Raw Intel

Poland’s defense industry has taken a bold step into the future of land warfare with the development of GNOM, an innovative wheeled loitering munition designed to deliver precision strikes against armored targets. Developed by MACRO-SYSTEM and tested during the recent “Iron Gate 25” exercise with the 18th Mechanized Division, GNOM is emerging as one of […] The post Poland trials GNOM drone built to break armored assaults first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Boeing announced it will relocate its F/A-18 Super Hornet Service Life Modification (SLM) operations from the St. Louis region by 2027 as part of a broader strategic realignment to support future aircraft programs. The move, revealed on September 24, comes as the company continues to expand its defense manufacturing operations in St. Louis — including […] The post Super Hornet upgrade program heads to new sites first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The United States has awarded Textron Systems Corporation a $163.3 million contract to deliver a new batch of armored vehicles to Ukraine. According to a contract announcement from the Department of War, the award covers the procurement of Mobile Strike Force Vehicles (MSFV), along with spare parts, specialized tools, and testing equipment. Work will be […] The post Textron secures $163M deal to supply armored vehicles to Ukraine first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The U.S. Army has awarded Knight’s Armament Company of Titusville, Florida, a $21 million contract for the production and delivery of M110 Semi-Automatic Sniper Systems (SASS), with deliveries expected to be completed by January 30, 2027. The contract, issued under the Ukraine Security Initiative and Building Partner Capacity funds, will support ongoing U.S. efforts to […] The post U.S. Army orders M110 sniper rifles for Ukraine first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Spain has launched a sweeping modernization of its military aviation capabilities, approving a five-year, €3.7 billion ($4.3 billion) funding plan that includes new training aircraft, transport platforms, and helicopters. The plan, announced in a royal decree published in the official state gazette on September 24, will direct substantial contracts to Airbus as the lead contractor […] The post Spain to buy up to 45 Turkish-made jet trainers first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The U.S. Department of War has awarded Sierra Nevada Corp. (SNC) a $15 million contract to provide technical support, maintenance, and sustainment services for the Ukrainian Navy’s Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-UAS) program, according to a contract announcement. Under the agreement, Sierra Nevada will deliver product-based field services, including subject matter experts, to enhance the maintenance […] The post Pentagon contracts SNC for Ukraine’s counter-drone program first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The transition from Dassault’s Mirage 2000 fighter jet to the Rafale is accelerating worldwide as nations phase out older fleets in favor of the French company’s most advanced multirole aircraft, Dassault Aviation CEO Éric Trappier told French lawmakers on September 24. Speaking before the National Assembly, Trappier highlighted that several countries — including India, Qatar, […] The post Dassault chief: Customers want Rafale first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The U.S. Air Force has awarded Raytheon Co., Woburn, Massachusetts, a $15,165,090 firm-fixed-price contract to deliver a major software enhancement for Taiwan’s early warning radar system, strengthening the island’s ability to track and display launch objects amid rising tensions in the Indo-Pacific. The new software build will upgrade Taiwan’s ground-based radar network, which serves as […] The post Raytheon wins deal to strengthen Taiwan’s missile detection first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

This post has expanded far beyond what I thought it would be when I picked the title. I was just going to focus on F/A-XX as an avenue to argue, again, that it must be a two-seat heavy fighter with an ability to do what the MiG-31s above are doing. I think that is self-evident, but we are talking about NAVAIR here. So, as I dug around on the topic, I opened the aperture a bit to look at options that might work for the existing air wing as well. What I will do is focus on a specific capability that has proven its utility at war recently. Remember, you can get an idea of what will be needed in the next big war, and a big war will always come as they have for thousands of y…

Hungarian fighter jets stationed in Lithuania intercepted a formation of Russian military aircraft approaching NATO airspace on September 25, the alliance said in a statement. According to NATO, the intercept took place when a five-ship group of Russian aircraft — including one Su-30, one Su-35, and three MiG-31 fighter jets — was detected flying close […] The post Hungarian Gripens scramble to intercept Russian jets first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

U.S. fighter jets were scrambled Wednesday to identify and intercept four Russian military aircraft flying near Alaska, according to a statement from the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). NORAD said that two Russian Tu-95 strategic bombers and two Su-35 fighter jets entered the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ), an area of international airspace […] The post U.S. fighter jets intercept Russian warplanes near Alaska first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Russia’s ambassador to France has issued a direct threat to NATO, warning that any attempt by the alliance to shoot down a Russian aircraft would trigger war. The statement escalates tensions between Moscow and the West as aerial encounters grow more frequent over Europe amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. “If NATO shoots down a […] The post Russia warns of war if NATO downs Russian jet first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The U.S. Navy has awarded Boeing a $198 million deal to extend the service life of its F/A-18 Block II Super Hornet fighter jets and integrate advanced Block III avionics capabilities, the Pentagon announced. The new contract increases the overall ceiling for a program aimed at modernizing and sustaining one of the Navy’s most widely […] The post U.S. Navy extends Super Hornet’s service life first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Raytheon Missile Defense has secured a new U.S. Army contract worth more than half a billion dollars to produce Stinger surface-to-air missiles, ancillary equipment, and associated support through 2031. The $578 million agreement, awarded to Raytheon’s facility in Tucson, Arizona, was announced this week by the Department of War. Bids for the program were solicited […] The post U.S. Army places new order for Stinger missiles first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Raytheon, an RTX business, has successfully completed testing of a ground-launched variant of its StormBreaker smart weapon, developing and launching the prototype in just 50 days. The rapid test underscores the company’s push to expand precision strike options beyond the air domain and into ground-based platforms. The test took place this spring at a private […] The post Raytheon tests ground-launched precision strike system first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) has passed a major milestone in its 33-year history, surpassing nine million cumulative flight hours across its unmanned aircraft fleet. The achievement coincides with ongoing flight operations of the company’s newest combat drone, the YFQ-42A Collaborative Combat Aircraft, which is being tested for the U.S. Air Force. GA-ASI has […] The post GA-ASI surpasses 9 million flight hours across drone fleet first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Russian assault units fighting in Ukraine are increasingly resorting to improvised methods to survive on the battlefield, modifying civilian vehicles with makeshift armor to protect against Ukrainian FPV drone strikes. Images and battlefield footage show small cars crudely reinforced with welded steel rods, wire mesh, and scrap metal — a style of improvised protection that […] The post Russia turns civilian cars into “Mad Max” war machines first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The U.S. Army has deployed its new Indirect Fire Protection Capability (IFPC) system to South Korea, the first time the advanced air defense platform has been stationed outside the United States, Korea Bizwire reported. According to the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS), U.S. Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George visited the 35th Air […] The post U.S. deploys new IFPC missile defense system to South Korea first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Poland’s Ministry of National Defence has signed a major contract worth more than 2 billion złoty ($550 million) for the delivery of mobile communications nodes to support the second phase of the country’s Wisła air and missile defense program. The agreement, signed on September 24, 2025, at the headquarters of Wojskowe Zakłady Łączności Nr 1 […] The post Poland signs $550M deal for mobile communications nodes first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

A senior Russian official has issued a new round of nuclear-tinged threats against the United States, Ukraine, and NATO allies, warning that Moscow retains weapons capable of overcoming any defensive preparations. Deputy Chairman of Russia’s Security Council Dmitry Medvedev, a close ally of Vladimir Putin and former president, wrote on the Russian state-owned social platform […] The post Kremlin threatens U.S. and Zelensky with strikes first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article