Raw Intel

While I'll take second fiddle to no one on the challenge west of Wake, it is important to keep in mind that not only are the Chinese not 10-ft tall, they also do not hold the strong hand strategically or geographically. Why? I've gone to a rather bespoke chart room over at USNIBlog. Come on by and leave north up behind. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?d=yIl2AUoC8zA http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?d=qj6IDK7rITs http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=lLySfX50f9A:WBi8M02GqFo:gIN9vFwOqvQ http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=lLySfX50f9A:WBi8M02GqFo:-BTjWOF_DHI http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=lLySfX50f9A:WBi8M02Gq…

As I did once in a DivThu in 2017 when we looked again at the USCG's sad decline in to official sectarianism, there was once a time when the USCG Academy was a rare light where everyone was on an equal footing. There was no discrimination based on race, creed, color, or national origin. As we covered in 2010, not any more. A dozen years later, the USCG's diversity division is not through growing its empire well beyond the USCGA, expanding its grift. No, as was done in 2010, they are using their influence in Congress to find more positions for otherwise unemployable people who have but one job; don't solve problems, justify our grift. Let's have a little detailed …

Since the start of this blog - and especially in the last few years - the topic comes up now and then about the complete lack of self defense our auxiliaries and merchant ships have that we plan to use in the next big war. The usual suspects will make excuses - "war is different" "that won't happen" "we'll have escorts" "it is wired for XXX" - but what is really driving this waving-of-hands is something that has been in place since the dawn of the written record of war at sea; peace breeds complacency and cost savings. Few who know their history have the levers of power to do what needs to be done now to give our auxiliary fleet what they need to at least provide their ow…

Regular readers know the importance of the United States being the world’s premier sea power, but that is inside the lifelines of our corner of the national conversation. For a whole host of reasons we have discussed here over the years and on Midrats – in spite of our nation surrounded by the fruits of the open seas – the larger American public does not see it. We suffer, in essence, from our success. The time when the free flow of goods across the globe was not a given has slipped well out of living memory. Except for older cohort GenX and older, no one even remembers the regional threat the Soviet Red Banner Fleet aspired to be right before the empire she served colla…

Americas The US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) has finished the first flight of an artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) piloted XQ-58A Valkyrie jet drone at the Eglin Test and Training Complex in Florida. The three-hour sortie supports the air force’s ongoing Skyborg Vanguard and Autonomous Aircraft Experimentation programs seeking next-generation autonomous aircraft for operations in contested […]View the full article

Americas Bell Boeing won a $11.5 million modification, which adds scope to procure three shipsets of proprotor gearboxes in support of the Nacelle Improvements Step 2 requirement for CV-22 aircraft. Work will be performed in Amarillo, Texas; Fort Worth, Texas; and Ridley Park, Pennsylvania, and is expected to be completed in January 2026. Naval Air […]View the full article

Americas Exercise UNITAS LXV, the 65th iteration of the world’s longest-running annual multinational maritime exercise, took place along the Pacific coast of South America from September 2nd to 12th. Hosted by Chile, the exercise challenged participating forces with unique terrain, pushing them to adapt and refine their skills in a new environment. The United States showcased its commitment to regional stability and security through a strong presence of Marine Corps and Navy assets, including F/A-18C Hornets from Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 112 (VMFA-112), a KC-130J Hercules from Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 234 (VMGR-234), and a US Navy P-8 Poseidon marit…

The U.S. Army’s recent announcement that it will soon launch a dedicated drone marketplace has drawn attention from defense analysts and industry specialists, highlighting the growing role of integrated procurement platforms in modern warfare. While the Army’s plan is still in development, several fully functioning solutions already exist at both government and private levels. One […] The post Commercial software solutions enter defense space first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Textron Aviation Defense has kicked off a nationwide demonstration tour to promote its Beechcraft M-346N advanced jet trainer as the U.S. Navy searches for a next-generation platform for undergraduate pilot training. According to a press release from Textron Aviation Defense, the M-346N took off from Beech Factory Airport in Wichita, Kansas, where it was assembled. […] The post Textron unveils M-346N trainer for U.S. Navy first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Germany’s Siemens and Illinois-based Ingersoll Machine Tools have unveiled a next-generation, containerized 3D printing and milling platform designed for field deployment. The system—called MasterPrint Deployable—combines additive and subtractive capabilities in a transportable unit powered by Siemens’ SINUMERIK ONE CNC control platform. Ingersoll, a 133-year-old builder of large-format machine tools, has collaborated with Siemens to create […] The post Ingersoll unveils containerized 3D printing factory first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

China is drawing new attention to the KJ-600, its carrier-borne early warning and control aircraft, following the official commissioning of the country’s third aircraft carrier, Fujian. The aircraft was first unveiled as part of the Fujian’s air wing during China’s V-Day military parade in Beijing and has since been discussed in greater detail in official […]View the full article

Rani Plaut, CEO of the Israeli aerospace startup AIR, says recent global crises have revealed a central lesson for military and civilian planners alike: “mobility is power.” In a detailed statement on the company’s vision for next‑generation aerial logistics, Plaut said uncrewed aerial systems have become essential for reconnaissance and rapid tactical response, but remain […]View the full article

Iran issued a direct warning on Sunday that it will strike U.S. military assets, commercial shipping, and Israel if the United States launches any military action during the nationwide anti-government protests gripping the country. The threat was delivered by Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf in a televised address. Ghalibaf told lawmakers that “in the […]View the full article

Spain’s Sener revealed its next-generation stealth multipurpose autonomous aerial platform, the SRC 100 Razor, at the World Defense Show in Riyadh. The unveiling took place during World Defense Show, where Sener introduced the platform as part of its expanding portfolio of autonomous systems and remote carriers. The company said the SRC 100 Razor is manufactured […]View the full article

The Naval Air Systems Command confirmed that it awarded a contract to Rockwell Collins to repair and reconfigure TacNet 1.0 datalink radios used on the Joint Standoff Weapon and Harpoon Block II+ missile systems. The delivery order was issued on September 30, 2025 and listed in a federal award notice published March 6, 2026. The […]View the full article

A United States Marine Corps CH-53K King Stallion helicopter assigned to Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron One lifted a Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement during a heavy lift training exercise at Auxiliary Airfield II in Yuma, Arizona, on March 31, as part of the Weapons and Tactics Instructor course 2-26. The exercise is one element […]View the full article

Spain unveiled the industrial blueprint for its next generation of fighter pilot training on April 28, 2026, as an Airbus-led consortium presented the full programme structure for the Spanish Air and Space Force’s new Integrated Combat Training System — a contract awarded in December 2025 that will retire the country’s aging F-5 fleet and replace […]View the full article

The U.S. Marine Corps awarded Polaris Government and Defense a new contract worth up to $98 million to continue producing its MRZR Alpha Ultra-Light Tactical Vehicle, locking in up to five years of additional deliveries for a platform that has become central to how the Corps moves small units through terrain that heavier vehicles cannot […]View the full article

Thales and Renault Group are joining forces to mass-produce a French kamikaze drone, betting that the country’s largest carmaker can do for loitering munitions what it has long done for hatchbacks: build them at scale and at optimized cost. The two companies signed a partnership agreement on June 16, 2026, to jointly develop and industrialize […]View the full article

The fast-attack submarine USS Tucson (SSN 770) slid into Apra Harbor on July 10, swapping its old home in Pearl Harbor for a new one at Naval Base Guam, in a routine-looking port call that carries real weight for how the U.S. Navy positions its undersea forces against a rapidly expanding Chinese fleet. Tucson, a […]View the full article