Raw Intel

United States military air transport activity into Puerto Rico is continuing at a sustained pace, according to open-source flight tracking data and aviation observers monitoring movements from the continental United States into the Caribbean. The pattern has drawn attention from analysts who view the island as a forward logistics node for U.S. operations near northern […]View the full article

United States Central Command and regional partners opened a new coordination cell for integrated air and missile defense at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar on Jan. 12. The Middle Eastern Air Defense – Combined Defense Operations Cell, or MEAD-CDOC, is housed inside the Qatar-based Combined Air Operations Center. According to CENTCOM, the cell brings […]View the full article

Ukrainian armored vehicle manufacturer UKR ARMO TECH announced its intention to expand into the Middle East market while increasing production capacity to meet potential export demand, following its participation in the World Defense Show in Saudi Arabia. The company showcased its DESNA multi-purpose tactical vehicle and GYURZA-03 MRAP-class platform at the exhibition in the Kingdom […]View the full article

The United States Department of War is moving to integrate the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) interceptor onto U.S. Navy destroyers equipped with the Aegis combat system, according to defense budget documents and reporting by Inside Defense. The plan directs $65 million in fiscal year 2026 reconciliation funding to support integration of the […]View the full article

A General Atomics Aeronautical Systems test aircraft for the U.S. Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft program suffered a mishap following takeoff from a company-owned airport in the California desert on Monday at approximately 1 p.m. Pacific time, the company announced. The aircraft involved was a YFQ-42A, one of several production-representative test platforms currently in the […]View the full article

U.S. Air Force Special Warfare Airmen tested a commercial off-the-shelf kinetic counter-drone interceptor in Arizona earlier this month. The proof-of-concept event brought together Airmen from the 48th Rescue Squadron, 7th Air Support Operations Squadron, and 316th Civil Engineer Squadron Explosive Ordnance Disposal at the Arizona Army National Guard Florence Military Reservation. The exercise integrated a […]View the full article

Thales completed the first successful test firings of its new X-Fire multiple rocket launcher, confirming that France is moving at serious pace toward a sovereign long-range strike capability that does not depend on foreign ammunition for its core operational function. The system, developed jointly with French vehicle manufacturer Soframe and mounted on an agile 8×8 […]View the full article

On Thursday, we were reminded what the word exceptional actually means. Three were awarded the Medal of Honor. I tried to find a copy of the text of their citations, but they are not posted yet that I could find. Retired Marine Corps Maj. James Capers Jr.: Recognized for his exceptional bravery and leadership while leading a rescue mission while severely wounded during the Vietnam War. Retired Army Maj. Nicholas Dockery: Awarded for his courageous actions and for defending his platoon while under heavy attack in the Kapisa Province of Afghanistan. Late Marine Corps Col. John W. Ripley (Posthumous): Honored for his extraordinary heroism during the Vietnam War, where he ex…

A satellite passing over southern Russia captured the aftermath Tuesday evening, and the image leaves little room for doubt: the Russian border guard ship Izumrud sits partially submerged against its pier, the surrounding dock scorched black from fire, exactly as Ukraine’s navy said it would be after announcing the ship’s destruction earlier the same day. […]View the full article

The U.S. Army’s search for a replacement to one of its most iconic armored vehicles is entering a make-or-break phase, and a nationwide network of American factories is racing to prove its design deserves the job. American Rheinmetall announced that its Lynx XM30 infantry fighting vehicle prototype is approaching delivery to the Army, a milestone […]View the full article

It is one thing to talk about a "Pacific Pivot" or the importance of the Indo-Pacific theater ... but you signal you are serious by your actions. I think Australia has put down a marker ... and they are making the correct move. They see the Long Game. A three-decades-long Australian naval presence in the Middle East will come to an abrupt end this year as the Federal Government grapples with an increasingly uncertain strategic environment closer to home. Defence Minister Linda Reynolds has announced Australia will no longer send a Royal Australian Navy ship to the Middle East every year. ... The shift was flagged in the Government's recent Defence Strategic Update,…

Americas Boeing won a $25.4 million deal to improve the quality of the Apache Attack Helicopter AH-64E and lessen the associated post production maintenance burden. The AH-64 Apache is a twin-engine, four bladed, multi-mission attack helicopter designed as a highly stable aerial weapons-delivery platform. With a tandem-seated crew consisting of the pilot, located in the rear cockpit position and the co-pilot gunner (CPG), located in the front position. With the addition of improved situational awareness, flight performance, and joint interoperability, the AH-64E has become the most advanced aerial fighting vehicle in the world. Work will take place in Mesa, Arizona. Estim…

After two decades of a low boil, but highly demanding series of conflicts in Asia required an extensive focus on the now - in both funding and leadership time. America finds herself facing the 2020s with a rested, increasingly well equipped and confident People's Republic of China on the other side of the Pacific stretching herself on a global scale. Advances of the last few decades that were made were focused on the fight at hand, but they may not be the right equipment for the expected fight to come. What does the USA need to start investing in now to ensure we are better positioned at the end of this decade than we were entering it? This Sunday from 5-6pm Eastern, …

For the last decade and a half or so of DivThu we've often discussed the "Diversity Industry" and tried to describe to those who have yet to encounter it, just how large of an industry it is. Instead of working towards a society that looks past the useless characteristics of race, creed, sex, color or national origin - they work towards division, promote segregation and unequal treatment ... on your dime. Sadly, the commissariat has only gotten larger as they have refined their business model of insertion and growth through threats, etho-masochism, well-meaning useful idiocy, leveraging institutional cowardice, and naked careerism to expand their empire. Few can or will s…

The longer this war goes on, the more dangerous it is not just for Putin's hold on power, but for the hope the conflict can be contained. For those keeping an eye on the big picture, the question is how this effects China. Located on the other side of the Eurasian landmass, China is looking west to see not just how they can work this to their advantage, but also how they can maneuver themselves so that Russia's adventures do not derail China's plans and priorities. She is on cusp of greatness and she knows it. She has been given a small taste of primacy and she wants all of it. The Russo-Ukrainian War will either be a catalyst for an accelerated grasp on global power for …

Americas A US Navy EA-18G is back flying again five years after it was grounded after a mid-air collision. Formerly attached to VAQ-133, the electronic attack jet is now assigned to VAQ-129. More than 2,000 man hours were spent fixing the aircraft back to a serviceable state. Lockheed Martin won a $111 million contract modification, which adds scope for the development of a Common Reprogramming Tool (CRT) minimum viable product, as well as establishing network connections required to establish the CRT development network and selection of a service-oriented architecture needed to commence development of enhanced reprogramming tools in support of efforts to replace legacy …

Americas Lockheed Martin won a $80 million modification, which adds scope to procure additional initial spares in support of F-35 Lightning II Lot 17 deliveries for the Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy, Foreign Military Sales customers, and non-US Department of Defense participants. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas, and is expected to be […]View the full article

Americas LIG Nex 1, a South Korean defense contractor, is ramping up efforts to secure a historic arms deal with the United States. The company aims to finalize an export contract for its Bigung 2.75-inch (70mm) infrared-guided anti-ship missile system. This potential deal would mark a significant milestone, as it would represent the first time […]View the full article

Americas Smartshooter has secured a $13-million contract to deliver its SMASH 2000L advanced fire control solutions for the US Army. The devices, also called the SMASH 3000s, are the company’s lightest handheld fire control product and use artificial intelligence, computer vision, and advanced tracking algorithms to assist users, particularly rifle units, in assault operations. It measures 164 millimeters (6 inches) long, weighs 740 grams (1.6 pounds), and is powered by a rechargeable Lithium-ion battery pack for up to 72 hours of assisted shots. Saab has signed a contract to provide the Canadian Armed Forces with the Carl-Gustaf M4 man-portable, multi-role weapon system.…

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