Raw Intel

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

I think it is more than reasonable to be mad, frustrated, angry, or sad at this sad end, at least for now, to a story no one wants to hear. Via Salvador Rizzo over at WaPo. Retired Adm. Robert P. Burke, who was convicted of corruption offenses after a four-decade military career in which he rose to become the Navy’s second-highest-ranking officer, was sentenced Tuesday to six years in prison, days after the trial of the tech executives who were accused of bribing him ended with a hung jury. Burke served as vice chief of naval operations from 2019 to 2020, overseeing personnel, training and education for the branch’s nearly 400,000 uniformed members. The Portage, Michigan,…

United States Forces Korea (USFK) has lodged a formal protest with the South Korean government over a search and seizure operation carried out at Osan Air Base in July by a special counsel team. The protest was submitted on October 3 by U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. David Iverson, USFK’s deputy commander and head of […] The post U.S. Forces protest raid on Osan Air Base first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Israeli-based Orbit Technologies Ltd. for $356.3 million in a transaction that the company says will be funded with existing cash on hand. Orbit is a supplier of satellite-based communication systems used across air, sea, undersea, land, and unmanned platforms, supporting […]View the full article

When a Marine Field Grade officer is holding a lung-dart on his official photo, you know you want to hear his story. So, what does the official USMC bio cover? Earl “Pete” Ellis was born on 19 December 1880 at Iuka, Kansas, and began his career in the United States Marine Corps in 1900 as a private. On 6 December 1901, he became a second lieutenant. Early in 1902, he left the United States, and arrived on 13 April at Cavite, Philippine Islands. In the years preceding World War I, Captain Ellis was sent out on special terrain study and intelligence service in the West Indies and at the Naval Station in Guam. Upon his return from Guam, he served as Aide-de-Camp to Major Gen…

China has overtaken Russia as the world’s second-largest operator of nuclear-powered submarines, according to an updated 2026 assessment. The new figures indicate that China fields an estimated 32 active nuclear submarines, surpassing Russia’s 25–28 operational boats. According to the updated force structure, China currently operates nine Type 093/093A Shang-class attack submarines, which form the core […]View the full article

I’ve about reached my limit on lazy, high-emotion/low-reason, or performative reporting from Europe on the NATO/U.S. relationship. If the EuroLeft/EU-uber-alles crowd was really concerned about keeping the relationship between the U.S. and European NATO as good as possible, they would be making an effort to bridge and salve over some of the tough-love comments coming out of DC. However, that is not what they are doing. No, they are seeing a gap, and are trying to pound a wedge into it. They see a spark, and look to throw a litre of petrol on it. I guess what galls me the most is that their actions are, in operation, producing exactly the opposite condition they will tell…

British radar manufacturer Blighter said on March 9 that it signed a contract to supply its ground surveillance radar systems and AI-assisted software to an undisclosed Eastern European army for border protection missions. The agreement will see the company deliver its B400 series ground surveillance radars together with the BlighterNexus AI-assisted software platform, which will […]View the full article

Denis Shtilerman, chief designer at Ukrainian strike drone and missile developer Fire Point, has confirmed the company is developing an air-launched ballistic missile (ALBM) based on its FP-9 platform, adding a new long-range strike capability to a portfolio that already includes some of Ukraine’s most advanced domestically produced weapons. Shtilerman disclosed the program during a […]View the full article

Ukrainian drone operators reached deep into Russian territory on April 29, striking two Russian military helicopters on the ground in Voronezh Oblast. The operation was a joint effort by combined crews of the 429th Unmanned Systems Brigade “Achilles” and the 43rd Separate Army Aviation Brigade, planned and executed in coordination with Special Operations Center “A.” […]View the full article

Ukrainian paratroopers operating Italian-supplied B1 Centauro wheeled tank destroyers say the vehicle shoots straighter than anything they have used before and can reach 105 kilometers per hour on a road, but its armor will not stop a heavy machine gun round from the side and would be shredded by the shaped-charge warheads packed into the […]View the full article

A Brazilian ammunition giant just took a step toward the U.S. medium-caliber market, and it picked an American partner to get there. CBC Global Ammunition and Paligen Technologies, a U.S.-based engineering and manufacturing firm, announced a Strategic Alliance Agreement on June 16, 2026, during Eurosatory, the defense exhibition in Paris. The deal sets up a […]View the full article

A single soldier could soon carry a weapon capable of dropping an air-bursting grenade precisely over an enemy hiding behind a wall, then swinging the same weapon skyward to knock a small attack drone out of the air, and American Rheinmetall Munitions just released a new video showing off the rifle it’s betting will do […]View the full article

U.S. and Moroccan forces have proven out a brand-new weapons testing range in North Africa by firing a low-cost, long-range cruise missile across it, the first live-fire event ever held at the site, according to a report by Army Capt. Jordan Beagle of U.S. Africa Command. The demonstration ran from August 3 to 7 at […]View the full article

Virginia Block I-II (click for SuperSize) “GDEB Receives $148M as Virginia Class Lead Yard” described changes to the Virginia Class submarine’s design that are expected to reach 20% of the $200 million savings goal by the time orders for the versatile sea attack/ land attack/ special forces submarines rise to 2 per year, in 2012. The bow changes cover the FY 2009-2013 ships, referred to as Block III. SSN 774 Virginia – SSN 777 North Carolina are Block I, and SSNs 778-783 will be Block II. Block III begins with the 11th ship of class, SSN 784. Long lead time component orders began May 22/08, and the submarine is expected to be ready for delivery around 2015. A fuller ex…

Just as on the naval side of things, the Communist Chinese may call something a destroyer that is clearly a cruiser, the Europeans call something a frigate that is clearly a destroyer, and the Americans call a Littoral Combat Ship what is really a national disgrace, etc ... there are even more challenges figuring out capabilities on the land side. A classic example, "How many divisions do they have?" You might get a simple answer, but that may not be the answer you need in order to really understand what you are looking at. Via IISS; When asked if, in 2025, a British war-fighting division will be capable of ‘overmatching the forces of a peer opponent such as Russia…

What was Navy, was taken by the Army, loved by everyone ... and is hinting that we have some wonderful ideas about how to sustain operations in the Western Pacific against China, and it would be a shame if something happened to them. Thinking a bit over at USNIBlog on things that go "brrrrrrrr." Come ponder it out with me. 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=oHMvIwXEYaI:SeM6iUvjnFg:gIN9vFwOqvQ http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=oHMvIwXEYaI:SeM6iUvjnFg:-BTjWOF_DHI http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=oHMvIwXEYaI:SeM6iU…

Americas Bell Boeing won a $9.3 million contract modification, which exercises an option to procure 68 Conversion Area Harness (CAH) base kits, 53 CAH supplemental kits, two hardware kits and two consumable kits in support of the Marine Corps MV-22 aircraft, the Air Force CV-22 aircraft, the Navy CMV-22 aircraft, and the government of Japan V-22 aircraft. Additionally, this modification provides for electrical wiring interconnect system assessments for the CV-22 fleet aircraft. The V-22 Osprey is a joint-service, medium-lift, multimission tilt-rotor aircraft. The aircraft operates as a helicopter when taking off and landing vertically. The nacelles rotate 90° forward once…

Well, there it is. Over at Politico we have an open letter calling for a limited no-fly zone. This letter is signed by people who should know better. I would put the substance somewhere in the wtf grid bounded by "irresponsible" & "insulting." Too many people have misremembered both recent and longer-term history. We are talking about Russia here. Not Serbia. Not Libya. Not Iraq. Let us be clear on this point; a No Fly Zone (NFZ) requires you shoot down aircraft over a specified area. Over Ukraine, what this letter calls for is for us to shoot down Russian aircraft. It says “NATO” but as anyone who served in Afghanistan knows, this will mean the USA, and possibly the…

Americas BAE Systems Technology Solutions & Services won a $12 billion deal for Integration Support Contract (ISC) 2.0. The main function of ISC 2.0 is to support the government as the lead systems integrator and augment government resources for Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) weapon system systems engineering and integration and professional services. According to solicitation documents, the Integration Support Contract 2.0 covers support for Minuteman III and the next-generation ground-based strategic deterrent missile or any future ICBM weapon system developed throughout the duration of the contract. Work will take place at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, and …