Raw Intel

Ukraine’s military intelligence agency said it has confirmed a strike on a Russian military transport aircraft and two radar systems in temporarily occupied Crimea, describing the operation as a targeted action against Russian military assets preparing for flight. According to a statement released by the press service of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry […]View the full article

Theseus, a San Francisco-based innovation startup focused on GPS-denied navigation, said it successfully completed a long-duration test flight of its Micro Visual Positioning System over central Florida. The company said its Micro Visual Positioning System completed a 5-hour, 22-minute flight covering about 564 kilometers during a March test in central Florida. Ian Laffey, chief executive […]View the full article

Russia has made clear it has no plans to provide military assistance to Venezuela, with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stating that Caracas has not asked Moscow for weapons or troops. Speaking to Russian media, including TASS, Lavrov stressed that while Venezuela remains a friendly nation and strategic partner, the relationship does not include mutual defense […]View the full article

The U.S. Air Force has awarded Lockheed Martin a $26 million contract to provide Foreign Military Sales (FMS) support for Ukraine’s F-16 fighter program, the Pentagon announced. The contract will fund the creation of country-specific technical orders tailored to Ukraine’s fleet of Fighting Falcons. The agreement, issued as a firm-fixed-price and time-and-materials contract, falls under […] The post Lockheed wins $26M Ukraine F-16 support deal first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Russian forces have claimed their successful strike against a launcher of Ukraine’s Neptune coastal defense missile system. According to reports, Russian reconnaissance drones operating near the village of Liubytske in the Zaporizhzhia region identified a Neptune launcher as it prepared to fire. Within minutes, Russian forces directed a 9M723 Iskander-M ballistic missile with a fragmentation […] The post Russia hits Ukraine’s Neptune missile launcher first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

There has been a growing awareness over the last couple of years—and especially the last year—about the “rare earth element” challenge. It is more than a challenge, it is a problem. Why a problem? Global supply systems, etc... Those who know the industrial history of WWII will know that despite of their technological skills, the Germans could not produce the number and quality of the weapons they wanted to because they could not source sufficient critical “exotic” raw materials—not to mention just fuel. As a result, they could produce only a few and those they could produce, such as jet engines, had to use lesser materials and did not last as long. The Japanese, as an isl…

The U.S. Air Force has launched the next phase of its Super Squadron Test by relocating the first wave of F-16 Fighting Falcons from Kunsan Air Base to Osan AB in South Korea. Starting July 28, the 36th Fighter Squadron at Osan began receiving F-16 aircraft as part of the broader initiative to evaluate whether […] The post U.S. Air Force tests super squadron model first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Ukraine and the United States have held a new round of technical discussions aimed at advancing a long-term agreement for the procurement and production of Ukrainian-made drones, according to a report from Militarnyi. A Ukrainian delegation, which included representatives from the Ministry of Defense and the National Security and Defense Council, traveled to the United […] The post U.S. and Ukraine move closer to landmark drone deal first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The German government has announced plans to deliver two additional Patriot air defense batteries to Ukraine. The first components, including launchers, are set to arrive within days, with complete system elements to follow in the next two to three months. According to a press release from the German Ministry of Defense, the delivery is structured […] The post Ukraine to receive more Patriot systems from Germany first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

KNDS has announced two major production milestones for its CAESAR artillery line, marking the rollout of the 450th CAESAR MKI and the 100th CAESAR MKI OCTAVE. The announcement was made by Olivier Bonfils, Director of Industry & Supply Chain at KNDS, who emphasized the achievements as a testament to growing industrial capacity and deep cooperation […]View the full article

As the war in Ukraine continues into its fourth year, one lesson stands out for militaries worldwide: even the simplest weapons can have a place on the modern battlefield. Among them is the shotgun — a smoothbore firearm long dismissed as outdated, yet now proving its worth against one of the most difficult threats facing […] The post Shotguns return to relevance in drone warfare first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Japan’s 2025 defense expenditures have reached their highest level in postwar history as Tokyo continues to expand its military capabilities in response to what officials describe as an increasingly severe security environment in East Asia. The Ministry of Defense reports that the country’s base defense budget for the 2025 fiscal year totaled ¥8.7 trillion (around […]View the full article

The Royal Australian Navy has awarded Anduril Australia a A$1.7 billion (US$1.12 billion) contract to deliver a fleet of Ghost Shark extra-large autonomous submarines. The Royal Australian Navy opted to bypass conventional procurement processes and instead partnered directly with Anduril on development. The Ghost Shark program was co-developed and co-funded, enabling rapid prototyping, testing, and […] The post Australian Navy buys Ghost Shark autonomous submarines first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The U.S. Army’s next-generation battlefield sensor system, known as Launched Effects, is one step closer to entering service after a live demonstration involving active-duty forces at Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) in August 2025. Launched Effects is a term the Army uses to describe a class of compact systems—such as the Atlas 600 from AEVEX Aerospace—that […] The post U.S. Forces simulate strike on Russian howitzer during trials first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

There is no greater partner for the US Navy than the Royal Navy. I wish they had more units, but more often than not, they will sail with us into harm’s way. Great to see this. The Portsmouth-based warship came under sustained missile and drone attacks in the Red Sea over a six-month period from December 2023 until June last year as she strove to protect merchant shipping and allied warships targeted at random by Houthi rebels in Yemen. In response, her Sea Viper missile system and 30mm gun destroyed a string of drones, even one ballistic missile. For their actions, HMS Diamond has been awarded a Meritorious Unit Commendation by the US Navy. Her Commanding Officer during …

Italian Centauro B1 wheeled tank destroyers have been spotted on Ukrainian frontlines, the press service of the 78th Separate Assault Airborne Regiment said, offering the first visual confirmation of the vehicles’ presence despite reports that surfaced earlier. The footage, released to mark Airborne Forces Day, shows Centauro B1s fitted with an array of improvised protective […]View the full article

Americas General Atomics Aeronautical Systems won a $34.8 million deal, which procures Air Vehicle and Ground Control Station spares in support of the successful operational capability of the Marine Air Ground Task Force Unmanned Aircraft System Expeditionary Medium Altitude Long Endurance MQ-9 Reaper air vehicles. Work will be performed in Poway, California, and is expected to be completed in May 2028. Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Bell Boeing won a $21.9 million deal, which provides for non-recurring efforts for the engineering, component production, supportability, and management necessary to facilitate the incorporat…

Saudi soldiers are training alongside U.S. Army units in California in a milestone event for the two countries’ long-standing military partnership. According to the Army, troops from the Royal Saudi Land Forces are conducting operations at the National Training Center (NTC) during Rotation 26-02 at Fort Irwin on November 7, marking the first time a […]View the full article

The U.S. Navy has opened a new facility at San Nicolas Island that doubles its capacity to launch supersonic targets for training and weapons testing on the Point Mugu Sea Range. Leaders from the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division (NAWCWD), joined by counterparts from the Naval Surface Warfare Center Port Hueneme Division, Naval Facilities […] The post U.S. Navy enhances supersonic defense prep first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Ukrainian defense robotics company Air3F has launched full-scale production of its VARKHAN unmanned ground platform, designed for logistics, evacuation, and frontline support under extreme battlefield conditions. Ihor Berehovenko, Co‑founder and CPO of Air3F, announced that the company’s latest robotic ground system, known as VARKHAN, has entered serial production following a demanding period of development and […]View the full article