Raw Intel

Raytheon Missiles & Defense, based in Marlborough, Massachusetts, has been awarded a $52 million contract modification by the U.S. Navy for production of the AN/SPY-6(V) family of radars, the Pentagon announced this week. The fixed-price incentive (firm-target) contract option was issued under contract number N00024-22-C-5500. According to the Department of Defense, the funds come from […] The post Raytheon wins $52.9M U.S. Navy radar contract first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Leonardo DRS, Inc. announced it has signed a contract with Thailand-based Chaiseri Defense Systems to provide its advanced Battle Management System (BMS) and related integration support to the Royal Thai Army’s Stryker armored vehicle fleet. According to a release from Leonardo DRS, the agreement expands the company’s footprint in Southeast Asia and strengthens its long-term […]View the full article

PteroDynamics and AeroVironment said they have completed a joint technology demonstration integrating electronic warfare sensors on an autonomous vertical takeoff and landing unmanned aircraft, marking a step in exploring new options for U.S. Navy littoral surveillance missions. According to a press release distributed by EINPresswire on December 16, the companies collaborated during Silent Swarm 25, […]View the full article

As you all know, I love nothing more than quoting myself. So, Front Porch members of long standing by now can say things from memory: Plan Salamander for the U.S. posture toward Europe that I have been proposing in one form or another for a couple of decades+. Here is just one example from 15 years ago. …withdraw all maneuver forces from Asia and Europe except for what is needed at Combined Training and Logistics Bases with our most important allies. No, we don’t leave NATO. I’m a former NATO staff officer who used to give seminars on operational planning at war colleges all over Europe. We just need a 21st century reality check. We still have 80-100,000 personnel there. …

Swarm Aero announced the opening of its Advanced Manufacturing Center on Feb. 17, 2026, at Drake Field in Fayetteville, Arkansas, marking the launch of an 80,000-square-foot facility designed to produce large uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) swarms, the company said during a ribbon-cutting event attended by Congressman Steve Womack. According to the company, the Arkansas facility […]View the full article

China has conducted the maiden flight of a new jet trainer aircraft, as shown in recently published images circulating on Chinese social media. The prototype aircraft was spotted during pre-flight preparations and later airborne, marking its debut in the People’s Liberation Army Navy’s expanding aviation program. The jet, produced by Hongdu Aviation Industry Group (HAIG), […]View the full article

The U.S. State Department has approved a potential Foreign Military Sale to Canada of M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and related equipment valued at an estimated $1.75 billion, according to a notification delivered to Congress by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency. Under the proposed deal, Canada has requested 26 M142 launchers and a […] The post Canada approved to buy HIMARS in $1.75 billion deal first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Terma A/S announced on November 27, 2025, that it has completed the acquisition of OSL Technology, a UK company known for counter-drone and intelligent security systems. According to the company, the move strengthens its strategy to expand market-ready Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems and critical-infrastructure protection solutions. OSL is a UK specialist with long-running experience in civil […]View the full article

As the final post of 2025, let’s look at the warships the U.S. Navy commissioned this year. Carriers: None. Next scheduled in 2027. Amphibious Ships: None. Next LHA expected in 2026. Destroyers: None. Two expected in 2026. Frigates or Other Small Surface Combatants: USS Pierre, LCS-38 Attack Submarines: USS Iowa, SSN-797 So, a LCS and a SSN. 2026 should be a bit better, but it is what it is. Two. As Sal pointed out, we have had a few auxiliaries as well, but this is about warships. Meanwhile, how is the largest Navy in the world, the navy of the People’s Republic of China doing? Via SomePLAOSINT - some great graphics. Using the same format as we did for the U.S. Navy, w…

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on Friday accused the United States of seeking a violent regime change in Venezuela and across Latin America, warning President Donald Trump to reject what he described as a misguided and destabilizing strategy. In a televised address during an operational ceremony of Venezuela’s Bolivarian National Militia, Maduro said, “The United States […] The post Venezuela warns U.S. against military pressure first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Newly elected Kuomintang (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wen, leader of Taiwan’s second-largest political party, sparked sharp debate after telling Deutsche Welle that Russian President Vladimir Putin “is not a dictator,” arguing that he was “democratically elected” and that Russia has been “democratized for many years.” In her first interview with international media since assuming party leadership, […]View the full article

U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth visited the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) dividing North and South Korea on Monday, a symbolic stop ahead of high-level talks between Washington and Seoul on the future of U.S. forces on the peninsula, South Korea’s defense ministry said. Hegseth toured the Joint Security Area (JSA) — the only portion of […]View the full article

The U.S. Department of State has approved a possible Foreign Military Sale (FMS) to Ukraine for long-term sustainment and support services related to M777 howitzers, valued at up to $104 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) formally notified Congress of the decision, the agency said in a release. According to the notification, the Government […] The post U.S. clears $104M support deal for Ukrainian M777 howitzers first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

It would be an understatement to say that I am not all that pleased with where we are in January 2026 with the Greenland question. This would not have been the productive path I would have recommended because, in the end, this is a very serious issue. Sure, in the first few months of 2025, the meme-ish nature of it all was fun and funny…but only to a point. In 2026, Denmark is not going to sell or otherwise transfer Greenland to the USA like they did with the now-U.S. Virgin Islands a bit more than a century ago. However, before we go further, if you have a knee-jerk reaction to support or oppose anything or any topic because DJT is involved, please repress that feeling u…

An independent U.S. analyst has rejected reports that Ukrainian long-range missiles struck Russia’s Kapustin Yar missile test range, saying satellite imagery cited as evidence shows no damage to the facility. The response follows recent reporting by Ukrainian and regional defense outlets claiming that Ukraine’s domestically developed FP-5 “Flamingo” cruise missile was used in a strike […]View the full article

China is preparing to unveil a new generation of airborne combat vehicles during its upcoming September 3 military parade in Beijing. The event, marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, is expected to feature the first public display of modern armored platforms designed specifically for the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) paratrooper […] The post China to unveil new airborne vehicles at military parade first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) held a preliminary industry briefing on February 11 for the Korean Next-Generation Destroyer (KDDX) program, formally launching the contractor selection process for detailed design and construction of the lead ship. The event took place at DAPA’s bidding office and was organized ahead of a formal tender notice expected […]View the full article

Let’s return to a topic we covered in a FbF last month: the U-Boat war in the Caribbean. Not just the Caribbean, U-Boats in the Gulf of America (nee Mexico). From a strictly professional point of view, you have to tip your hat to the men of the German U-boat fleet. They didn’t have the great fleet boats like we did - no, not even close. But what they did with what they had ... it is still amazing. In the summer of 1942, U-166 patrolled the Gulf of Mexico in searches for a new victim. Steamer Robert E. Lee appeared 70 kilometers from the Mississippi mouth on July 30. The passenger carrier of 5184 tons displacement was going from Trinidad escorted with a PC-566 cruiser. The…

Aerospace giant Boeing has been awarded a series of multiyear contracts valued at approximately $2.7 billion to manufacture more than 3,000 Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) seekers through 2030, the company announced. The seekers are built by Boeing for Lockheed Martin, the prime contractor for the PAC-3 interceptor, and play a central role in enabling the […] The post Boeing boosts PAC-3 production in $2.7B deal first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

As the Trump administration prepares to release its first National Defense Strategy (NDS), debate in Washington is sharpening over the role of nuclear weapons in America’s alliances, particularly in Asia. Jennifer Kavanagh, a senior fellow and director of military analysis at the think tank Defense Priorities, said that while U.S. troop levels in South Korea […] The post South Korea nuclear option enters U.S. debate first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article