Raw Intel

Ukraine expects to receive additional fighter jets from its Western partners in the near future, including Swedish Gripens, French Mirages, and American F-16s, a senior defense official has confirmed. The deliveries, once completed, will mark a new stage in Kyiv’s efforts to modernize its air force and strengthen its ability to counter Russian air superiority. […] The post Ukraine to receive Gripen fighter jets first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Ukraine launched a precision missile strike on a key defense enterprise in Russia’s Bryansk region, targeting a facility that plays a critical role in supplying components for the Kremlin’s missile and drone programs. According to Ukrainian naval officials, the strike was carried out using the domestically produced Neptune missile, marking another attack on the infrastructure […] The post Ukraine launches missile strike on key Russian defense plant first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Ukrainian forces have shot down a Russian Mi-8 transport helicopter with a kamikaze drone, marking only the second time such a strike has been successfully carried out since the start of the full-scale invasion. According to Militarnyi, the shootdown occurred on the morning of September 29, 2025, when an FPV drone from the 1st Battalion […] The post Ukrainian FPV drone shoots down Russian Mi-8 helicopter first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

One topic I didn’t expect us to dive into on yesterday’s Midrats with Dean Cheng was the growing nuclear capability of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Once the show was over, I figured I needed to pull Rebeccah Heinrichs’s article from Friday up from my ‘read later’ tab. She gives a solid review of the state of play and offers three suggestions, two of which I generally endorse, and the third a firm non-concur. First, let’s review the table she sets. Just three years ago, China denied it was rapidly building up its nuclear arsenal. In 2022, Fu Cong, then the director-general of the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s arms control department (now China’s permanent representat…

For decades, while the rest of the world’s powers have distracted and tangled themselves with wars of choice and blunder, the People’s Republic of China has been watching, learning, and building. To what end? Returning to Midrats to discuss this and more will be Dean Cheng. You can listen live here, today from 5-6 pm Eastern. If you are reading this after the show, refresh the Substack page later Sunday evening for all the podcast links. Dean Cheng, Senior Advisor, United States Institute of Peace; Non-resident Senior Fellow, Potomac Institute for Policy Studies; Non-resident Fellow, George Washington University Space Policy Institute. He recently retired after 13 years …

Italian firearms manufacturer Fabarm S.p.A. has introduced a new variant of its widely used STF/12 shotgun specifically configured for counter-drone missions. The STF/12 Compact XL Range 22″, presented as a specialized upgrade of the platform already fielded by the German Bundeswehr as the Mehrzweckflinte 5 (MZF 5), is engineered to engage fast, low-flying aerial targets […] The post Italy’s Fabarm launches extended-range shotgun for drone defense first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Japan’s Ground Self-Defense Force (GSDF) is planning a major organizational restructuring, with two new large-scale formations expected to be established in fiscal year 2026. According to media reports, the plans include elevating the existing 15th Brigade on Okinawa to a division and consolidating the JGSDF’s elite special operations units into a dedicated brigade. The restructuring […] The post Japan to reorganize army structure with new large-scale formations first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

One of Britain’s leading defense analysts has called for a sweeping reform of the Army Reserve and a substantial increase in the size of the British Army, warning that the current structure leaves the country unprepared for future conflicts. Writing on his X page, defense commentator Nicholas Drummond argued that the Reserve is being used […] The post U.K. needs 90,000 regular personnel and 30,000 reservists, analyst warns first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

U.S. Central Command is launching a new task force designed to fast-track the deployment of drones and emerging technologies to American forces operating across the Middle East. The Rapid Employment Joint Task Force (REJTF), announced Tuesday, will focus on delivering advanced capabilities to troops in as little as two months — a major shift in […] The post Pentagon launches rapid deployment unit for drones first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Russia is forming mobile counter-drone units to defend its energy infrastructure amid an escalating wave of Ukrainian drone attacks that have crippled the country’s refining capacity and caused its worst gasoline shortage in three decades. The move comes as strikes on oil refineries continue to degrade Russian fuel production, with some estimates suggesting that 20–25% […] The post Russia deploys mobile anti-drone units amid fuel crisis first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Russia has introduced a new light armored vehicle known as the “Legioner”, developed by the company Russkiye Boyevyye Mashiny (RBM). The 4×4 platform is intended to bridge the gap between unarmored military vehicles and heavier armored personnel carriers such as the BTR-82A, combining improved mobility, basic protection, and versatility in a compact design. The Legioner’s […] The post Russia develops new Legioner armored vehicle first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that a Patriot air defense system previously stationed in Israel has been operating in Ukraine for the past month, strengthening the country’s ability to counter Russian missile and drone attacks. He also announced that Kyiv will receive two additional Patriot systems this fall as part of ongoing efforts to expand […] The post Israeli Patriot now active in Ukraine, Zelensky says first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Japan’s Ministry of Defense is considering an unprecedented move to use armored civilian vehicles as replacements for the Ground Self-Defense Force’s (GSDF) aging light armored fleet. Officials say the plan involves testing modified commercial models, including vehicles produced by major Japanese automakers, to determine their suitability for future military use. According to officials cited by […] The post Japan plans to use civilian SUVs to replace aging military vehicles first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The U.S. Army has awarded Northrop Grumman Systems Corp. a $19 million contract for the production of M136 Vehicle Launched Anti-Tank Scatterable ammunition canisters, a key component of the service’s mobile mine-laying capability. The contract, funded through fiscal 2024 Building Partner Capacity accounts, will support production of the widely used Volcano system, with completion expected […] The post Northrop Grumman wins new deal for rapid minefield system first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The U.S. Air Force has awarded Minco Technologies of Cookeville, Tennessee, a contract valued at up to $13.6 million to develop a next-generation unmanned aircraft engine designed to dramatically reduce fuel consumption and improve operational flexibility. The project aims to create a modular, fuel-flexible propulsion system that could cut the logistical fuel supply chain by […] The post Pentagon funds $13.6M project to make drones twice as fuel-efficient first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Raytheon Co. has been awarded a not-to-exceed $161 million deal to an existing contract to support expanded production and modernization of the AIM-9X air-to-air missile, a weapon central to U.S. and allied air defense capabilities. The modification to an existing contract, which includes support for Ukraine, calls for development and qualification of a new warhead, […] The post New AIM-9X missile upgrade deal includes weapons support for Ukraine first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, has received a $10.8 billion contract from the U.S. Navy to produce up to 99 CH-53K King Stallion heavy-lift helicopters for the U.S. Marine Corps over the next five years. The agreement, the largest-quantity order for the platform to date, will support deliveries between 2029 and 2034 and sustain thousands […] The post U.S. Navy awards $10.8B contract for heavy-lift helicopters first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

What, pray tell, does one have to have to have a lead role in a FbF? Character. Today, we have the character of a strong, smart women who lived in a period of time when most women were little more than property. Another great woman who we just have a hint of what she was; I give you .Ela, Countess of Salisbury. Ela, only child of Eleanor de Vitre and William, 2nd Earl of Salisbury, from whom she inherited large estates in Wiltshire, was born (date unknown) at Amesbury. The estates, including Chitterne, had been held by Ela’s great- great-grandfather, Edward, after William the Conqueror defeated King Harold. Ela’s grandfather, Patrick, constable of Salisbury, was create…

Ukraine is ramping up its use of helicopters as part of its air defense network, after frontline units proved their effectiveness in intercepting Russian long-range drones, according to Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi. As Militarnyi reported, Syrskyi highlighted that helicopter crews have become a critical element of Ukraine’s layered air defense strategy, often outperforming expectations in drone […] The post Ukraine deploys more helicopters to hunt Russian drones first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Russia has agreed to supply and train China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in airborne assault tactics — including the airdrop of armored vehicles and special forces — as part of a covert military cooperation deal aimed at preparing for a possible invasion of Taiwan, according to leaked contracts and internal correspondence reviewed by security analysts […] The post Leaked files show Russia aiding China’s Taiwan invasion plans first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article