Raw Intel

A CIA-linked LM-100J Super Hercules operated by Pallas Aviation landed in Caracas on January 10. The aircraft, using callsign WDE08 and tail number N96MG, departed shortly afterward and returned to Puerto Rico. The aircraft belongs to Pallas Aviation, described as a private company that performs “specialized work worldwide that most others refuse.” The company operates […]View the full article

Russia has resumed large-scale efforts to restore its aging fleet of T-62 tanks, sending the decades-old vehicles back into combat in Ukraine. Recent photos and videos circulating online show Russian military trains transporting T-62s from storage depots to industrial plants, where the tanks are being repaired and upgraded before deployment. The tanks, which first entered […] The post Russia revives more T-62 tanks amid battlefield losses first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Bulgaria has received the first batch of Stryker armored vehicles, with five combat vehicles arriving at the port of Burgas on Feb. 14, 2026, marking the start of deliveries under the country’s military modernization program, the Bulgarian Ministry of Defense announced. The shipment represents the initial phase of a broader procurement effort conducted through international […]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

Finnish technology company Kelluu announced that its autonomous hydrogen-powered airship will take part in NATO’s upcoming REPMUS 25 exercise, one of the alliance’s largest and most demanding defense trials focused on unmanned systems. Kelluu described its platform as a 12-meter-long autonomous aerostat combining artificial intelligence and modern sensor technology with the century-old concept of lighter-than-air […] The post Finnish hydrogen airship joins NATO exercise first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) and the British Army completed Exercise Vigilant Isles 25 in Hokkaido, conducting expanded training that included the first-ever joint Japan–UK airborne drop on Japanese territory. The exercise ran from November 5 to November 20 and brought together Japanese airborne and amphibious forces with British paratroopers from the 2nd Battalion, […]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

EagleNXT, the defense division of AgEagle Aerial Systems Inc., announced the sale of three eBee VISION unmanned aerial vehicles to the U.S. Army’s 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment (1-4 IN), based at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center (JMRC) in Hohenfels, Germany. In a press release dated October 30, 2025, EagleNXT said the drones will support […]View the full article

A Chinese electronic surveillance vessel was spotted tracking joint U.S. and Australian naval exercises inside the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone this week, according to images released by the U.S. Navy and highlighted by open-source defense observers. Photos published by the Navy show sailors aboard the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62) operating a […]View the full article

Delphinus Engineering Inc., based in Newtown, Pennsylvania, has been awarded a $14.5 million contract to develop, fabricate, produce, integrate, and test a new sonar array and lift system for Canada’s Victoria-class submarines. According to a Department of War contract announcement, the award includes Foreign Military Sales (FMS) funds fully allocated to Canada and may grow […]View the full article

The Turkish defense industry has handed the first production T-155 TTA “Panter” wheeled self-propelled howitzer to the country’s land forces, marking the transition from prototype testing to serial production and entry into service on November 5, 2025, SavunmaSanayiST reported. The delivery follows a multiyear qualification campaign and completes a program led by ASFAT under the […]View the full article

A major reshuffle is underway at Uralvagonzavod, Russia’s largest tank manufacturer, after the company announced plans to sharply reduce staffing levels in the coming months. The facility, a core supplier of armored vehicles to the Russian military, is preparing to cut up to 10 percent of its workforce by February 2026 and suspend new hiring, […]View the full article

The Portuguese Marine Corps recently completed a series of operational field tests on the Mosphera electric scooter to evaluate its suitability for reconnaissance and special operations missions. The update was shared by Romans Baumanis, Director of Export and Government Relations at Mosphera. In a statement, Baumanis said the trials included a wide range of terrain […]View the full article

Russia has launched its newest Project 22350 missile frigate, Admiral Amelko, at the Severnaya Verf shipyard in St. Petersburg. According to Russian state media reports, Admiral Amelko is the first ship in the class to be equipped with 24 vertical launch cells for the UKSK missile system (vertical launching system). The system can deploy a […] The post Russia launches new guided missile frigate first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The U.S. Army’s 101st Airborne Division has taken a major step toward soldier-driven battlefield innovation with the creation of a new lightweight, low-cost FPV-style drone designed to deliver precision bomb strikes. Developed under the newly established Robotics and Autonomous Integration Directorate (RAID), the Attritable Battlefield Enabler 1.01 (ABE 1.01) is part of the division’s push […] The post U.S. Soldiers unveil DIY bomb-drone for frontline strikes first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The U.S. Navy has completed a two-week experiment in Alpena, Michigan, testing uncrewed aerial systems and unmanned surface vessels during Silent Swarm 25, an exercise that focused on swarming electronic warfare tactics and the use of autonomous platforms in future conflicts. According to the Navy, last month, participants used Silent Swarm to “experiment with emerging […] The post U.S. Navy tests fiber-optic drones first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

On today’s Midrats, we have returning guest Craig Whiteside and his co-author Ian C. Rice joining us to discuss one of the nightmares we all have in the new book coming out this month. He co-authored it with Ian Rice, Non-state Special Operations: Capabilities and Effects. From the abstract: Building on previous research on Islamic State special operations, the book develops a theoretical framework surrounding a typology of VNSA (militants, proxies, criminal/cults, and mercenaries) to explore variations of non-state special operations, with multiple cases for each category of actor. Understanding when and why VNSA use special operations provides insights into the inner w…

Raytheon, an RTX business, has successfully completed testing of a ground-launched variant of its StormBreaker smart weapon, developing and launching the prototype in just 50 days. The rapid test underscores the company’s push to expand precision strike options beyond the air domain and into ground-based platforms. The test took place this spring at a private […] The post Raytheon tests ground-launched precision strike system first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

NVO Praktika, a Ukrainian manufacturer of armored military and specialized vehicles, has signed a memorandum on industrial cooperation with Spain’s Tecnove and Escribano Mechanical & Engineering. As noted by the Ukrainian side, the cooperation establishes joint production in Spain of armored 4×4 vehicles, fire-support platforms, and specialized equipment based on Praktika’s designs and Tecnove’s manufacturing […]View the full article

Russia’s state defense conglomerate Rostec says its Su-57 Felon fifth-generation fighter has completed its first flight using a new fifth-generation engine, known as “izdeliye 177,” marking what the company describes as a new phase in testing for the aircraft. According to a statement from Rostec, the United Aircraft Corporation and United Engine Corporation have begun […]View the full article