Raw Intel

The U.S. Air Force has released new images of its OA-1K Skyraider II in training, highlighting progress by the 492nd Special Operations Wing as the aircraft continues to log flying hours in formal instruction. The OA-1K Skyraider II serves as a cost-effective, crewed platform designed to support special operations personnel in austere and geographically isolated […] The post U.S. Air Force showcases OA-1K in special ops training first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

A U.S. Navy MQ-4C Triton surveillance drone carried out a more than 12-hour reconnaissance flight off the coast of Cuba, flying repeated patterns over the Gulf of America and the northern Caribbean, based on flight tracking data and open-source reporting. The aircraft, using the callsign BLKCAT6, operated at high altitude and made multiple passes near […]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…

ICEYE and the Finnish Defence Forces have finalized a €158 million ($185 million) contract for the acquisition of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellites. The agreement, signed on September 8 in Tampere by Brigadier General Engineering Juha-Matti Ylitalo of the Finnish Defence Forces Logistics Command and Seppo Aaltonen, Vice President Nordics & NATO at ICEYE, follows […] The post Finland signs $185M deal with ICEYE for SAR satellites first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

U.S. Marines with I Marine Expeditionary Force (I MEF) have completed a 12-day testing period for commercial small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS), working in close partnership with the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) and private industry. The evaluations, part of Phase 2 of the DIU’s G.I. Challenge, were held from August 18 to 29 and are […] The post U.S. Marines field-test new combat drones first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

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…

The U.S. military has activated its first one-way-attack drone squadron under a new task force based in the Middle East, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on December 3. The move comes four months after Secretary of War Pete Hegseth ordered an accelerated push to field affordable unmanned systems capable of delivering decisive effects in contested […]View the full article

Russia’s Strategic Rocket Forces conducted their second successful test launch of the RS-28 Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile on May 12, 2026, firing the weapon from a silo at Dombarovsky near Yasny in the Orenburg region and announcing the result publicly through the Russian Ministry of Defence. The test is Russia’s first publicly acknowledged Sarmat success […]View the full article

Hanwha Aerospace has secured a new contract to deliver 24 additional K9 self-propelled howitzers to Norway, according to reporting by Asia Economy. According to a report by journalist Yang Nak-gyu of Asia Economy, Hanwha Aerospace CEO Son Jae-il traveled to Oslo on September 18 to finalize the deal with the Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency (NDMA). […] The post Norway signs third deal for South Korean K9 howitzers first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Russia’s efforts to modernize its airborne early warning and control aircraft have hit a pause, as United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) delays a decision on launching serial production of its A-50 radar planes. The announcement was made by Sergey Korotkov, general designer and deputy general director of UAC, in an interview with TASS. According to Korotkov, […] The post Russia to delay production of A-50 radar plane first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Show LinksReforming the promotion system in DOD Australian Missile Canister Loading Equipment (MCLE) USNS Oscar V. Peterson (T‑AO 206) SummaryIn this episode of the Commander Salamander UNCLAS Read Board Podcast, the host discusses various topics related to national security, military developments, and the challenges faced by the Navy. Key themes include t… Read more View the full article

Axon Vision has entered into a new strategic cooperation agreement with Leonardo DRS to jointly pursue opportunities in advanced situational awareness, lethality, and survivability technologies for the U.S. defense market. The companies made the announcement on Monday, outlining their intention to co-develop next-generation combat systems with a strong focus on Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-UAS). According […]View the full article

Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger says the German defense company anticipates receiving an order from the Bundeswehr later this year for additional Skyranger air defense gun systems worth between six and eight billion euros ($7-9 billion). Speaking during a conference call with analysts, Papperger declined to disclose specific quantities, citing agreements with the German Ministry of […] The post Germany plans to buy 500+ Skyranger air defense systems 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 …

NATO allies and European defense leaders are moving to reduce reliance on vulnerable global supply chains by prioritizing stockpiles, acquisition, and control of critical raw materials (CRMs) vital to modern military systems. The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) has reported that these efforts reflect a growing recognition of how supply chain weaknesses can affect […] The post NATO focuses on rare earths for defense first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The Danish Armed Forces are moving forward with a large-scale initiative to build a national ground-based air defense (GBAD) network, the Ministry of Defence announced this week. The decision includes the procurement of eight integrated systems designed to protect civilians, military installations, and critical infrastructure from aerial threats. The new effort follows the March 2025 […] The post Denmark buys new air defense systems first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The Taiwanese Ministry of National Defense has introduced a new multi-role unmanned aerial system developed at the state-run Plant 202 in collaboration with private-sector manufacturers. The program, aimed at meeting the demands of asymmetric warfare, emphasizes mass production, low cost, and operational versatility. According to National Defense Online, the lineup includes a fixed-wing strike drone […] The post Taiwan develops plywood-built kamikaze drone first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

In a rare and visually striking operation, a U.S. Army CH-47 Chinook helicopter transported a retired U.S. Air Force A-7D Corsair II fighter jet by air across the Missouri River this week. The fighter jet, which once served with the 185th Tactical Fighter Group in Sioux City, Iowa, was relocated to its new home at […] The post U.S. Army airlifts retired fighter jet first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Belgium has selected the BLAZE autonomous interceptor, developed by Latvia-based Origin Robotics, as part of a newly approved €50 million ($58 million) national counter-drone package aimed at immediately reinforcing the country’s ability to detect and neutralize aerial threats. According to Origin Robotics, the selection comes in response to “several weeks of escalating drone incursions over […]View the full article

The United States Army briefly published new official images of its Dark Eagle hypersonic weapon system before removing them without explanation, with the photographs quickly spreading online after their deletion. The images, released and then withdrawn within a short period, showed updated views of the Army’s Long Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW), a trailer-launched strategic strike […]View the full article