Raw Intel

A ballistic missile alert sent Japan’s government scrambling into emergency mode on the evening of Aug. 6, triggering crisis meetings at the highest levels within minutes of the launch, even though the missile ultimately posed no direct threat to Japanese territory. Japan’s Ministry of Defense and Cabinet Secretariat announced that North Korea launched at least […]View the full article

L3Harris Technologies has finished building the first 35 units of an electronic warfare system designed to protect F-16 fighter jets from radar-guided missiles and other threats, the company announced, marking the start of full production after years of development. The system, called Viper Shield and officially designated the AN/ALQ-254(V)1, detects and jams enemy radar signals […]View the full article

Finnish satellite company ICEYE and telecommunications group Nokia will jointly develop broadband satellite communications systems that governments can own and run themselves, with the first satellites expected to launch in 2028, the two companies said on Oct. 1. The systems will use satellites in low Earth orbit, a few hundred kilometers above the surface, to […]View the full article

Britain will send Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter jets to Saudi Arabia to shoot down Houthi missiles and drones aimed at Saudi cities and critical infrastructure, the UK Defense Ministry said on Oct. 20. CNN reported that the jets will fly defensive counter-air missions over the kingdom, and a spokesperson for the prime minister’s office […]View the full article

Americas Raytheon won a $7 million modification in support of the evolved Seasparrow Missile Block II life of type buy of parts for the NATO Seasparrow Consortium. The Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM) (RIM-162) is a medium-range, surface-to-air missile designed and manufactured by Raytheon Missile Systems. It offers naval combatants reliable self-defense and high fire-power. Work will take place in California and Arizona. Estimated completion date is in October 2021. Boeing won a $487 million deal for Apache AH-64 engineering services and technical support. The AH-64E Apache is designed and equipped with an open systems architecture including the latest communications,…

Americas Huntington Ingalls won an $18 million contract modification for the advance planning requirements to support the refueling complex overhaul of the USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75). The USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) is the eighth Nimitz class aircraft carrier in service with the United States Navy. She was launched on September 7, 1996 by Newport News Shipbuilding, Newport News, Virginia, and commissioned on July 25, 1998. Work will take place in Virginia. Estimated completion is in November 2022. Sikorsky won a $31.2 million modification, which exercises an option to provide non-recurring engineering to include, investigation, systems engineering support, risk analys…

Americas The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) published a request for information on June 14 seeking industry feedback on a concept to wirelessly recharge unmanned air vehicles using a high-powered laser mounted on an external pod. Agency officials want industry feedback on the possibility of retrofitting aerial refueling aircraft like the Air Force’s KC-46 and KC-135 with “an underwing power beaming pod” to wirelessly recharge a fleet of unmanned aerial systems. The benefits of having drones recharge their batteries in mid-air include extended range and having small energy storage capacities. The installation of AN/APG-83 radars on 72 Air National Guard…

For centuries, since first in England and then in the United Kingdom, there was a habit/tradition in the English speaking world of getting involved in wars on the continent, directly or indirectly, for the simple reason of wanting to ensure a balance - or at least - a disaggregated power on Continental Europe. There is also a strong connection more than just language in the "Five Eyes" nations of Great Britain, the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. We all share a certain view of our place in the world we helped create. The rebellious child of the USA can be late to the game on occasion, but when the Mother Country goes to war, CAN, AUS, NZL go with her.…

The news does not stop on the national security front, and as we approach the end of 1QCY23, a couple of weeks without a Midrats can only add to everyone's confusion. For the full hour we're going to cover the waterfront from the Sea of Azov to the parking lots of San Diego's waterfront. 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 Sunday from 5-6pm Eastern. Join us live if you can, bu…

Americas Lockheed Martin won a $99.5 million modification, which procures long lead time materials, parts, components, and efforts in support of maintaining on-time production and delivery of 147 Lot 18 F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft for the Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy, Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customers, and non-US Department of Defense (DOD) participants. Work […]View the full article

Americas The US Senate approved $60 billion in funding for Ukraine on Tuesday, but the Republican-led House Speaker indicated his chamber will reject the bill. The $95 billion package includes funding for Israel’s military and key strategic ally Taiwan, but the lion’s share would help Ukraine restock depleted ammunition supplies, weapons and other crucial needs […]View the full article

Pakistan’s Army has introduced the FATAH-IV, a new ground-launched subsonic cruise missile with enhanced range and precision, according to the Clash Report. The FATAH-IV has a stated range of 750 kilometers, a reported accuracy of five meters, and travels at approximately 0.7 Mach. The missile weighs 1,530 kilograms and carries a 330-kilogram warhead, making it […] The post Pakistan debuts new cruise missile first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Russian analysts and pro-military commentators are openly criticizing the country’s latest Zapad 2025 military exercises, accusing the country’s Ministry of Defense of staging unrealistic maneuvers that ignore hard-learned lessons from the war in Ukraine. Influential Telegram channel Voenny Osvedomitel, known for its ties to military insiders and OSINT groups, condemned the exercises as out of […] The post Russian large-scale exercises draw skepticism from analysts first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

A South Korean lawmaker is calling on the country’s Ministry of National Defense to remove remnants of Japanese military terminology still in use within the Republic of Korea Armed Forces. According to documentation submitted by the ministry, numerous terms originating from the Imperial Japanese Army remain embedded in daily military language—decades after the end of […] The post South Korean lawmaker pushes to eliminate Japanese military terms first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Lockheed Martin says it has delivered the 750th HIMARS launcher, marking what the company describes as a milestone in the program’s history and an indicator of increasing demand among the U.S. Army and partner nations. “From the battlefields of today to the evolving threats of tomorrow, HIMARS has consistently delivered precision and readiness to the […]View the full article

The United States Air Force has ended the operational presence of the UH-1N Huey at Yokota Air Base in Japan, marking the conclusion of more than four decades of continuous rotary-wing operations across the Pacific theater. On December 3, 2025, Airmen from the 730th Air Mobility Squadron and the 22nd Airlift Squadron at Travis Air […]View the full article

Russia faces a growing crisis over the state of its navy after prominent military analysts publicly acknowledged that the fleet is incapable of defending Russian-linked oil tankers from foreign interception. The assessment, made by pro-Kremlin analysts and amplified by the military channel Voyennyy Osvedomitel, comes as U.S. forces continue seizing sanctioned vessels around the world. […]View the full article

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