Raw Intel

Cambodia has begun withdrawing heavy weapons from its border areas with Thailand, marking the start of a joint disarmament plan aimed at reducing tensions following months of military standoff. Cambodian state media released footage showing the removal of rocket artillery and self-propelled guns from designated sites in Preah Vihear Province. According to Cambodian reports, the […]View the full article

U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said that relations between the United States and China “has never been better,” following President Donald Trump’s meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in South Korea and subsequent military talks in Malaysia. In a statement posted on X, Hegseth wrote, “I just spoke to President Trump, and we agree […]View the full article

The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) has made its decision, and it’s a good one. Via Mike Yeo at Breaking Defense; Australia has selected Japan’s improved Mogami-class frigate design for its future fleet of general-purpose frigates, in a deal with further cements ties between the two US Indo-Pacific allies and gives Japan its first major defense export. “Following a rigorous and competitive tender process, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ Mogami-class frigate was assessed as best able to quickly meet the capability requirements and strategic needs of the Australian Defence Force (ADF),” said the Australian Defence Department in a media release. The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) will…

First things first, as it is the focus of the report, let’s go to the chart room and properly define the, “Central Arctic Ocean.” There it is, the horizontally shaded bit outside everyone’s EEZ. The chart comes from the report in question by RAND: The Future of Maritime Presence in the Central Arctic Ocean. Before we dive in—and the Front Porch knows exactly where I am going here—I need to point out again what we see at the very top where all the red, green, and blue lines intersect. You can’t miss it, and it should have you screaming to whatever direction The Pentagon is from where you sit. Yes kiddies, that is the Bering Strait, half of which is ours, and the other sid…

A mobilized Russian tank crew member fighting in Ukraine has given a candid account of the T-80BVM main battle tank, sharply criticizing its quality, reliability, and battlefield performance. The remarks were published by the outlet Vault8 in an interview with a tanker identifying himself by the callsign “Tim.” The T-80BVM is one of the Russian […]View the full article

Raytheon Missiles and Defense has been awarded a contract modification valued at more than $271 million to continue production of the TOW missile system, one of the U.S. Army’s longest-serving anti-armor weapons. According to a Department of Defense announcement, the $271,377,812 modification (PZ0015) to contract W31P4Q-23-C-0026 covers the full-rate production of the Tube-Launched Optically Tracked […] The post U.S. Army expands TOW missile production first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Embraer Defense & Security has formalized a strategic partnership with India’s Mahindra Group to promote the C-390 Millennium transport aircraft for the Indian Air Force’s Medium Transport Aircraft (MTA) program. The agreement, signed in New Delhi, deepens cooperation between the two firms and aligns with India’s Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative to increase domestic defense production. According […] The post Embraer targets Asia for C-390 expansion first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Raytheon Co. has been awarded a $698.9 million contract by the U.S. Army for the production of NASAMS (National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System) fire units intended for Taiwan under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. According to the Department of War’s contract announcement, the award includes the procurement of complete NASAMS fire units, with work […]View the full article

Belgian defense manufacturer FN Herstal has released rare behind-the-scenes photos from its production line, showing the assembly process of its advanced FN DEFENDER Remote Weapon Station (RWS). In a caption shared by FN Herstal, the company stated: “Behind every FN DEFENDER stands the expertise of our production teams. Skilled. Precise. Relentless. Crafted in Herstal. Deployed […] The post FN Herstal highlights remote weapon station production first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Russia’s state aircraft manufacturer has delivered the final batch of Su-35 fighter jets to the country’s air force for 2025, according to official disclosures, closing out another year of tactical aviation deliveries as the war in Ukraine continues. According to the United Aircraft Corporation, the company transferred the final batch of Su-35 fighters to the […]View the full article

British defense engineering firm Supacat has secured its first export contract with the Czech Ministry of Defense for 18 HMT Mk3 Extenda high-mobility vehicles, a system known in the UK as the Jackal 3 Extenda. The platforms will be delivered to the Czech Army’s 601st Special Forces Group, a premier rapid response and special reconnaissance […] The post Czech military buys Jackal 3 vehicles first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

North Korea has issued a sharp rebuke of Japan’s development and planned deployment of long-range missiles capable of striking enemy bases, calling the move “an extremely dangerous idea” in an editorial published by the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). According to the report, North Korea criticized Tokyo’s intentions to position 1,000-kilometer-range missiles in Japan’s […] The post North Korea slams Japanese long-range missile plans first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

North Korea presented a new multiple launch rocket system during its latest military parade in Pyongyang, a platform that observers say closely resembles the U.S.-made M142 HIMARS. The new system, seen moving through the capital’s streets in convoy formation, has not yet been named, and its performance characteristics remain undisclosed. A column of several new […] The post North Korea builds its own version of HIMARS first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

It has been driving me a little nuts the last couple of days, seeing all the gnashing of teeth and rending of clothes about the new National Security Strategy (NSS), not having the time to read it. I mean, come on Sal, it is only 29 pages. I promised a few people I would start the week with my thoughts on it, so after we finished our Midrats Podcast with Bryan McGrath, I decided to give it a read. Really people, take a powder. As I’ve been doing with most of the documents like this the last couple of decades here, let’s look at the word cloud: This…is actually a pretty good representation of its relative macro concerns. Before I dive in to some specifics, there are two l…

The Department of War is evaluating a reform concept that would sharply reduce or halt the purchase of new piloted helicopters for the U.S. Army beginning in the second half of the decade, according to individuals familiar with internal discussions. The concept under review focuses on maintaining and upgrading the current helicopter fleet while transitioning […]View the full article

Raytheon has been awarded a $258 million contract to advance the engineering, manufacturing, and development of the Standard Missile 2 (SM-2) Block IIICU All Up Round, the Department of Defense announced. The deal covers the follow-on integration and test phase of a program already under contract and includes options that could raise its value to […] The post U.S. Navy awards Raytheon contract for next-gen SM-2 interceptors first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Indonesia will acquire 42 Chinese-built Chengdu J-10C fighter jets in a deal valued at over $9 billion, marking the country’s first major non-Western aircraft procurement, according to top defense officials in Jakarta. Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin confirmed the move on Wednesday, stating that the aircraft, produced by China’s Chengdu Aerospace Corporation, would soon be flying […] The post Indonesia buys Chinese J-10 fighter jets first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Turkey’s Pasifik Technology has signed a framework contract with an undisclosed country for a package of 101,035 unmanned systems, headlined by 100,000 FPV kamikaze drones, in what represents one of the largest single drone export agreements publicly announced by a Turkish defense company. The contract covers five distinct unmanned platforms across air and ground domains. […]View the full article

A South Korean Air Force C-130 transport aircraft prompted a response from Japanese fighter jets earlier this month after it entered Japanese airspace without prior authorization, according to South Korean defense officials. The incident occurred on July 13 as the aircraft was en route to Guam for training. Military officials said the crew encountered severe […] The post South Korean C-130 plane triggers Japanese jets scramble first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Ground Force (PLAGF) has begun fielding a new short-range air defense system, believed to be designated HQ-13, as part of a modernization effort to equip frontline units with mobile, autonomous interception capabilities. Footage released by CCTV shows the system in operational use by an air defense company assigned to the […] The post China fields new short-range air defense system first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article