Raw Intel

The U.S. Space Force is preparing to launch its eighth X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle mission on August 21, 2025. According to the service, the unmanned X-37B spacecraft, operating under the designation USSF-36, will be carried aloft by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The mission will be conducted in partnership with the Air Force Rapid Capabilities […] The post U.S. Space Force prepares next X-37B spaceplane launch first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

China’s People’s Liberation Army on Monday launched the “Justice Mission-2025” military drills around Taiwan without prior warning and announced upcoming live-fire exercises that will restrict air and maritime traffic in five designated areas starting Tuesday, prompting immediate condemnation from Taiwanese authorities. Taiwan’s Presidential Office, Foreign Ministry, and Ministry of National Defense responded within hours, describing […]View the full article

The U.S. Marine Corps has formally retired the Assault Amphibious Vehicle (AAV), closing a chapter that spanned more than half a century of amphibious warfare. The vehicle was officially decommissioned during an AAV Sundown Ceremony on September 26 at the Assault Amphibian School at Camp Pendleton, California, commemorating 53 years of service and honoring the […] The post U.S. Marine Corps retires iconic assault amphibious vehicle first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Ukraine’s military has destroyed a rare Arctic-modified Tor-M2DT air defense system during a drone strike near the Belbek airbase in occupied Crimea, according to information released by Ukrainian forces. The strike was carried out by units of the Unmanned Systems Forces, which used attack drones to target the system stationed close to the Russian-controlled airfield. […]View the full article

L3Harris Technologies has developed software that turns existing tactical radios into AI-enabled counter-drone sensors, announcing Wraith Shield as a capability that allows soldiers to detect, classify, and disrupt small unmanned aerial systems using communications equipment they already carry, without adding new hardware to an already heavy infantry load. The announcement, published May 13, 2026, describes […]View the full article

Lithuanian defense units equipped with unmanned aerial systems from Granta Autonomy demonstrated their capabilities during a high-level visit attended by Frederik X and Queen Mary of Denmark, alongside Gitanas Nausėda and First Lady Diana Nausėdienė, according to a statement released by the Vilnius-based company. The visit took place at formations of the National Defence Volunteers […]View the full article

The Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) has taken delivery of its first F-35B short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) fighter at Nyutabaru Air Base. The aircraft arrived at the base earlier today following delays linked to software development. Originally scheduled for delivery by the end of the last fiscal year, the handover was postponed due […] The post Japan receives first F-35B jets amid delays first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

India’s Air Force chief has publicly claimed that the country’s air defenses shot down five Pakistani fighter jets and one airborne early warning aircraft during clashes in May, marking the first official statement from New Delhi on Pakistan’s reported losses in the brief but intense exchange. Speaking in the southern city of Bengaluru on Saturday, […] The post India says six Pakistani warplanes downed in May first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The United States Navy has awarded Northrop Grumman a $198 million delivery order to supply power amplifier module spares for the E‑2D Advanced Hawkeye, according to a contract announcement released this week. The delivery order, issued to Northrop Grumman Systems Corp. in Melbourne, Florida, covers the purchase of 608 power amplifier module spares and is […]View the full article

Mack Defense will continue building the U.S. Army’s M917A3 Heavy Dump Truck under a new five-year contract worth up to $221.8 million for as many as 450 vehicles. The award, finalized on June 24, 2025, follows the completion of the company’s initial 2018 contract and comes just three months after Mack marked the rollout of […] The post U.S. Army to receive more heavy dump trucks first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Newly surfaced footage has confirmed for the first time that Russia is operating modified Shahed‑136 one‑way attack drones—produced domestically as Geran‑2—with under‑wing payloads containing PTM‑3 anti‑tank mines. The video, recorded by a Ukrainian interceptor drone during an engagement, captures the moment a Russian drone ejects its KPТМ canisters, each containing a PTM‑3 mine, before the […]View the full article

The French Army has begun testing the next-generation Hermione unmanned ground vehicle at the Saint-Cyr Coëtquidan Military Academy, the service confirmed this week. The trials are being conducted under the Army’s Pendragon program, which focuses on integrating artificial intelligence-enabled combat systems into future military operations. According to the French Army, the objective of the first […]View the full article

Ukrainian forces have carried out a precision drone strike on a Russian airbase in occupied Crimea, destroying two An-26 military transport aircraft and damaging critical radar infrastructure, the country’s defense intelligence agency said. According to a statement from the Main Directorate of Intelligence (GUR), Ukrainian special operations units conducted a raid on the peninsula, targeting […] The post Ukrainian drones destroy two Russian An-26 aircraft in Crimea first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The United States Air Force has awarded Liquid Robotics Inc., based in Herndon, Virginia, a $25 million contract to supply 20 unmanned surface vehicles under a Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program supporting Japan, according to a contract announcement released by the U.S. Department of War. The award covers work related to control software, mission payloads, […]View the full article

Fourteen years since the announced “Pacific Pivot”, the last month we’ve been subjected to a very public debate about how much support for Ukraine in her war with Russia is impacting our ability to prepare for potential war with China in the Pacific. Though history prefers to throw a curveball more often than not, the one scenario that is seen as the most likely trigger for the next Great Pacific War is Taiwan. Should this war come—and if we prepare properly for it, it very well may not—are we ready to make any attempt to take Taiwan a debacle for People’s Republic of China (PRC) a debacle, or are we under-preparing to the degree that we will slouch our way into a long dr…

Alaskan Command announced that U.S. and Canadian forces executed a joint sail through the Bering Sea beginning August 25, 2025, under Operation LATITUDE, an exercise designed to deepen cooperation and strengthen Arctic security. The operation brought together the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Coast Guard Arctic District, and […] The post U.S., Canada strengthen presence in Bering Sea first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Milrem Robotics, a leading Estonian developer of robotics and autonomous systems, will provide Ukraine with the largest fleet of Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGVs) it has ever received, as part of a donation from a European government. In a statement, Kuldar Väärsi, CEO of Milrem Robotics, said: “The cooperation between our governments and leading defence industry […] The post Ukraine to receive record THeMIS drone fleet first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Russian President Vladimir Putin convened a government meeting to review the core parameters of Russia’s next state armaments program for 2027–2036, alongside a parallel program for the development of the defense-industrial complex. The meeting follows earlier sessions held on June 11 and 12, 2025, focused on shaping long-term military procurement and industrial priorities. Opening the […]View the full article

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow would support China in defending what he described as its state unity and territorial integrity if the situation in the Taiwan Strait were to escalate, according to an interview published by TASS. “Proceeding from the fact that the Taiwan issue is an internal matter of the People’s Republic […]View the full article

Electro Optic Systems (EOS), the Australia-based defense technology firm, has announced its first international order for a 100-kilowatt-class high-power laser weapon system. According to a company release issued Tuesday, a European NATO member state has placed a €71.4 million (approximately $82 million) order for the system, which will be produced at EOS’s Singapore facility and […] The post Mystery NATO customer buys Australian-made laser weapon first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article