Raw Intel

South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) held a preliminary industry briefing on February 11 for the Korean Next-Generation Destroyer (KDDX) program, formally launching the contractor selection process for detailed design and construction of the lead ship. The event took place at DAPA’s bidding office and was organized ahead of a formal tender notice expected […]View the full article

The United States military has been observed transporting a detailed mockup of the Russian Buk-M3 air defense system in Alabama, according to images recently circulated online. The replica, mounted on a semi-trailer rather than a self-propelled chassis, appears to be a training asset used to simulate modern Russian surface-to-air missile systems during military exercises. Military […]View the full article

Firehawk has broken ground on its Great Plains Arsenal in Lawton, Oklahoma, opening the next phase of the company’s push to expand U.S. production of rocket motors and propellant. The ceremony took place on April 2, 2026, with company executives, investors, and Oklahoma officials attending what Firehawk described as a major step in scaling up […]View the full article

A Utah defense technology company has launched an autonomous ground vehicle that carries 2,400 pounds of payload, travels 280 miles on a single charge, and exports 38 kilowatts of power to charge drones, run directed energy weapons, and sustain forward command posts. It’s all without a human on board. Hypercraft, based in Provo, Utah, announced […]View the full article

Building a military boat traditionally requires molds, fiberglass layup, skilled labor, a fixed factory, and weeks of production time. A Hawaii-based startup called Voltage Vessels is working to replace that entire process with a 3D printer, a spool of basalt-reinforced thermoplastic, and a digital file that can be sent anywhere in the Indo-Pacific and printed […]View the full article

Somewhere beneath the ocean’s surface, a submarine the U.S. Navy can’t see is the threat that keeps American admirals awake at night, and the weapon built to find it just received continued funding to keep its sensors sharp. According to a June 17 contract notice, the Navy awarded General Dynamics Mission Systems a $116.6 million […]View the full article

It was only a matter of time…and what a way to do it. Iran: check Submarine: check Shipyard: check Daylight: check “Just another day in the office.” vibe: check I like the matter-of-fact verbiage from DVIDS: Using multiple one-way attack surface drones, CENTCOM forces successfully struck a submarine and ship maintenance facility in Iran, July 12, 2026. Three Corsair unmanned surface vessels hit the port at Bandar Abbas Naval Base, marking the first time American forces have employed sea drones in combat operations. The strikes degraded Iran’s ability to continue attacking commercial shipping. As Mehdi pointed out, just drove right in like we owned the place. You can find…

Leonardo DRS said its SGT STOUT M-SHORAD air defense system successfully defeated small drone threats during a government test, adding a capability the system was not originally built to handle. The company said the system defeated Group 1-2 unmanned aircraft, the military’s classification for small, low-altitude drones, during a U.S. government test event. SGT STOUT […]View the full article

General Dynamics Land Systems will complete deliveries of Poland’s 250 M1A2 SEPv3 Abrams tanks by the end of 2026, the company said, finishing the order in under 24 months. Poland signed the contract for the tanks in April 2022, alongside Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, with the deal valued at $4.75 billion. Beyond the 250 […]View the full article

Poland’s military and Border Guard are now using an artificial intelligence system to watch the country’s border with Belarus, pulling feeds from cameras, drones and other sensors into one picture and flagging activity that needs a human’s attention. Poland’s Operational Command said the system, called Inteligentna Granica, or Intelligent Border, is now working as part […]View the full article

Anduril founder Palmer Luckey has pushed back against critics of Warhound, a new Texas startup he conceived with Colossal Biosciences CEO Ben Lamm that plans to clone and gene-edit working dogs for the U.S. military, law enforcement and emergency responders. Warhound emerged from stealth on Oct. 22, 2026, with a $200 million seed round, which […]View the full article

Americas The US Air Force has started a search to find a supplier for its Global Precision Attack Weapon, a small, lightweight bomb that fits in the weapons bays of the B-21 and F-35. The weapon is to have “high loadout” and digitally engineered, Air Force magazine reports. „High load“ means many can be carried on a single platform, suggesting a small size—and digitally engineered, with open-systems architecture. It should enable “maximum flexibility to integrate a suite of technologies,” including position, navigation, and timing and guidance, navigation, control; as well as “cockpit-selectable warhead effect,” fuzing, sensors, propulsion, “signature optimization” or ste…

Americas BAE Systems and Lockheed Martin each won a contract modification in support of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft. BAE Systems won $81.3 million to procure 1,512 radio frequency countermeasures for Lot 12 of F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft in support of non-US Department of Defense participants, Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customers and for the Navy. Lockheed received $64.1 million for the procurement of Digital Channelized Receiver/Techniques Generator and Tuner Insertion program technology to upgrade F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft with Digital Tuner Insertion Program electronic warfare racks and high efficiency low voltage power supply. BAE Systems …

I don't think the US press has done anything like this, yet. In a way, perhaps this is best. To get a good view of our great national humiliation, you really need to have a 3rd party provide it. The Australians are our friends and they fought with us. They too share our humiliation, but as you can see in the report by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation program, 4 Corners - they are also angry at what the USA did. They should be. We all should be. Hat Tip Gray Connolly. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?d=yIl2AUoC8zA http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?d=qj6IDK7rITs http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=BnV2SHd4ge4:zv3oV9cruyo:gIN9vF…

Americas L3Harris Technologies won a $45.8 million deal for development to integrate the AN/PRC-160 high frequency manpack radio in the MH-47 and MH-60 aircraft. The Boeing MH-47G is a special operations variant of the CH-47 Chinook multi-role, heavy-lift helicopter. It is in service with the US Army Special Operations Aviation Command (USASOC). The MH-60R Seahawk missions are Anti-Submarine Warfare, Anti-Surface Warfare, Surveillance, Communications Relay, Combat Search and Rescue, Naval Gunfire Support and logistics support. The MH-60S Seahawk missions are Anti-Surface Warfare, combat support, humanitarian disaster relief, Combat Search and Rescue, aero medical evacuati…

Earlier this week I had the pleasure of sitting down with Bill Roggio as a guest on his podcast over at FDD, "Generation Jihad." Listeners to Midrats will recognize Bill as a regular guest there over the years, usually on the topics of international terrorism and Afghanistan, but we've turned the table around this time not only as host/guest, but topic. Bill and I spent the hour discussing the war in Ukraine in a very broad manner. Give it a listen. I hope you enjoy the podcast as much as I did being Bill's guest. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?d=yIl2AUoC8zA http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?d=qj6IDK7rITs http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogs…

Americas Federal Contracting won a $92.4 million deal for a B-21 Combined Mission Operations Planning Facility and Field Training Detachment Facility. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. The B-21 is a new high-tech bomber slated to replace or complement the US Air Force’s aging fleet of B-52s, B-1s, and B-2 bombers, and represents the first new US bomber design in 30 years. As with its predecessors, it is designed to be long-range, highly survivable and capable of carrying a mix of conventional and nuclear ordnance and be a key part of the US nuclear triad. Work will take place in South Dakota. Estimated completion date is September 7, 2024. Edwards…

I like well hidden history, especially those with good shoes. There are many stories out there that we are only now hearing about ... and this is one. From DailyMail, If the story sounds interesting, click the link above for an extended summary, or you can get the details in Operation Kronstadt: The True Story of Honor, Espionage, and the Rescue of Britain's Greatest Spy The Man with a Hundred Faces by Harry Ferguson.Wouldn't it make a great movie ... if Hollywood still made movies of this type? Wrong heroes, I guess.Originally posted JUL10.If you want to hear more, and I know you do, historian Justin Reay has almost an hour for you on a man who two world wars later wou…

For you fans of, "The Cruel Sea" ... it has been about six years since I last reposted this and it is about time to bring back history and record of this scrappy class of warship. Even if you've read this FbF in the past - give it another read. What happens when a Navy finds itself short and has to play catch-up until the yards can design and build a more capable fleet? Sink all its funds into a few big ships and then hold its breath? Perhaps build good enough until you get yourself straightened out? Go smart? Yep, you knew they were going to make it to FbF - The Flower Class Corvette from one of the books on Phibian's professional reading list (hey, there is an idea I…

Americas Northrop Grumman won a $83.1 million order, which provides for retrofit of two MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft systems (B9 and B10) and one main operating base (MB-6P) to an Integrated Functional Capability Four, multiple-intelligence configuration for the Navy and the government of Australia. Work will be performed in Palmdale, California; San Diego, California; Chantilly, […]View the full article