Raw Intel

Thailand has captured a contested hill along its border with Cambodia amid intensifying fighting between the two countries, Thai media reported on Saturday. Thai troops took control of Phu Makkhuea hill, a ridge in the long-disputed frontier zone near the ancient Preah Vihear Hindu temple. The operation reportedly took place early on July 26, with […] The post Thailand captures strategic ridge in border clash first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The Royal Thai Army launched Operation “Trat Pikhat Pairee 1” in response to renewed aggression near Ban Chamrak in Trat Province. Thailand has declared martial law in key eastern provinces following a sharp escalation in border clashes with Cambodian forces, marking the third consecutive day of conflict. At 05:10 AM on July 26, Cambodian troops […] The post Thailand launches operation to repel border assault first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Ukraine’s armed forces are facing a pressing need for armored vehicles capable of withstanding battlefield threats, with Ukrainian defense outlet Defense Express reporting that at least 20,000 units with STANAG 4569 Level 2 protection and around 3,000 units with Level 3 protection are required. According to the report, Level 2 armor under the NATO STANAG […] The post Ukrainian military needs 23,000 armored vehicles first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Turkey’s top defense and technology officials have confirmed the development of a long-range missile program with a declared range of 2,000 kilometers, signaling a new phase in the country’s ambition to become a regional military power with homegrown capabilities. Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır, in a public statement this week, said, “We […] The post Turkey confirms 2,000km missile program first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

It is only fitting that we do an update this last Friday of July of one of my favorite FbF that I have referred to often over the years. I first mentioned the subject of the FbF on the OG Blog 19 years ago. Finally, a decade ago, I gave her story its own FbF. I’ll do that again today, but first things first. Earlier this month, Secretary of the Navy John C. Phelan made the following announcement: During the Battle of the Coral Sea in World War II, Chief Petty Officer Oscar V. Peterson heroically saved 123 sailors aboard USS Neosho by manually closing critical steam-line valves while unprotected amid smoke and flames. He suffered severe burns and died six days later. He wa…

SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet system suffered a major global disruption Thursday, knocking tens of thousands of users offline for more than two hours and affecting critical military communications across active warzones. According to Downdetector, the outage began on Thursday at approximately 3 p.m. EDT (1900 GMT), with more than 61,000 user reports flooding the crowdsourced […] The post Starlink breakdown reveals frontline weakness first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) has taken a major step toward exporting its domestically developed supersonic jet trainer, HÜRJET, to Europe through a newly signed strategic partnership with Airbus. The agreement, which outlines plans to deliver up to 30 HÜRJET aircraft to Spain, was formalized during the 17th International Defense Industry Fair (IDEF) in Istanbul. According […] The post Spain to buy 30 Turkish Hürjet jet trainers first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has showcased ongoing maintenance and overhaul work on the Type 10 main battle tank at its Chitose facility in Hokkaido. The process, known as “overhaul and repair,” is a critical midpoint intervention in the vehicle’s service life, intended to restore the tank to its original performance level after years of intense […] The post Mitsubishi extends life of Type 10 battle tanks first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Thailand and Cambodia exchanged heavy artillery fire on Friday as a rapidly intensifying border conflict entered its second day. The Royal Thai Army reported shelling in multiple areas, including Ubon Ratchathani and Surin provinces, and confirmed it had launched strikes in response to attacks from Cambodian forces. According to a statement from Thailand’s Second Army […] The post Thailand deploys tanks, jets in border showdown first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Ukrainian military-affiliated sources report that Russia has begun using its newest air-to-air missile, known as Izdelie 180 or the K-77M, in combat operations over Ukraine. The missile, a modernized variant of the earlier Izdelie 170 (R-77), is believed to feature a two-mode propulsion system, enhanced aerodynamic control surfaces, and a new active radar seeker. According […] The post Russia fields new long-range air-to-air missile first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The Senate Armed Services Committee has published the advance policy questions, with answers, for the nominee for appointment to be our next Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Daryl L. Caudle, USN. If you want to know where he stands or where the center-mass of consensus thinking on topics are, this is about as good of a source as any. Yes, there is a fair bit of boilerplate, but there are some solid answers as well. Even better, it is a serious set of questions. I did word searches for some of the socio-political garbage previous CNOs invested their personal capital in, and none of it is there. To keep things short, I do have a list of Top-5 quotes for you to consider.…

South Korea is moving closer to deploying a next-generation unmanned aerial system designed to fly alongside its KF-21 Boramae fighter jet, aiming to expand the Republic of Korea Air Force’s (ROKAF) air combat capabilities through human-machine teaming. A recent demonstration video released by Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) showcased a conceptual air combat mission involving the […] The post South Korea develops AI-controlled drone to fly with KF-21 fighter first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

A South Korean Air Force C-130 transport aircraft prompted a response from Japanese fighter jets earlier this month after it entered Japanese airspace without prior authorization, according to South Korean defense officials. The incident occurred on July 13 as the aircraft was en route to Guam for training. Military officials said the crew encountered severe […] The post South Korean C-130 plane triggers Japanese jets scramble first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

France’s next-generation military helicopter, the H160M Guepard, has completed a flight milestone at Airbus Helicopters’ Marignane facility, according to an announcement from the Direction générale de l’armement (DGA) on July 24. Developed as part of the Light Joint Helicopter (HIL) program, the Guépard is intended to provide a modular, multi-role rotorcraft platform across all three […] The post France’s next-gen military helicopter makes its first flight first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) will dispatch a team to Kuwait in September to evaluate 38 retired F/A-18 Legacy Hornet fighter jets as part of a possible acquisition program, according to Malaysian defense officials. General Datuk Seri Muhamad Norazlan Aris, the newly appointed Chief of the Royal Malaysian Air Force, confirmed that the U.S. […] The post Malaysia to inspect Kuwait’s retired F/A-18 Hornets first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Denmark has purchased MBDA France’s VL MICA air defense system, according to a statement released by the Danish Defence Acquisition and Logistics Organization (FMI). The contract, signed as part of the Danish military’s accelerated investment strategy, will deliver two “fire units” of the VL MICA surface-to-air missile system. The acquisition is part of an early-phase […] The post Denmark buys VL MICA air defense system first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Thailand has reportedly used its Ukrainian-made T-84 Oplot main battle tanks in combat for the first time. Local media and defense observers in Thailand say the Royal Thai Army employed the tanks during an assault on Cambodian military positions in the area near the Thai-Cambodian border. Sompong Nondhasa, a prominent Thai defense commentator, posted online: […] The post Reports: Thai Oplot tanks deployed to Cambodian border first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Russian forces have used a newly developed guided aerial bomb for the first time in a strike against Ukraine, according to Ukrainian officials. The attack, carried out by a Su-34 bomber, hit civilian targets in the city of Kharkiv with two UMPB-5 precision-guided munitions fired from approximately 100 kilometers away. The strike, launched from near […] The post Russia tests new bomb in strike on Ukrainian city first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Russia has sharply increased its production of Garpiya-A1 attack drones despite Western sanctions, according to documents reviewed by Reuters and cited by European security officials. The documents show that Izhevsk Electromechanical Plant Kupol (IEMZ Kupol), a sanctioned Russian defense manufacturer, boosted its annual output of the Garpiya-A1—Moscow’s domestically produced version of the Shahed-class drone—from 2,000 […] The post Russia ramps up kamikaze drone production with Chinese help first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The Royal Thai Air Force carried out air strikes against two Cambodian military targets on Thursday, after a surprise assault earlier in the day. According to Royal Thai Army deputy spokesperson Col. Ritcha Suksuwanon, six F-16 fighter jets were launched from Ubon Ratchathani province and struck ground targets inside Cambodia. “We have used air power […] The post Thai F-16 jets hit Cambodian targets after border attack first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article