Raw Intel

Japan’s Defense Minister Gen Nakatani is in Turkey today, where he met with Defense Minister Yaşar Güler to discuss expanding cooperation in the defense sector. The Ministry of Defense said the talks on August 19 included the possible procurement of Turkish-made drones for the Self-Defense Forces. Japan is assessing Turkey’s well-established expertise in unmanned aerial […] The post Japan weighs Turkish drones after Ukraine combat success first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The Royal Navy has formally cleared the Malloy T-150 uncrewed air system (UAS) for operational deployment, concluding a two-year test campaign involving Royal Marines and 700X Naval Air Squadron. The aircraft is now ready to support front-line missions, according to ukdj report. The T-150 will be used to transport ammunition, weapons, food, medical supplies, and […] The post Royal Navy clears heavy-lift drone for front-line use first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The U.S. Marine Corps’ Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 542 (VMFA-542) has returned from a five-month deployment to the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) area of responsibility. Operating under CENTCOM’s Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central), VMFA-542 flew over 1,099 combat sorties and logged 4,736 mishap-free flight hours, according to the Marine Corps. During the deployment, the […] The post U.S. Marine F-35Bs return after combat missions in Middle East first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Japan’s Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency (ATLA) has revealed details of a new long-range anti-ship missile program designed to strengthen the country’s island defense capabilities. The project, showcased through official development posters, highlights a modular missile system integrating advanced propulsion, guidance, and data-link technology. According to ATLA, the research and development effort focuses on creating […]View the full article

The Netherlands has signed a contract to acquire new short-range air defense systems designed to protect the country against drones, marking a further step in strengthening national and military air defense capabilities. According to a news release dated Dec. 11, the Dutch Ministry of Defense signed the contract in Soesterberg for the procurement of Skyranger […]View the full article

Ukraine’s General Staff said early on January 13 that Defense Forces carried out an overnight strike on the Atlant Aero industrial facility in Taganrog, Rostov region, hitting a site involved in producing Molniya strike-reconnaissance drones and components for the Orion unmanned aerial vehicles. According to the General Staff, explosions and a fire were recorded across […]View the full article

China’s J-35 stealth fighters deployed aboard the aircraft carrier Fujian (Type 003) are facing operational restrictions due to ongoing engine performance issues, according to a report by South Korea’s Chosun Ilbo newspaper. The report states that footage aired earlier this year by China’s state broadcaster CCTV, promoting the Fujian carrier, drew scrutiny from Chinese military […]View the full article

Theseus, a San Francisco-based innovation startup focused on GPS-denied navigation, said it successfully completed a long-duration test flight of its Micro Visual Positioning System over central Florida. The company said its Micro Visual Positioning System completed a 5-hour, 22-minute flight covering about 564 kilometers during a March test in central Florida. Ian Laffey, chief executive […]View the full article

General Dynamics European Land Systems has successfully demonstrated an acoustic drone detection system on the ASCOD infantry fighting vehicle. This is a passive, vehicle-integrated sensor that locates FPV attack drones in real time without emitting any signal that an enemy could detect. The system, called CASTLE, was developed in cooperation with Microflown AVISA and demonstrated […]View the full article

Elbit Systems crossed a milestone it has never reached before, reporting a record order backlog exceeding $30 billion for the first time in the Israeli defense company’s history, as first-quarter 2026 revenues hit $2.19 billion and the company announced a separate $1.4 billion European modernization contract on the same day. The results, published May 26 […]View the full article

Ukraine’s most demanding combat laboratory just produced two more weapons that a Greek defense company wants to sell to the rest of the world. Paramount Industries Innovation Systems Greece and Ukrainian defense technology firm MAC HUB announced an expansion of their strategic partnership at the Eurosatory defense exhibition in Paris, extending a relationship that previously […]View the full article

Ukraine’s General Staff said Ukrainian forces struck the Russian naval base at Novorossiysk overnight on August 12, 2026, damaging four Russian warships in what it described as a joint operation by Ukraine’s Defense Forces. The General Staff identified the damaged vessels as the frigates Admiral Makarov and Admiral Essen, both Project 11356 ships, the Project […]View the full article

Life comes at you fast; you better be ready for it. We are coming up on three years from the final wakeup call after October 7th, 2023, that conventionally armed ballistic missiles are the premier threat to critical capabilities ashore and at sea. In the U.S. at least, though production was minimal and inventories allowed to be too small, we at least had the technology to meet the threat from Medium, Intermediate, and Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles. At sea, which will be our focus today, we just made it across the finish line in time with the RIM-161 SM-3, which built off the success of the iterative development of the SM-2 for decades. This work has paid off via th…

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RcvUrMT2jmg/Vbr0UnCZ3GI/AAAAAAAAKFw/D6h-Gx0SfkQ/s320/horace-greasley-confronting-heinrich-himmler-like-a-boss.jpg I look at what some men did so young, and I look at pity at what little I have done, and am perplexed about all the complaining from others. That photograph on the right? That is Horace Greasley looking down at Himler. As Peter outlines, He admitted to not know who the man was, only that he was a high ranking Nazi. He is shirtless because he was showing Himmler how skinny he was and was requesting more rations for the prisoner. Because that is what you do when you are carrying on a secret love affair with a Jewish girl that could …

The last year, as most of the nation was focused on a highly contentious election and a global pandemic, the US Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard put on a the table multitude of documentation in to the conversation outlining our best minds' official view of where the Naval Services need to go; Tri-Service Maritime Strategy, CNO NAVPLAN, National Security Strategy, National Defense Strategy, Expeditionary Advance Base Operations, and more from recent years. How can one try to weave them together? Back for another run at CDRSalamander, regular guest Bryan McGrath offers the below for your consideration. Over to you Bryan! The Navy had a sudden burst of intellectua…

Late. Everything is late. Just a little more time. All that was needed was a little more time. A few more bits of kits. A few better leaders up the chain, but mostly, just more time. The war drums could be heard, but people waited too long to accept what the sound was. Once it was accepted, all the right things were done, just not soon enough. Just a little more time. Just a bit. Then it came. A message. A pause. Then reports. Then you realize, time no longer matters. You have what you have. You will fight for your island with what you and your Sailors and Marines have. Nothing more. Promises and hopes are for fools in war. You do what you can with what you have and let …

B-52H, B-1B & B-2A (click to view full) The good news? 2006 saw a convergence of opinion within the USAF that a new long-range strike platform was needed. This is understandable given the B-52H Stratofortress fleet’s age (40-50 years), the B-1B Lancer’s internal power and electronics issues, both of these platforms’ low survivability against advanced air defense systems, and the B-2A Spirit stealth bomber’s very small numbers (21, of which 7-12 are generally operational). The unmanned J-UCAS program, meanwhile was seen as having inadequate range and payload (Boeing X-45C: 1,400 mile radius with 8 GBU-39 Small Diameter Bombs). The USAF decided that J-UCAS wasn’t a so…

Americas Kihomac won a $12.5 million deal for A?10 aircraft nacelle doors. This was a competitive acquisition with three responses received. This is a five?year contract with no option periods. The performance completion date is August 31, 2028. Using military service is Air Force. Boeing won a $7 million delivery order for the the procurement […]View the full article

Americas Lockheed Martin’s F-35A Joint Strike Fighter aircraft has received authorization to carry nuclear bombs. Russ Goemaere, a spokesman for the F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO), recently told Breaking Defense that the much-awaited certification was actually awarded several months ago but only announced now. The milestone will allow some F-35As to carry two B61-12 nuclear gravity […]View the full article

Gabon unveiled newly acquired Chinese armored vehicles during its Independence Day military parade on August 17, underscoring Beijing’s growing defense presence in Africa. The display featured the eight-wheeled VN-1 infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) and the WMA-301, a 105mm wheeled assault gun widely exported across the continent. The VN-1 IFV, manufactured by China North Industries Corporation […] The post Gabon receives Chinese-made VN-1 fighting vehicles first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article