Raw Intel

Taiwan’s Army carried out a drone combat training exercise on March 10, 2026, with the 58th Artillery Command’s unmanned aerial vehicle battalion conducting advanced operations using first-person-view attack drones in a simulated urban battlefield. The exercise introduced a training course described as “immersive drone operation advanced combined training,” allowing soldiers to practice reconnaissance, precision strikes, […]View the full article

The Royal Thai Army has recovered a BTR-3E1 armored personnel carrier that became immobilized during recent operations near the Thai-Cambodian border, countering earlier claims circulated by Cambodian sources that the vehicle had been seized. According to Thai military officials, the incident occurred on December 12 during operations in the Ta Phraya district of Sa Kaeo […]View the full article

Russian forces are adopting a new infantry doctrine that places greater reliance on drones and robotic systems due to manpower challenges, according to an analysis by the DeepState OSINT project in cooperation with the Telegram channel Mannerheims son. The report said the Russian military is increasingly turning to unmanned ground systems, loitering munitions, and heavy […] The post Russia adopts new infantry doctrine amid manpower strain first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The British Army is beginning the retirement of its Land Rover fleet after 70 years of service, with thousands of vehicles set to be phased out over the coming months under a plan announced by the Ministry of Defence. According to the BBC, the withdrawal will be managed in line with Army demand, while work […]View the full article

Defense analyst Fabian Hoffmann has released a detailed study tracing the trajectory of Ukraine’s missile programs from 2014 to 2025, highlighting the country’s efforts to transition from limited post-Soviet capabilities to a diverse but still developing long-range strike arsenal. In his latest Missile Matters post, Hoffmann examined the rise, setbacks, and future of Ukraine’s deep-strike […] The post Analysis: Ukraine builds future strike arsenal first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Hydra Drones, a British small and medium-sized enterprise that designs and builds hybrid-powered uncrewed aircraft, has opened a new £4 million ($5.4 million) investment round as it moves toward final development and industrialization of its heavy-lift HYDRA-400 platform. According to the company, the funding will be used to complete the last phase of research and […]View the full article

Robotican, a leading Israeli developer of autonomous robotic and drone technologies, announced September 2 the introduction of a new armed configuration for its ROOSTER hybrid drone system, adding a precision-guided warhead designed for urban and indoor operations. The company said the upgraded ROOSTER is capable of carrying a payload of up to 300 grams, allowing […] The post Robotican develops armed hybrid drone for urban missions first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

South Korea has completed deployment of the second performance upgrade of its Army Tactical Command Information System (ATCIS), finalizing fielding of the modernized command-and-control network to frontline units, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) announced on January 26. According to DAPA, the upgrade program has been successfully concluded and the system is now fully operational […]View the full article

U.S. Army AH-64 Apache helicopter crews from the 1st Armored Division conducted deep strike live-fire exercises in Lithuania on September 9, just miles from the Belarusian border where Russia and Belarus have launched a joint military drill known as Zapad 2025. The training involved AH-64 helicopters assigned to the 1st Battalion, 501st Aviation Regiment, 1st […] The post U.S. Army gunships drill near Belarus border first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The United States Army is seeking potential U.S.-based producers for a next-generation 155mm artillery projectile designed to replace aging stockpiles of Dual-Purpose Improved Conventional Munitions (DPICM). A sources sought notice, released by the Army Contracting Command-New Jersey on December 5, outlines the service’s effort to identify qualified manufacturers for the XM1208 Advanced Submunitions projectile. According […]View the full article

Russia has conducted a simulated missile strike on Polish territory as part of its large-scale joint military exercise with Belarus, known as Zapad 2025. The drill scenario involved the use of Iskander ballistic missile systems deployed from the Kaliningrad region. According to the exercise script, Russian missile units moved to designated launch positions with the […] The post Russia simulates missile strike on Poland first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Switzerland’s Federal Office for Defence Procurement (armasuisse) has awarded new contracts for multispectral camouflage systems to three European defense suppliers — SSZ Camouflage Technology AG (Switzerland), Saro GmbH (Germany), and Saab (Sweden). The decision followed an extensive testing and evaluation process based on performance capability, integration potential, and logistical and economic factors. The selected systems […]View the full article

Russian forces launched an assault on Ukrainian positions in Zaporizhzhia under the cover of both Russian and American flags, according to a report from the defense news outlet Militarnyi. The incident took place near Mala Tokmachka in the Zaporizhzhia region, where Russian troops attempted to storm defensive positions held by Ukrainian forces. Open-source intelligence specialists […] The post Russian troops use American flag in Ukraine attack first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The United States State Department has approved a possible $800 million Foreign Military Sale to Kuwait covering sustainment and follow-on technical support for the country’s Patriot air-and-missile defense program, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said on January 14. The agency confirmed that it has delivered the required certification notifying Congress of the proposed transaction. According […]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

The U.S. Army has officially fielded the newest version of its Soldier Borne Sensor reconnaissance drone, earning high praise from Soldiers who trained with it for the first time this month. The system, developed under Program Executive Office Soldier, is designed to give troops real-time intelligence while keeping them out of direct danger. Officials said […] The post U.S. Army fields new pocket-sized recon drone first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Raytheon Co. has been awarded a not-to-exceed $161 million deal to an existing contract to support expanded production and modernization of the AIM-9X air-to-air missile, a weapon central to U.S. and allied air defense capabilities. The modification to an existing contract, which includes support for Ukraine, calls for development and qualification of a new warhead, […] The post New AIM-9X missile upgrade deal includes weapons support for Ukraine first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

In the last week there is a topic that I’ve covered on the UNCLAS Read Board Podcast last Wednesday, and this Sunday on the Midrats Podcast, that it is still stuck in my craw—so let’s start the week with it as I think it has the potential to have an even worse second-order effect than I thought. I am, of course, referring to one of the most irresponsible collective acts by our elected representatives who once wore the uniform or served in our intelligence services since, well, I’m having trouble coming up with something else this gross. A group of six Democratic lawmakers with military or national security backgrounds released a video in November 2025 urging U.S. service …

The Ohio National Guard’s 1st Combined Arms Battalion, 145th Armor Regiment, has begun training with the U.S. Army’s newest generation of main battle tank—the M1A2 SEPv3 Abrams. The unit is the first within the 34th Infantry Division to field the upgraded platform. On July 28, tank crews conducted live-fire gunnery qualification with the SEPv3 variant […] The post Ohio Guard fields new Abrams tank variant first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Well, I was wrong Tuesday afternoon. I mean, we have been doing a bit of shooting at drug runners. A bit. Like many Sailors of my generation, I spent roughly a year of my life in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific chasing drug runners around. At some point around the turn of the century, we started shooting out their engines or even boarding their semi-submersibles. As such, even with the new deployment we discussed a bit last week, when word came out, I thought we were just picking up old habits. Well, that was not this. Ladies and gentlemen, I believe we have some new ROE. This is new, significantly new. I also don’t think this is a one-off. President Trump pretty much…