Raw Intel

India has told U.S. officials that it is not interested in purchasing the F-35 stealth fighter, despite growing pressure from Washington to expand its defense imports, according to a recent report from Bloomberg. Officials familiar with the matter, cited anonymously due to the sensitivity of the discussions, said the Modi government is unlikely to proceed […] The post India rejects U.S. F-35 fighter offer, Report says first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Russian military analysts have publicly examined potential missile strike options against Japan, outlining a detailed multi-phase campaign aimed at neutralizing the country’s defense infrastructure. According to analysis, published by the pro-Kremlin outlet Voennaya Khronika (“Military Chronicle”), Russia views the positioning of the locally made Type 12 and U.S.-supplied MRC Typhon missile systems—with a range of […] The post Russian analysts map out missile strikes on Japan first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Taiwan’s top defense research institute, the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST), has signed a memorandum of understanding with U.S.-based Anduril Industries, marking a rare and direct collaboration with one of the Pentagon’s most aggressive AI defense startups. According to a source familiar with the matter, the agreement covers cooperation in areas including […] The post Taiwan expands AI defense cooperation with Anduril first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The U.S. Army has tested a modernized Stryker-mounted reconnaissance vehicle designed to detect chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) threats, featuring an integrated drone system equipped with Teledyne FLIR’s SkyRaider unmanned aerial system. According to a statement from the Joint Program Executive Office for CBRN Defense, the Joint Project Manager for CBRN Sensors team recently […] The post U.S. Army tests upgraded CBRN recon vehicle first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The U.S. Army is field-testing a fully autonomous tactical vehicle developed by Seattle-based Overland AI during Exercise Agile Spirit 25 in Georgia (Sakartvelo), just miles from Russian-occupied territory. The robotic vehicle, known as ULTRA, is being evaluated for its ability to perform combat resupply missions across rugged, contested terrain without direct human control. According to […] The post U.S. Army tests robotic vehicle near Russia first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The U.S. Army has awarded Dynetics Inc., based in Huntsville, Alabama, a new $264.6 million contract to advance its Indirect Fire Protection Capability (IFPC) weapon system, which is designed to counter a growing range of aerial threats including drones, cruise missiles, and rocket attacks on U.S. and allied infrastructure. According to a release from the […] The post US Army awards Dynetics new contract for IFPC air defense system first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Eycore, a Polish space defense startup specializing in Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) technologies, has announced an expanded strategic partnership with Norway’s Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace (KDA) aimed at delivering sovereign Earth observation capabilities for defense and governmental customers. According to a joint statement released on July 31, the two companies have signed a new Memorandum […] The post Poland’s Eycore teams with Kongsberg on sovereign ISR satellites first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

As Lockheed Martin faces growing scrutiny over its role in U.S. next-generation air dominance efforts, a defense industry source has issued a sharp rebuke of the company’s rumored strategy to develop a twin-engine derivative of the F-35, also known as F-55. The criticism comes amid fresh financial pressure on Lockheed, whose second-quarter 2025 earnings revealed […] The post Industry insider slams Lockheed’s F-55 as “repackaged failure” first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Russia has begun using a new jet-powered variant of the Iranian-designed Shahed drone in large-scale attacks against Ukraine, including a wave of strikes targeting the capital, Kyiv. According to the Ukrainian defense outlet Militarnyi, the drone—identified as the Shahed-238 and rebranded by Russia as the “Geran-3”—was employed during combined missile and UAV attacks on the […] The post Jet-powered kamikaze drones target Kyiv in overnight assault first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

International relations are just a subset of personal relations. That is why we have summits where national leaders meet face to face, etc. At the end of the day, all the policy papers, posturing, and talking heads are secondary and supporting operations. Leaders and how they interact with each other is what makes the difference. Even in 50/50 democratic systems with party politics, the balance of a nation’s people will watch closely how their leaders, and as a byproduct their nation, are treated by friend and foe alike…but especially friends. Are they ignored by other leaders? Mocked? Dismissed? Respected? In parallel, there is another dynamic in play. Like people, nati…

Fears of a potential Russian military campaign against NATO’s eastern flank by 2027 have gained renewed attention across Europe. But Lithuanian-based security expert Darius Antanaitis — a well-known and influential voice on Baltic defense matters — believes the threat is more likely to materialize around 2030, and only under certain geopolitical conditions. In comments to […] The post Expert: Baltic war would open multiple fronts for Russia first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Taiwan has announced an expansive new procurement initiative for over 50,000 additional unmanned aerial systems (UAS), marking one of the largest drone acquisitions in the country’s history. Combined with the Ministry of National Defense’s recent order for nearly 49,000 units, the total demand now exceeds 100,000 drones—effectively securing the domestic industry’s production capacity for at […] The post Taiwan to buy over 100,000 military drones first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

A new government audit has revealed that Taiwan’s military reserve units are experiencing serious shortfalls in equipment, with overall force-wide readiness standing at just 70 percent. The report, issued by the National Audit Office on July 29 as part of the 2024 central budget review, shows that four categories of gear—combat engineer tools, communications, surveillance, […] The post Taiwan’s reserve units missing 30% of equipment first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense has confirmed that 50 of its domestically produced Clouded Leopard 8×8 armored vehicles developed structural cracks due to poor welding and metal fatigue. The issue, first raised during a legislative committee hearing by lawmaker Wang Ting-yu, prompted an internal investigation and corrective measures. The announcement came during a National Defense […] The post Cracks found in dozens of Taiwanese-made armored vehicles first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

U.S. Soldiers from V Corps’ 2nd Cavalry Regiment and allied forces from the United Kingdom are conducting joint counter-unmanned aerial system (C-UAS) training this week at the Bemowo Piskie Training Area near Elk, Poland. The multinational exercise, known as Project Flytrap 4.0, runs from July 27 to 31 and focuses on advancing low-cost, portable solutions […] The post U.S. and British forces train against drones in Poland first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The Ohio National Guard’s 1st Combined Arms Battalion, 145th Armor Regiment, has begun training with the U.S. Army’s newest generation of main battle tank—the M1A2 SEPv3 Abrams. The unit is the first within the 34th Infantry Division to field the upgraded platform. On July 28, tank crews conducted live-fire gunnery qualification with the SEPv3 variant […] The post Ohio Guard fields new Abrams tank variant first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The U.S. Air Force has showcased a new HQ-16 surrogate target vehicle, designed to support advanced pilot training against modern air defense threats. The mock system was displayed publicly for the first time during the Experimental Aircraft Association’s annual AirVenture event at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The HQ-16, known by its NATO designation […] The post U.S. trains pilots using HQ-16 SAM replica first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The U.S. Air Force, working with Northrop Grumman, successfully completed a full-scale qualification test of the stage-two solid rocket motor for the LGM-35A Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on July 20. The test was conducted by the 717th Test Squadron at Arnold Engineering Development Complex, a key site for high-fidelity propulsion and systems evaluation. The […] The post U.S. Air Force completes Sentinel rocket motor test first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The U.S. Air Force’s long-serving T-1A Jayhawk training aircraft completed its final operational flight on July 28, departing from Naval Air Station Pensacola and arriving at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona. The aircraft’s destination was the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG), where it will be used for parts reclamation to support other […] The post U.S. Air Force retires T-1A Jayhawk training aircraft first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The U.S. Navy, in collaboration with aerospace firm Skydweller Aero, has completed a continuous 73-hour unmanned flight using solar power alone. The test, conducted out of Stennis, Mississippi, represents a major step forward in applying solar-powered aircraft for maritime intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) operations. The demonstration was led by the Naval Air Warfare Center […] The post U.S. Navy tests long-endurance solar drone first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article