Raw Intel

Japan’s Ministry of Defense announced that deployment of the upgraded Type 12 surface-to-ship missile will be accelerated, with the first ground-based units to be stationed in Kumamoto before the end of this fiscal year. The Ministry said on August 29 that both ship- and aircraft-launched variants of the improved Type 12 will now enter service […] The post Japan to field new missile systems earlier than planned first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Taiwan is moving to expand its stockpile of Stinger air defense missiles, with the Army planning a supplemental purchase of several thousand rounds valued at NT$11 billion ($340 million), according to local defense reports. The move follows an earlier $2.1 billion package for 2,621 man-portable Stingers from the United States. According to Taiwan’s Liberty Times […] The post Taiwan to buy more Stinger missiles first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

India is considering local production of Israel’s long-range Rampage missile under the government’s “Make in India” initiative. The Indian Army first acquired the missile in 2020 following the Galwan clash with China. Since then, it has become a cornerstone of India’s long-range strike capability. On May 10, 2025, during Operation Sindoor, the Indian Air Force […] The post India eyes local production of Rampage missile first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Pentagon’s No.1 weapons supplier, Lockheed Martin, is joining with President Donald Trump’s administration and South Korean industry to strengthen access to critical materials vital for national defense. The initiative, announced by Michael Williamson, President of Lockheed Martin International, is aimed at building a more resilient supply chain for technologies essential to both U.S. and allied […] The post Lockheed Martin, South Korean Zinc sign critical materials deal first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Japan’s Ministry of Defense has selected the Textron T-6 Texan II as the next primary trainer aircraft for the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF), with deliveries set to begin in 2029 and continue in stages through 2032. Kanematsu Corporation, which proposed the Textron-built aircraft, confirmed the decision and highlighted its broader aerospace ambitions. The company […] The post Japan to receive Textron T-6 trainers by 2029 first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Saudi Arabia has become one of the first countries in the world to acquire laser-based air defense systems, purchasing China’s SkyShield integrated counter-drone system to protect key sites and expensive air defense assets such as the Patriot from drone attacks. But operational experience in the kingdom’s harsh environment has revealed serious limitations. The SkyShield system […] The post Saudi military slams Chinese laser weapon first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The U.S. Army has awarded three agreements valued at approximately $15.5 million to Forterra of Clarksburg, Maryland, Overland AI of Seattle, Washington, and Scout AI of Sunnyvale, California, as part of an effort to accelerate autonomous mobility within Army formations. According to the Army, the Unmanned Systems (UxS) Autonomy agreements will integrate commercial autonomy solutions […] The post U.S. Army aims to turn squad vehicles into drones first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The U.S. Army has signed the largest contract in its history for the production of Patriot missiles, awarding Lockheed Martin a $9.8 billion agreement to manufacture nearly 2,000 PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) interceptors through fiscal year 2026. According to an Army release, the contract covers the procurement of 1,970 missiles “and associated hardware for […] The post U.S. Army secures largest Patriot missile order 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…

Poland and South Korea have entered into a new defense partnership to localize missile production, underscoring Warsaw’s efforts to strengthen self-reliance and modernize its armed forces. On September 2, during the opening day of the International Defence Industry Exhibition (MSPO) in Kielce, Hanwha Aerospace and WB Group signed an agreement to establish a joint venture […] The post Poland, South Korea start joint missile production first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

China is moving away from massed formations of heavy tanks in favor of specialized combat vehicles tailored to particular theaters of war. That shift was highlighted during today’s military parade in Beijing, where the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) unveiled an entire family of new armored systems, including the medium-weight Type 100 tank and several vehicles […] The post China moves away from heavy tank armadas first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Stormwatch Defense has announced the start of serial production for its jet turbine interceptor, following nearly three years of development and flight testing. The company described the system as a versatile airframe designed to integrate a wide array of weapons and payloads. In a statement, Rory Berger, director of Stormwatch Defense, said: “After nearly three […] The post Stormwatch launches jet interceptor production first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Milrem Robotics, a leading Estonian developer of robotics and autonomous systems, will provide Ukraine with the largest fleet of Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGVs) it has ever received, as part of a donation from a European government. In a statement, Kuldar Väärsi, CEO of Milrem Robotics, said: “The cooperation between our governments and leading defence industry […] The post Ukraine to receive record THeMIS drone fleet first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) has opened a new effort to develop a class of low-cost interceptors designed to counter massed missile attacks, with the goal of producing modular weapons priced at less than $750,000 each. On August 27, the agency issued a solicitation under its Nimble Options for Buying Layered Effects (NOBLE) program, […] The post Pentagon seeks low-cost missile interceptors first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

China has introduced its new generation of unmanned surface vessels (USVs) during the Victory Day parade, highlighting advances in autonomous maritime combat and signaling their future role in contested waters. According to information presented at the event, the USVs are designed for “covert deployment and blockade, autonomous detection and identification, and networked swarm attacks, providing […] The post China displays new unmanned warships first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

China has presented its newest shipborne unmanned helicopters during a military parade, revealing a system described as capable of reshaping future naval combat. The aircraft, domestically developed and already in service with the Chinese Navy, were highlighted in a recent broadcast by China’s CCTV7. According to information released at the parade, the unmanned rotary-wing vehicles […] The post China shows naval unmanned helicopters first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

China has unveiled the DF-5C nuclear intercontinental ballistic missile for the first time during a national parade, presenting a system that Chinese officials describe as capable of striking anywhere on the planet. According to details released at the event, the DongFeng-5C is a liquid-fueled ICBM and a key component of China’s strategic counterattack system. The […] The post China parades DF-5C with nuclear warheads and worldwide range first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

China has displayed a new long-range hypersonic cruise missile for the first time, unveiling the Changjian-1000, or CJ-1000, during a major military parade in Beijing. The weapon represents a new class of precision-strike capability for the People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force, designed to penetrate advanced air defense systems. The CJ-1000 is a successor to the […] The post China unveils new hypersonic cruise missile first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Russia and India are currently in discussions for the delivery of additional S-400 “Triumf” air defense systems, even as a major data leak has exposed sensitive details of their existing contract and reports have surfaced of the system malfunctioning in the field. The original $5.5 billion deal, signed in 2018 for five S-400 systems, has […] The post Russia and India weigh new S-400 deal first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Ukrainian defense industry plans to expand its artillery production with new variants of the Bohdana howitzer, one of the country’s most widely produced systems since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion. According to journalist Mariusz Marszałkowski of Defence24, the Bohdana manufacturer intends to mount the 155mm system on South Korean and German chassis (may be […] The post Ukraine develops new Bohdana howitzer variants first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article