Raw Intel

Dutch defense contractor COBBS Industries BV announced on Monday that it is developing the Netherlands’ first anti-drone net system for the Ministry of Defence, specifically to enhance protection for the country’s PzH 2000NL self-propelled howitzers. The system is being introduced in response to growing threats posed by small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS) in modern artillery […]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 …

Chile’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Alberto van Klaveren, reaffirmed on Sunday that the country’s laws prohibit the transfer of military equipment to nations involved in active armed conflict, responding to reports that Chile may have agreed to supply Marder 1A3 infantry fighting vehicles to Germany for eventual delivery to Ukraine. Van Klaveren did not explicitly […]View the full article

A U.S. Navy vessel operating as part of a coalition task force in the Caribbean issued multiple radio warnings on November 24 to an unidentified aircraft approaching its position in international waters south of Puerto Rico. The aircraft, flying at 18,300 feet and traveling at approximately 278 knots, was tracked on a course of 085º—moving […]View the full article

U.S. Soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 66th Armored Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division are conducting intensive armored training in Poland under late-autumn conditions that mirror the challenges of Eastern Europe. On November 18, 2025, crews maneuvered an M1A2 Abrams tank through a water obstacle and mud fields at the Bemowo Piskie Training […]View the full article

The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG 81) conducted operations with the Guyana Defence Force Defiant-class patrol vessel GDFS Shahous (1039) in the Caribbean Sea off Guyana’s eastern coast on November 22, 2025. According to U.S. officials, the deployment supports U.S. Southern Command missions, Department of War-directed operations, and presidential priorities focused […]View the full article

Japan’s Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi visited Ground Self-Defense Force units on Ishigaki and Yonaguni on November 23, reaffirming his commitment to improving conditions for troops stationed in remote island environments and strengthening communication with local communities. The visit came as relations between Japan and China continue to worsen, adding weight to the inspection of garrisons […]View the full article

Full-scale mock-ups of foreign-made air defense systems resembling the S-300 and HQ-9 were seen during the Resolute Hunter 26-1 exercise at Naval Air Station Fallon, Nevada, on November 10, 2025. The decoys appeared in desert-pattern camouflage commonly associated with Iranian forces. According to a statement: “During Resolute Hunter, 1st Radio Battalion, I Marine Expeditionary Force […]View the full article

If you need to take a break from getting the house ready for Thanksgiving (well, I do), then I’ve got just the thing for you … a LIVE Midrats Podcast Free for All! Sunday from 5-6 pm Eastern, Mark and I will be going live to cover the national security waterfront. You can join us live at this link. If you are reading this after the show or on email, just refresh the Substack page later on Sunday night, and all the links for the recorded podcast will be here. Better yet, if you don’t already, follow one of the links on the page to subscribe to the Midrats Podcast so it is always available for you. Leave a comment Share This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new post…

China has developed a next-generation 25mm handheld grenade launcher featuring programmable airburst munitions, a compact electronic fire control system, and modular construction, according to an article published in the military magazine Ordnance Knowledge. The report introduces a new experimental 25mm airburst grenade launcher designed for individual use, combining advanced fuze programming with a high level […]View the full article

A new variant of China’s ZBD-04 infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) equipped with an advanced active protection system (APS) has surfaced online, raising questions about the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) evolving approach to vehicle survivability and defensive countermeasures. Photos of the vehicle—reportedly the ZBD-04B—were released by the open-source monitoring group The Dead District. The images show […]View the full article

The United States Army has reopened its effort to identify companies capable of developing ground-based counter surveillance and reconnaissance systems designed to address space-based threats, issuing a new Sources Sought Notice under number W58SFN-25-R-0001-1. The notice was reposted on November 21 and remains open until December 5. According to the Army Contracting Command at Redstone […]View the full article

The Strategic Capabilities Office has issued a new solicitation for the Rapid Affordable Producible Torpedo, or RAPTOR, a next-generation concept for a single-use heavyweight torpedo designed to be produced quickly and at far lower cost than the U.S. Navy’s current inventory. The RAPTOR Solicitation, identified as SCO-PS-26-01, was released on November 17 and amended on […]View the full article

Huntington Ingalls Industries has received a series of contract modifications totaling over $142 million to finalize capability enhancements and change orders for the second ship in the Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier program. The U.S. Navy has awarded Huntington Ingalls Incorporated, based in Newport News, Virginia, a combination of contract modifications to support completion of […]View the full article

General Electric has received a contract valued at $9.7 million for the procurement of initial provisioning spares and consumables for the F110-GE-129 engine. The U.S. Air Force Lifecycle Management Center awarded the contract on November 18, 2025. According to the Department of War, the contract supports a Foreign Military Sales (FMS) requirement for the Bulgarian […]View the full article

DRS Sustainment Systems has been awarded a $12.6 million delivery order to provide engineering, logistics, and parts support for the Tunner aircraft cargo loader, a key asset in U.S. Air Force global mobility operations. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, has awarded DRS Sustainment Systems Inc., based in […]View the full article

Kazakhstan Paramount Engineering and WSE LLP, part of the Barys Dynamics group, conducted a full-scale demonstration of the new “Terrex – Barys A” amphibious armored vehicle on November 14, 2025, showcasing its firepower, mobility, and domestic weapons integration. The live demonstration took place at the Bereg training center on the banks of the Ili River […]View the full article

Kraken Technology Group has secured an Other Transaction Authority (OTA) agreement from U.S. Special Operations Command to design and prototype advanced uncrewed maritime platforms. On November 21, 2025, Kraken Technology Group announced that it has been awarded an OTA agreement by United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). The agreement supports the rapid development and prototyping […]View the full article

The U.S. Special Operations Command has placed an $877 million order with Boeing for additional MH-47G Chinook helicopters to support its rotary-wing operations through 2030. The Boeing Company, based in Ridley Park, Pennsylvania, has been awarded a firm-fixed-price delivery order valued at $877,742,891 for the procurement of MH-47G helicopters. The aircraft are being purchased to […]View the full article

Ukrainian defense robotics company Air3F has launched full-scale production of its VARKHAN unmanned ground platform, designed for logistics, evacuation, and frontline support under extreme battlefield conditions. Ihor Berehovenko, Co‑founder and CPO of Air3F, announced that the company’s latest robotic ground system, known as VARKHAN, has entered serial production following a demanding period of development and […]View the full article