Raw Intel

Airbus Defence and Space has successfully carried out the first flight of Spain’s new C295 Search and Rescue (SAR) aircraft, marking a major step in the country’s fleet modernization effort. According to Airbus Defence, the aircraft took off from Seville, Spain, where the company assembles its C295 family. This inaugural flight focused on verifying flight […]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

Japan’s Joint Staff confirmed that three Chinese Navy vessels transited eastward through the Osumi Strait into the Pacific Ocean on November 11, continuing Beijing’s regular naval movements near Japanese waters. According to an official release from the Joint Staff of Japan’s Ministry of Defense, the Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF) identified a Renhai-class missile destroyer (hull […]View the full article

The Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) hosted Indian Air Force (IAF) Su-30MKI pilots at Komatsu Air Base. According to a post by the JASDF’s Public Affairs Office, the visiting Indian pilots participated in professional exchanges with Japan’s Air Tactics Development Squadron pilots and took part in an orientation flight aboard a JASDF F-15 fighter. The […]View the full article

Japan’s Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency (ATLA) has unveiled new images showing domestic tests of the Hyper Velocity Gliding Projectile (HVGP), a next-generation hypersonic weapon being developed for island defense. The photos, presented by ATLA’s Hypersonic Glide Vehicle Development Section under the Joint Systems Development Division, show the missile’s transporter-erector-launcher (TEL) system in a range […]View the full article

Russia has made clear it has no plans to provide military assistance to Venezuela, with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stating that Caracas has not asked Moscow for weapons or troops. Speaking to Russian media, including TASS, Lavrov stressed that while Venezuela remains a friendly nation and strategic partner, the relationship does not include mutual defense […]View the full article

Yes, I know. In America this is Veterans Day. I’ve written before about my conflicted thoughts on some aspects of how we observe it, and I won’t dwell on it again. Yes, we have the very American Memorial Day that, too, modernity has warped a bit. The older I get, the more a long-standing feeling gets stronger with me. It has always been there, but in my years seconded to NATO and serving with the British, I really started to feel that, yes, they have the right idea. An unnecessary, avoidable, and devastating war that America only had a sniff of. In a spasm that really was the West at war with itself for reasons soon overcome by events and forgotten, it destroyed the old w…

The United States military has awarded Atlantic Diving Supply, Inc. a new indefinite-delivery contract to supply combat knives under a Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) procurement issued on November 10. The award, listed under contract, authorizes up to $350,000 in total deliveries for knives classified under the weapons category, with an estimated quantity listed as 489 […]View the full article

The Chinese Air Force has released new official footage of the GJ-11 uncrewed combat air vehicle, marking the first time the aircraft has been shown both inside a hangar and conducting flight operations. The video, recently published by Chinese state media, includes scenes of the flying-wing drone operating alongside a J-20S stealth fighter, underscoring its […]View the full article

The United States Army has released new images and details on the deployment of Stryker combat vehicles supporting border security operations in Texas as part of Joint Task Force–Southern Border. The photographs, taken on November 4 in Presidio, Texas, show soldiers operating Stryker vehicles during mission support for U.S. Customs and Border Protection. According to […]View the full article

General Dynamics NASSCO has received $1.7 billion to build two additional John Lewis–class fleet replenishment oilers for the U.S. Navy, the company said on November 10. The new funding covers the construction of T-AO 215 and T-AO 216 and continues the long-running shipbuilding effort that supports underway logistics for U.S. naval forces worldwide. According to […]View the full article

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Israeli-based Orbit Technologies Ltd. for $356.3 million in a transaction that the company says will be funded with existing cash on hand. Orbit is a supplier of satellite-based communication systems used across air, sea, undersea, land, and unmanned platforms, supporting […]View the full article

Raytheon, an RTX business, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Avio to establish a new solid rocket motor manufacturing facility in the United States. The companies said the site will operate as a vertically integrated merchant supplier, providing solid rocket motors for Raytheon and other customers. Under the agreement, Raytheon will have preferred access […]View the full article

Thales and Universal Communication Systems Co. Ltd. (UCS) have signed a contract to upgrade the Royal Thai Navy’s flagship aircraft carrier, HTMS Chakri Naruebet, with a modern Integrated Platform Management System. The agreement was announced at the opening of the Defense & Security 2025 exhibition, marking a new phase in a cooperation between Thales and […]View the full article

A new drone interceptor system called “Arkhangel” is undergoing tests in Russia’s Kursk border region, according to statements from the head of the volunteer drone initiative associated with the project. The system is being presented as a response to Ukrainian unmanned aircraft operating both along the front and across rear areas inside Russia. The announcement […]View the full article

For the anniversary of its formation, the Ukrainian 19th Missile Brigade “Saint Barbara” has disclosed details of its operations during the first days of Russia’s full-scale invasion. Commanders and participants described how the brigade used Soviet-era Tochka-U missile systems to strike key Russian targets at a time when Ukraine lacked long-range precision weapons. In February […]View the full article

China is drawing new attention to the KJ-600, its carrier-borne early warning and control aircraft, following the official commissioning of the country’s third aircraft carrier, Fujian. The aircraft was first unveiled as part of the Fujian’s air wing during China’s V-Day military parade in Beijing and has since been discussed in greater detail in official […]View the full article

ImageSat International (ISI), an Israeli provider of space-based intelligence services, has been awarded a $9.1 million contract to supply satellite imagery and tasking services from its EROS-C constellation to a defense customer in Asia. The company announced the agreement on November 10, 2025, describing it as part of a long-term relationship focused on intelligence support […]View the full article

I don’t publish new “Long Game” editions as much as I used to in the two decades since it started. The major reason is that the Long Game is here. The People’s Republic of China (PRC) has the world’s largest navy. It could be argued that she is the greatest regional naval power in the Western Pacific. We are well past the point that the Pacific could be considered an American lake. Her challenge at the global scale is already well underway, pun intended. However, there is another Long Game that must be played out; it is changing the mindset and people in government, academia, and industry who refuse, for a whole host of reasons, to acknowledge the threat to the West from …

The Armed Forces of Haiti have taken delivery of new armored vehicles intended to support mobility and security missions as the country continues efforts to counter gang violence and improve territorial stability. According to Haitian military officials, several Senator RAM MRAP armored personnel carriers were handed over on November 8 as part of a government […]View the full article