Raw Intel

Germany is preparing to expand its future fleet of F127-class frigates, with current planning now pointing to as many as eight ships. Until recently, the expectation had been to procure five vessels with an option for a sixth. According to reporting from hartpunkt, sources familiar with the program now say eight ships are being considered. […] The post Germany set to buy eight new F127 frigates first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

United Aircraft Corporation has delivered new Su-35S fighter jets to the Russian Armed Forces after completing ground and flight testing, the company announced. The Su-35 is designed to establish air superiority in difficult weather conditions and at long distances from its home base. Russian industry presents the aircraft as a bridge to fifth-generation platforms, combining […] The post Russian military receives new Su-35 fighter jets first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

New Delhi is reassessing a plan to buy at least two squadrons of Russia’s Su-57 fighter, not primarily for stealth but to close a shortfall in long-range strike and beyond-visual-range engagement, according to reporting from The Print. The report says India is weighing a proposal from Russia that would follow the earlier MiG-series and Su-30MKI […] The post India eyes Su-57 for long-range strike role first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Anduril Industries says it has completed the first successful test of its prototype surface-launched Barracuda-500 missile. “To be blunt, existing solutions are too expensive, too exquisite, and too hard to produce,” the company stated in its announcement. “To deter our adversaries, the U.S. and our allies need an affordable, mass-producible way to project power over […] The post Anduril successfully tests surface-launched Barracuda-500 missile first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Russian sources have released images showing destroyed and heavily damaged vehicles from the Iskander-M short-range ballistic missile system, indirectly confirming the success of recent Ukrainian strikes. The photographs depict a launcher and several transport-loading vehicles, burned out after a strike on a hangar where the systems had been concealed. At least one launcher and five […] The post Ukraine destroys Russian Iskander missile system in drone strike first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Those who follow me on X know what is coming up. It predates by years the Russo-Ukrainian War for reasons we will dive into later. We are surrounded by error, but specifically here, the habit of NATO, Eurocrats, earnest North Americans, politicians, military personnel, media, and civilians trying to sound serious in the national security arena, constantly looking towards Russia in the east and calling it NATO’s eastern flank. I’m sorry, I don’t care how many times you say it, it simply isn’t. It is NATO’s eastern front. After an exchange earlier this month with The Economist’s (and Midrats Podcast alumnus) Defence Editor Shashank Joshi, I decided I needed to put this out…

Embraer and Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) announced on September 23 that they have signed an agreement for the purchase of one A-29 Super Tucano light attack and reconnaissance aircraft. The deal, revealed at the Air & Space Forces Association’s Air, Space & Cyber Conference, comes ahead of an anticipated U.S. Foreign Military Sales (FMS) case. […] The post SNC buys A-29 Super Tucano for future FMS case first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

China has released the first official footage of flight operations from its newest aircraft carrier Fujian, now in the final stages of sea trials before entering service with the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). The images, published by the PLAN, show not only takeoffs and landings of the older carrier-based fighter J-15T but also the […] The post China’s carrier program enters new phase first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

His Majesty King Charles III formally welcomed the Royal Navy’s newest nuclear-powered attack submarine, HMS Agamemnon, into service during a commissioning ceremony at BAE Systems’ yard in Barrow-in-Furness. The milestone event marked the sixth Astute-class submarine to join the fleet. The King, departing from naval tradition, personally read the commissioning warrant, declaring the vessel ready […] The post Royal Navy commissions Astute-class attack submarine first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Ukraine’s latest generation of naval drones has made its debut on the international stage. According to the defense outlet Militarnyi, the modernized Magura v7.2, along with two other Ukrainian uncrewed surface vessels (USVs), participated in NATO’s REPMUS exercise in Portugal, a three-week multinational training event focused on maritime innovation. The REPMUS series, organized annually by […] The post Ukrainian naval drones spotted in Portugal first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Russia’s state-owned defense giant Almaz-Antey says it has sharply increased production of its advanced air defense systems, including the S-400 “Triumf” and S-350 “Vityaz,” amid the ongoing war in Ukraine. In a statement released by the company’s press service, Almaz-Antey said, “The commissioning of new production facilities allowed the company not only to deliver some […] The post Russia ramps up production of S-400 and S-350 systems first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Gabler, a German defense company best known for its submarine technologies, has introduced concepts for two new uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) designed for torpedo tube launch. The announcement came on the opening day of the 27th DWT Naval Workshop in Dobbin-Linstow, where the company also revealed its updated corporate identity. The platforms, developed in partnership […] The post Gabler develops torpedo-tube launched uncrewed vessels first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Renishaw, a specialist in additive manufacturing, announced it will present its latest defense-focused manufacturing solutions at the Defense Manufacturing Conference (DMC) 2025 in Orlando, Florida, from November 17–20. The company will highlight how its technologies support aerospace and defense applications by improving efficiency, accuracy, and cost-effectiveness across critical systems, from aircraft components to suppressors. According […] The post Renishaw to showcase additive tech at DMC 2025 first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Raytheon, an RTX business, announced it has completed a major review of its Advanced Electronic Warfare (ADVEW) prototype, marking a key step in replacing the current electronic warfare suite on the U.S. Navy’s F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fleet. The review validated the prototype’s software integration with flight-representative hardware and confirmed its alignment with government reference architecture. […] The post U.S. Navy Super Hornets to get EW upgrade first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Pratt & Whitney announced the development of a new family of propulsion systems designed to power both Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) and advanced munitions. The engines, ranging from 500 to 1,800 pounds of thrust, are intended to combine adaptability, affordability, and speed of delivery as the U.S. military and its allies expand investment in next-generation […] The post Pratt & Whitney develops new engines for future unmanned aircraft first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works advanced projects division has introduced its newest unmanned combat aircraft, unveiling an advanced collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) called Vectis, designed to support U.S. and allied air forces in the next generation of air power. According to the company, Vectis is a Group 5 survivable and lethal CCA that brings together Lockheed […] The post Lockheed unveils next-gen unmanned combat aircraft first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The U.S. Marine Corps has operated the Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) in Japan during Resolute Dragon 25. According to the Marine Corps, the system was employed after a notional fire mission on Camp Hansen, Okinawa, on September 21, 2025. The exercise marks another step in strengthening bilateral defense cooperation between U.S. forces and […] The post U.S. tests unmanned launcher vehicle in Japan drill first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Raytheon Missiles and Defense has been awarded a contract modification valued at more than $271 million to continue production of the TOW missile system, one of the U.S. Army’s longest-serving anti-armor weapons. According to a Department of Defense announcement, the $271,377,812 modification (PZ0015) to contract W31P4Q-23-C-0026 covers the full-rate production of the Tube-Launched Optically Tracked […] The post U.S. Army expands TOW missile production first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

BAE Systems Land & Armaments, York, Pennsylvania, has been awarded a $12,2 million contract modification to support ongoing Bradley A4 production for the U.S. Army. According to the Department of Defense announcement, the modification (P00001) to contract W912CH-25-F-0096 brings the total cumulative value of the contract to $668,442,599. The Army Contracting Command at Detroit Arsenal, […] The post U.S. Army extends Bradley A4 production first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., a Lockheed Martin company, has been awarded a $16 million order to build and test new rotor blades for the VH-92A presidential helicopter program. According to the Department of Defense announcement, the order covers material to construct and assemble main rotor blade test articles and facilities, as well as system test and […] The post Sikorsky awarded $16M for presidential helicopter upgrade first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article