed for unmanned aerial vehicles and robotic systems, the company said. The unveiling marked the first public presentation of its latest developments, including Raptor Pilot AI Pro and the Raptor XL […]View the full article

The United States has approved a possible $151.8 million Foreign Military Sale to Israel for air-delivered munitions and related support, according to a congressional notification released March 6 by the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs. The proposed package includes 12,000 BLU-110A/B 1,000-pound class munition bodies along with engineering, logistics, and technical support services. […]View the full article