Raw Intel

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has released a new recruitment video featuring a robotic dog armed with an assault rifle. The promotional clip, published this week by the SBU, includes footage from tactical training exercises in which a quadrupedal unmanned ground vehicle, resembling a robotic dog, is seen maneuvering indoors and firing a rifle. […]View the full article

A Ukrainian Su-27 fighter jet was lost during a combat mission on December 8 in the eastern region of the country, the Ukrainian Air Force confirmed in a public statement. “At noon on December 8, 2025, in the eastern direction, during the execution of a combat mission in a Su-27 aircraft, the senior navigator of […]View the full article

It has been driving me a little nuts the last couple of days, seeing all the gnashing of teeth and rending of clothes about the new National Security Strategy (NSS), not having the time to read it. I mean, come on Sal, it is only 29 pages. I promised a few people I would start the week with my thoughts on it, so after we finished our Midrats Podcast with Bryan McGrath, I decided to give it a read. Really people, take a powder. As I’ve been doing with most of the documents like this the last couple of decades here, let’s look at the word cloud: This…is actually a pretty good representation of its relative macro concerns. Before I dive in to some specifics, there are two l…

Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace has signed a new contract with the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) to deliver PROTECTOR remote weapon stations (RWS) for use on several Swedish Army platforms, including the CV90 (local name Stridsfordon 90) infantry fighting vehicle. According to a company announcement issued on December 8, the contract is valued at over […]View the full article

Germany’s armed forces (Bundeswehr) have placed another order with Rheinmetall for 120mm tank ammunition. According to a statement from Rheinmetall, the new order falls under the extended framework agreement signed in July 2023. “The new order is worth several hundred million euros,” the company said, though it did not disclose the exact value or quantities. […]View the full article

The Republic of China Navy (Taiwan) has issued a public request for a naval suicide drone system and associated control infrastructure. The request, dated December 8, 2025, outlines the Navy’s interest in developing or acquiring unmanned surface vessels (USVs) capable of high-speed, long-range autonomous missions under contested conditions. According to the notice, the project falls […]View the full article

Detailed 3D renders of Russia’s long-abandoned experimental T-95 main battle tank project—also known as “Object 195”—have surfaced online, offering an unprecedented look at the advanced design once pursued by the Russian military-industrial complex. The renders were created by 3D artist Gustiiz3D using an original set of technical blueprints that recently appeared on Western platforms. According […]View the full article

The Royal Thai Army has launched a military operation to reclaim Thai sovereign territory in Sa Kaeo Province, following reports of increased Cambodian troop movements and heavy weapons deployments along the border. The operation was carried out by the Burapha Task Force under the First Army Region Command. According to a report from the Royal […]View the full article

Thailand’s Army has claimed that Cambodian forces launched a BM-21 rocket strike targeting a civilian village in Buriram Province amid a sharp escalation in cross-border fighting, with multiple fronts now active along the Thai-Cambodian border. In a press briefing on December 8, Maj. Gen. Winthai Suvaree, spokesperson for the Royal Thai Army, said Cambodian troops […]View the full article

Two Russian military airmen were killed in an incident involving the unexpected activation of an ejection system while their aircraft was parked in a shelter, according to Russian defense blogger Ilya Tumanov, the founder of the “Fighterbomber” Telegram channel. “Yesterday, in one of the bomber aviation regiments, the ejection system was triggered on a plane […]View the full article

The United States Air Force has ended the operational presence of the UH-1N Huey at Yokota Air Base in Japan, marking the conclusion of more than four decades of continuous rotary-wing operations across the Pacific theater. On December 3, 2025, Airmen from the 730th Air Mobility Squadron and the 22nd Airlift Squadron at Travis Air […]View the full article

The United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) has formally canceled its prototyping initiative for the Lightweight Machine Gun–Assault (LMG-A), a next-generation automatic weapon once expected to replace or supplement the aging Mk46/Mk48 and possibly the M249 SAW in special operations units. In a notice published December 7, the SOF Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics–Kinetic Requirements (SOF […]View the full article

One of our guests on Episode 3 of Midrats was Bryan McGrath, CDR, USN (Ret.). Over the years he’s returned often, and has even graced us with the pleasure of a few guest posts here. As he’s let people know for years, he was going to retire for good at 60. True to his word, he hung it up a few weeks ago. Earlier this year before he got too focused on his figs and vines, I asked Bryan to come on for a broad-ranging conversation. We go live at 5pm Eastern this Sunday for a full hour with an old friend. You can join us at this link. If you are reading this after the show, check the Substack later on Sunday night and I’ll upload the podcast. A retired Naval Officer, Bryan spen…

The Canadian defense manufacturer Roshel has delivered more than 2,000 Senator armored vehicles to Ukraine since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, according to company CEO Roman Shimonov. The confirmation came in a public reply on X, where defense expert Jeff21461 asked Shimonov for an update on delivery figures, referencing a previous count of 1,700 […]View the full article

Six F-16 Fighting Falcons touched down in Argentina on Saturday morning, marking a major milestone in the modernization of the Argentine Air Force and the country’s return to supersonic combat aviation after more than a decade. The arrival was confirmed by the Argentine Air Force, which stated, “Mission accomplished: the F-16s have landed on Argentine […]View the full article

Vantor, a defense-focused geospatial technology firm based in Westminster, Colorado, has revealed a high-resolution 3D reconstruction of China’s Yulin Naval Base just hours after a satellite passed over the site. According to a post from the company, the terrain data was captured at 11:21 a.m. local time and processed into a detailed 3D model within […]View the full article

Russian President Vladimir Putin praised the T-90 tank family in an interview with India Today, calling it one of the best main battle tanks in the world and highlighting India’s domestic production of the platform. “India produces our famous T-90 tanks. Believe me when I say these tanks are considered among the best in the […]View the full article

General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) and AeroVironment (AV) have successfully demonstrated the integration of Switchblade loitering munitions into frontline combat platforms using a new modular launcher system known as PERCH. The Precision Effects & Reconnaissance, Canister-Housed (PERCH) system was tested at the U.S. Army’s Machine Assisted Rugged Sapper (MARS) event held at Fort Hood, Texas, […]View the full article

Orqa, a Croatian manufacturer of FPV and unmanned aerial systems, has expanded its production facility in Osijek to support an annual output of up to 280,000 NDAA-compliant drones. In a statement on December 1, the company said the new capacity allows it to meet growing global demand for defense-grade drones free of Chinese components. The […]View the full article

The United States Navy has officially selected the LST 100 design from Dutch shipbuilder Damen for its new class of Medium Landing Ships (LSM), a move aimed at accelerating delivery of critical littoral capabilities to naval forces. The announcement was made on December 5 by Secretary of the Navy John C. Phelan and marks a […]View the full article