Raw Intel

China and Egypt have agreed to cooperate on the local production of armed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), signaling a new stage in bilateral defense ties. The deal was formalized through a memorandum of understanding signed today between Egypt’s Arab Organization for Industrialization (AOI) and China’s NORINCO, officially known as the China North Industries Corporation. According […]View the full article

The U.S. Marine Corps is moving forward with full-rate production of its new Amphibious Combat Vehicle armed variant, the ACV-30, awarding nearly $300 million in contracts to BAE Systems and Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace. According to recent announcements from the Department of Defense, the Marine Corps has placed firm orders for 31 ACV-30 vehicles from […] The post U.S. Marines buy more ACV-30 combat vehicles first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

I just finished with Xenophon's Anabasis on audio. Wow ... just wow. Almost 2,400 years old and its lessons on leadership are timeless. There is really nothing new under the sun. This book is a perfect example of the critical importance of a classical education. We wouldn't have to learn the hard way if we realized the truth that has been there from the dawn of history ... not to mention the lessons of 20 years ago ... move the decimal place two spots over. Here is just one bit. Rely upon this then, all you who are here assembled, now is your great opportunity. The soldiers outside have their eyes fixed upon you; if they think that you are faint-hearted, they will turn …

Ukraine’s new Inguar-3 armored vehicle has entered service with the National Guard and already faced a battlefield test, surviving a direct strike from an FPV drone. Video circulated on social media showed the vehicle continuing its mission after the attack, with the crew unharmed. Reports said the drone impact caused a fire at the point […] The post Ukrainian Inguar-3 survives FPV drone hit first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Footage broadcast on Chinese state television has revealed new training exercises featuring unmanned ground vehicles armed with rocket launchers. According to observer of Chinese military developments Jesus Roman, the exercises involved an armored infantry squad from the 83rd Group Army, part of the Central Theater Command. The unit conducted semi-urban assault drills using Type 08 […] The post China tests new ground drones with rocket launchers first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

For a decade and a half, since President Obama’s Pacific Pivot speech, there has been a rising tide in the conversation about the need to fix the US Navy’s shortfall to meet the challenge of the People’s Republic of China. Faced with systemic and cascading failures in everything from surface ship design to maintenance, and distractions as frivolous as Great Green Fleets at sea and as serious as the Islamic State ashore, navalists have been waiting for serious action on the waterfront to match the rising tide of the strategic situation. Rhetorically at least, the second Trump administration came in saying all the right things to give hope that, at last, we would turn into …

The first CV90 infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) built for the Czech Army has rolled off the production line in Sweden. Representatives of BAE Systems Hägglunds formally presented the vehicle in Örnsköldsvik to Czech Defense Minister Jana Černochová and Swedish Defense Minister Pål Jonson. The Czech acquisition of the CV9030CZ Mk.IV, widely used by NATO allies, […] The post First Czech CV90 rolls out of Swedish plant first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Northrop Grumman announced that it has delivered the Mk44 Bushmaster Chain Gun for Poland’s next-generation Borsuk infantry fighting vehicle. In a post, the company said: “Bringing the Boom to Borsuk. We’re delivering the Mk44 Bushmaster Chain Gun to Huta Stalowa Wola S.A./HSW S.A.’s next-generation Borsuk infantry fighting vehicle, bringing legendary reliability and precision to Polish […] The post Northrop delivers Bushmaster guns for Polish new fighting vehicles first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Japan’s cabinet has approved a record-high defense budget for the next fiscal year, underscoring Tokyo’s push to expand military capabilities amid rising tensions with China and sharp criticism from Beijing over Japan’s space and missile programs. The draft defense budget, approved Friday, exceeds ¥9 trillion ($58 billion), an increase of 9.4% from the current fiscal […]View the full article

Russian sources have released footage showing the operational use of a new interceptor drone known as Lys-2 (Fox-2), a fixed-wing unmanned system designed to engage aerial targets. The footage, circulated on March 24, highlights the drone’s use as a counter-UAS platform with an autonomous target acquisition feature during the final phase of flight. According to […]View the full article

Americas Donald Trump has vowed to construct a ‘Golden Dome’ – similar to Israel’s ‘Iron Dome’ missile defense – as he build :”the most powerful military of the future”. The first step, he told a joint sitting of the United States Congress is to fund a “state-of-the-art missile shield to protect our homeland”. The initiative aims to shield US from a rapidly evolving array of aerial threats, including a range of ballistic, hypersonic, and cruise missiles. Trump’s latest announcement to the Congress is being seen as the official renaming of the US’ flagship security initiative, initially launched as the “Iron Dome for America”. Researchers at the Purdue Applied Research Ins…

Alas, poor American icebreakers! I knew them, Shipmate: a fellow of infinite use, of most excellent capability: he hath borne me honor, commerce, and discovery a thousand times; and now, how abhorred in my imagination it is! My gorge rises at it! -Apologies to the Bard When you have the world’s largest navy, you soon realize you can be everywhere, all at once, because you want to. We all had fun at the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) navy and coast guard’s expense yesterday in Operation Bumper Boats, but now it is time to get back to serious things. As we discussed six months ago, the PRC is not an Arctic nation. It has, at best, a tertiary concern with the Arctic. Jus…

The Amiral Ronarc’h—France’s first Frégate de Défense et d’Intervention (FDI)—has departed the Naval Group shipyard in Lorient, heading to its homeport in Brest. According to a statement from the French defense procurement agency, Direction générale de l’armement (DGA), the departure follows the completion of sea trials and signals the beginning of the acceptance phase by […] The post French Navy welcomes new combat frigate first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Writing in The Strategist, defense analyst Ross Babbage argues that Australia must urgently develop independent, long-range strike capabilities to prepare for an era of heightened strategic uncertainty. He contends that the Australian Defence Force (ADF) cannot rely solely on U.S. guarantees and should pursue “very strong independent deterrence,” even against a major power adversary. Babbage […] The post Expert says Australia needs intermediate-range ballistic missile first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

South Korea’s standing military has fallen to about 450,000 personnel, a sharp drop of more than 110,000 troops compared with 2019, according to newly disclosed government data. The figures, obtained from the Ministry of National Defense and the Military Manpower Administration by Rep. Choo Mi-ae of the National Assembly’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee, highlight both […] The post Low birthrate shrinks South Korea’s Army first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Americas The Navy awarded a $536 million contract to NorthStar Maritime Dismantlement Service to dismantle, recycle and dispose of the former aircraft carrier Enterprise (CVN-65), a four-year undertaking that will set precedents for future nuclear-powered ship disposals. “Under this contract CVN-65 will be dismantled in its entirety, and all resulting materials will be properly recycled or disposed of. Specifically, hazardous materials, including low-level radioactive waste, will be packaged and safely transported for disposal at authorized licensed sites,” according to a May 30 contract announcement. Hermeus has flight-tested its Quarterhorse Mk 1 remotely piloted drone …

Saudi Arabia has officially signed a contract for four C-27J Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA), becoming the global launch customer for the armed maritime patrol variant of the C-27J Spartan tactical transport aircraft developed by Italy’s Leonardo. The announcement confirms Riyadh’s acquisition of the new configuration designed specifically for maritime surveillance and combat operations. The aircraft […]View the full article

Americas As Operation “Midnight Hammer” got underway on Saturday, a group of B-2 bombers took off from their base in Missouri and were noticed heading out toward the Pacific island of Guam, in what experts saw as possible pre-positioning for any U.S. decision to strike Iran. But they were a decoy. The real group of seven bat-winged, B-2 stealth bombers flew east undetected for 18 hours, keeping communications to a minimum, refueling in mid-air, the U.S. military revealed on Sunday. As the bombers neared Iranian airspace, a U.S. submarine launched more than two dozen Tomahawk land attack cruise missiles. US fighter jets flew as decoys in front of the bombers to sweep for a…

New Delhi is reassessing a plan to buy at least two squadrons of Russia’s Su-57 fighter, not primarily for stealth but to close a shortfall in long-range strike and beyond-visual-range engagement, according to reporting from The Print. The report says India is weighing a proposal from Russia that would follow the earlier MiG-series and Su-30MKI […] The post India eyes Su-57 for long-range strike role first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

ARX Robotics has confirmed a major order from Ukraine for its GEREON-series unmanned ground systems, a move that will establish what the company describes as “the world’s largest networked military robotics fleet.” The announcement was made on November 18, 2025, from the company’s headquarters in Munich. According to ARX Robotics, the contract includes the delivery […]View the full article