Raw Intel

The United States Air Force has awarded BAE Systems a contract to support and modernize the AN/ALQ-221 Advanced Defensive System installed on the U-2 Dragon Lady reconnaissance aircraft. According to BAE Systems, the contract was issued by Robins Air Force Base in Georgia and includes ongoing field service support, system repairs, and software updates designed […]View the full article

A delegation from the United States Army recently visited the Czechoslovak Group (CSG) in the Czech Republic to examine potential cooperation and assess the group’s capabilities in ground systems and artillery ammunition. During the visit, the delegation toured production sites, assembly lines, and manufacturing processes, including a demonstration of the Morana 155 wheeled self-propelled howitzer […]View the full article

The Royal Netherlands Navy has acquired 12 V-BAT unmanned aerial systems following operational testing, including trials conducted during the Cold Response exercise off Norway. According to the Dutch Navy, the V-BAT drones are equipped with radar and camera systems designed to conduct reconnaissance and gather intelligence over extended periods. The platform can operate for several […]View the full article

It is always a great day when an alumnus of The Midrats Podcast assumes another position to advance our Navy. A decade after joining the faculty at the Naval War College, Captain Sam Tangredi, USN (Ret.), PhD, has a new line on his CV. From the Summer/Autumn Edition of the Naval War College Review, On a personal note, it is a tremendous honor for me to relieve the watch as editor in chief of the Naval War College Review from Dr. Jon Caverley. Over many years, the Review frequently published my research and analyses. My writing benefited from the assessments and recommendations of great Review editors—including Bob Laske, Frank Uhlig, and Tom Grassey—along with their succ…

Big Japanese defense manufacturer Kawasaki Heavy Industries has confirmed that it is studying the development of two types of collaborative unmanned aircraft, including a missile-like system and an aircraft-type platform. According to comments by Hiroyoshi Shimokawa, president of Kawasaki Heavy Industries’ Aerospace Systems Company, the firm is currently developing a concept known as the Collaborative […]View the full article

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries confirmed it has successfully conducted flight demonstrations of AI-powered mission autonomy for unmanned aerial vehicles, using the Hivemind Enterprise development environment from U.S.-based Shield AI. According to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, the full development cycle—from AI design and training to installation and flight—was completed in eight weeks. The company stated that the use […]View the full article

The Japan Air Self-Defense Force confirmed it supported the first flight of a new stand-off electronic warfare aircraft, known as the EC-2, developed in cooperation with the Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency. The development comes as Japan moves to strengthen its ability to operate in the electromagnetic domain and support air operations without entering contested […]View the full article

A Russian-affiliated analytical channel has published a cost comparison showing how many heavy FPV drones could be purchased for the price of key armored vehicles, highlighting the growing role of low-cost strike systems in modern combat. According to the published data, the analysis is based on an estimated unit cost of about $1,200 per heavy […]View the full article

German defense conglomerate Rheinmetall conducted a live-fire demonstration of its 120mm Ragnarok mortar system and a new Mortar Mission Module during a multinational event in Norway, the company said, showcasing the system under Arctic conditions. The demonstration comes as European militaries seek mobile, rapidly deployable indirect fire systems that can operate in harsh environments while […]View the full article

Russia’s Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu said during an off-site meeting in Yekaterinburg that Ukrainian long-range drones now pose a direct threat to regions deep inside Russia, including the Ural industrial area. The statement reflects growing concern within Russia over the expanding range and effectiveness of Ukrainian strike capabilities, which are increasingly targeting infrastructure far […]View the full article

Ukraine’s Pegasus Arms has signed a memorandum of understanding with Germany’s Rohde & Schwarz to jointly develop new airborne reconnaissance and electronic support systems for military drones, the companies announced. According to the companies, the partnership will combine Pegasus Arms’ drone platforms with Rohde & Schwarz technologies to expand the operational capabilities of unmanned systems […]View the full article

Palantir’s Shyam Sankar continues to offer some of the clearest and most precise ideas on how we need to shift our mindset if we want to set the foundation for the next big war. I’m not going to ask too much of your time today. Nope, just a bit over a minute to ponder Shyam’s four Sputnik moments. The 1 minute and 19 seconds is an incredibly powerful boil-down of what should drive a lot of our thinking. Really, we should already be well down the road in acting on it. Here’s the video that starts the bit I’d like folks to ponder on today starting at the 41:05 moment, but if you have time on your commute, give the full interview from the Hudson Institute’s 11 March upload a…

The United States Navy sent the dock landing ship USS Tortuga (LSD 46) to sea trials from Naval Station Norfolk, marking the vessel’s first time underway since 2014 following an extended modernization effort. The trials are intended to verify that the ship’s upgraded systems and engineering improvements are fully operational, as the Navy works to […]View the full article

The United States Navy’s Naval Air Systems Command announced plans on March 16 to pursue a sole-source contract with Boeing for software updates to the Harpoon missile support system, according to a presolicitation notice. The effort focuses on updating the Common Munitions BIT/Reprogramming Equipment Mission Application Program, a system used to support and maintain Harpoon […]View the full article

The United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) issued a Request for Information on March 16, 2026, seeking industry solutions to develop an automated system for extracting geospatial features from imagery and maps as part of its Foundation Digital Twin program. The agency is exploring Automated Feature Extraction (AFE) technologies that can detect, extract, and classify […]View the full article

Poland’s Operational Command of the Armed Forces said that on Friday, March 13, 2026, a pair of Polish Air Force MiG-29 fighter jets intercepted and escorted a Russian Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft over the Baltic Sea. The interception reflects ongoing efforts by NATO members to monitor and control airspace activity near allied territory, particularly as Russian […]View the full article

Ukrainian long-range one-way attack drones struck two major aviation facilities in Russia in recent days, targeting the Aviastar aircraft plant in Ulyanovsk and the 123rd Aircraft Repair Plant in Staraya Russa. The attacks come as Ukraine continues efforts to disrupt Russia’s military aviation production and maintenance capacity, focusing on facilities linked to transport aircraft and […]View the full article

The United States Army deployed its Indirect Fire Protection Capability Inc 2 (IFPC) air defense system on March 16 during the Freedom Shield 26 exercise in South Korea, according to the Eighth Army. The system was positioned at a training site as part of combined drills on the Korean Peninsula. The deployment comes as the […]View the full article

South Korea’s defense community is placing renewed attention on anti-aircraft guns as an effective response to the growing threat posed by mass drone attacks on modern battlefields. The shift reflects increasing concern among military planners that traditional missile-based air defense systems alone may struggle to counter large numbers of low-cost unmanned aerial vehicles. The renewed […]View the full article

North Korea may have generated as much as $14.4 billion in revenue through troop deployments and military equipment exports to Russia during the war in Ukraine, according to a report released March 13 by a South Korean security research institute. The analysis was published by the Institute for National Security Strategy in Seoul and examines […]View the full article