Raw Intel

Today, let’s pick up where we left off yesterday and return to a discussion of the Western Pacific. More often than not, things devolve into a discussion of island chains. They are easy to draw and explain—and the First and Second Island Chains have become an expected understanding of the geography of the area. Is this really the best way to think about it? Are we really looking at a neat and easy chain, or something a bit more complicated, difficult, resilient, and more open to opportunity for those who understand its true nature? Do you know who Lieutenant Colonel Earl Hancock “Pete” Ellis, USMC is? You should, we all should. His life story really needs a mini-series li…

The Royal Netherlands Air and Space Force will receive three additional NH90 NATO Frigate Helicopters (NFHs) under a new contract signed today between NHIndustries (NHI) and the NATO Helicopter Management Agency (NAHEMA), further expanding the Dutch Navy’s maritime aviation fleet. According to a press release from NHIndustries, the helicopters will be assembled by Leonardo in […]View the full article

I first saw this map three years ago, and it recently resurfaced in my thoughts. I remain convinced that a lot of the problem with trying to get everyone to fully understand the challenge in the Western Pacific is that to a large part, we think in a ‘north-up’ orientation. I don’t think that is all that helpful. Just a few days ago, we had another Pearl Harbor Day anniversary and we’ve all seen the maps, usually centered on Hawaii, where the Imperial Japanese Navy’s Kidō Butai comes at the Pacific Fleet from stage left off the map. Then we fought battles in the Coral Sea, Midway, and so on. To the lay eye — or to those who don’t have time to dig into the reasons — a trad…

South Korean defense startup Nearthlab has successfully demonstrated its KAiDEN autonomous interceptor drone during a live fire test hosted for representatives from L3Harris Technologies. In a post shared by Chief Strategy Officer and Executive Vice President Andrew D. Kim, the company described the intercept as “flawless,” adding that the “one shot, one kill” demonstration proved […]View the full article

Croatia has formally signed a contract to acquire 18 CAESAR 6×6 MkII self-propelled howitzers and 15 Serval armored vehicles from French defense manufacturer KNDS, the company announced on December 9. The agreement is part of Croatia’s ongoing efforts to modernize its artillery and mechanized forces. According to a statement from KNDS France, the signing took […]View the full article

Rani Plaut, CEO of the Israeli aerospace startup AIR, says recent global crises have revealed a central lesson for military and civilian planners alike: “mobility is power.” In a detailed statement on the company’s vision for next‑generation aerial logistics, Plaut said uncrewed aerial systems have become essential for reconnaissance and rapid tactical response, but remain […]View the full article

Ukrainian assault troops have used an armed unmanned vehicle to intercept and disable a Russian armored vehicle during an attempted nighttime attack, according to a statement released by the 5th Kyiv Assault Brigade on December 10. The unit published thermal camera footage showing the Droid robotic combat system engaging an enemy MT-LB with mounted infantry […]View the full article

Newly surfaced footage has confirmed for the first time that Russia is operating modified Shahed‑136 one‑way attack drones—produced domestically as Geran‑2—with under‑wing payloads containing PTM‑3 anti‑tank mines. The video, recorded by a Ukrainian interceptor drone during an engagement, captures the moment a Russian drone ejects its KPТМ canisters, each containing a PTM‑3 mine, before the […]View the full article

The United States Air Force has awarded Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation a new ceiling contract worth up to $100 million to advance two key strike‑weapon programs: the Stand‑In Attack Weapon (SiAW) and the Advanced Anti‑Radiation Guided Missile–Extended Range (AARGM‑ER). The agreement supports both production and research and development through December 31, 2034, according to the […]View the full article

Oshkosh Defense has secured a $49.2 million contract to convert and deliver upgraded cargo vehicles for the United States Marine Corps, the Department of War announced. According to a release, the contract calls for Oshkosh Defense LLC of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, to convert an undisclosed number of Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement (MTVR) Extra Long Wheelbase cargo […]View the full article

SIG SAUER announced on Tuesday that the Swiss Armed Forces have officially selected the P320 pistol as their new standard-issued sidearm. The decision is part of Switzerland’s broader New Generation Project aimed at modernizing core equipment for its military personnel. According to a company statement, the selection followed a rigorous competitive process conducted by Armasuisse, […]View the full article

MatrixSpace, a Massachusetts-based developer of compact radar systems, has announced the launch of its Portable 360 Radar, a low-power counter-drone radar system designed to rapidly deploy in diverse operational settings ranging from public event security to military environments. In a release dated December 9, 2025, MatrixSpace said the system provides 360-degree panoramic surveillance coverage for […]View the full article

Last Friday, we got an answer to one of the questions we had after the CANX of the Constellation FFG: what next? TWZ has a good summary of the hard data in the above video. “Last month, with the concurrence of the Commandant [of the Marine Corps] and the Chief of Naval Operations, I approved the LSM design selection [of] the LST-100 landing ship transport, a roughly 4,000-ton ship with a range of more than 3,400 nautical miles that gives us the right balance of capability, affordability, and speed to field.” The baseline LST-100 design is approximately 328 feet (100 meters) long, some 52.5 feet (16 meters) wide, and can reach a top speed of 15 knots, according to Damen. …

Turkish-built Ejder TTZA 6×6 armored personnel carriers were unveiled for the first time during a military parade held in Damascus celebrating the fall of the Assad regime, marking the public debut of the vehicles in Syrian service. The parade, staged by the new authorities in Damascus, featured multiple examples of the Ejder TTZA—short for Taktik […]View the full article

South Korea has finalized a new production contract for its K600 Rhino obstacle-clearing combat engineering tank, marking the first time the vehicle will be supplied directly to frontline Army units and the Republic of Korea Marine Corps. According to an announcement carried by Yonhap News, Hyundai Rotem said on December 9 that it signed a […]View the full article

A Russian An-22 heavy-lift military transport aircraft has crashed in the Furmanovsky district of Ivanovo Region, according to initial reports from Russian media. The incident occurred on December 9 and involved a military aircraft identified as an An-22 “Antei.” The aircraft reportedly carried seven crew members at the time of the crash. Their status remains […]View the full article

Nine Chinese and Russian military aircraft briefly entered South Korea’s air defense identification zone (KADIZ) on Tuesday, prompting the South Korean Air Force to dispatch fighter jets as a precautionary response, according to the country’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). The JCS said two Chinese military planes and seven Russian aircraft entered the KADIZ sequentially […]View the full article

The U.S. Navy has recovered an F/A‑18F Super Hornet and an MH‑60R Seahawk from the seafloor after both aircraft were lost in separate mishaps off the USS Nimitz (CVN 68) on October 26, 2025. According to the Navy, the two aircraft suffered accidents within a half‑hour of each other. The recovery operation was completed on […]View the full article

The U.S. Department of State has approved a potential Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Belgium for up to 240 Hellfire missiles, along with a broad package of support equipment and services, at an estimated cost of $79 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) announced that it has delivered the required certification notifying […]View the full article

The United States Navy has awarded Saronic a $392 million production contract to rapidly deliver drone boats under the Other Transaction Authority (OTA) framework. Secretary of the Navy John C. Phelan said nearly $200 million of that total has already been obligated, as the service pushes forward with a new model of fast-paced, open-competition procurement […]View the full article