Raw Intel

Elbit America, the U.S. subsidiary of Israel’s Elbit Systems, is showcasing its SIGMA 155mm mobile artillery system concept at the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) exposition, aiming to position the platform as a future solution for U.S. Army long-range precision fires. The SIGMA system, currently entering service with the Israel Defense Forces under […] The post Elbit America offers next-gen howitzer to U.S. Army first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Kymeta Corporation announced today that its Osprey u8 satellite terminal has been selected as a multi-orbit communications solution for the U.S. Army’s Next Generation Command and Control (NGC2) Pilot, underscoring the service’s push for resilient, mobile networking capabilities in complex operational environments. The selection of Kymeta’s technology follows Army assessments under programs such as Armored […] The post U.S. Army selects Osprey u8 satellite terminal for resilient comms first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Defense technology firm V2X has unveiled its new Tempest combat vehicle at the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) 2025 exposition. According to the company, Tempest is purpose-built for fast, low-profile missions where mobility and survivability are critical. The vehicle can detect, track, and neutralize Class 2 and Class 3 unmanned aerial systems (UAS) […] The post V2X develops missile-armed dune buggy first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Sikorsky has debuted its new U-Hawk prototype cargo drone, a fully autonomous utility aircraft developed from the UH-60L Black Hawk, at the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) 2025 exposition. The system eliminates the cockpit, expands internal cargo space, and is designed to conduct long-range, uncrewed missions using tablet-based operator control. According to the […] The post Sikorsky cuts cockpit, turns Black Hawk into drone first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Oshkosh Defense has unveiled its new Medium Multi-Mission Autonomous Vehicle (M-MAV) at the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) 2025 Annual Meeting, presenting a next-generation autonomous launcher platform engineered to fire the full suite of MLRS munitions. The M-MAV is based on the company’s FMTV A2 medium tactical truck and has been designed to […] The post Oshkosh rolls out M-MAV rocket launcher first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Flyer Defense has unveiled a counter-unmanned aerial system (C-UAS) configuration of its Flyer 72-HD ground mobility vehicle at this year’s Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C. The Flyer 72 – Heavy Duty (F72-HD), developed as a lightweight, multi-role platform for U.S. Special Operations Forces, was shown with a new […] The post Flyer unveils drone-hunting vehicle at AUSA first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

DZYNE Technologies today introduced its new Dronebuster vehicle kits at the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C., expanding its existing counter-drone offerings to mobile platforms. The company says the new systems will bring fast-deploying, vehicle-integrated protection against unmanned aerial systems (UAS) for use across convoys, mobile command posts, and […] The post Vehicle-based Dronebuster system goes public at AUSA first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Russian military forces have released footage they claim shows the destruction of a previously unreported Ukrainian air defense system equipped with APKWS (Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System) rockets, according to imagery and descriptions published by Russian sources. The incident reportedly took place 50 kilometers from the frontline, where a Zala reconnaissance drone identified what appeared […] The post Russian drone hits unknown Ukrainian air defense system first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

A South Korean lawmaker is calling on the country’s Ministry of National Defense to remove remnants of Japanese military terminology still in use within the Republic of Korea Armed Forces. According to documentation submitted by the ministry, numerous terms originating from the Imperial Japanese Army remain embedded in daily military language—decades after the end of […] The post South Korean lawmaker pushes to eliminate Japanese military terms first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Integris Composites has been named an official armor partner for American Rheinmetall in the U.S. Army’s XM30 Combat Vehicle program, the company announced ahead of this year’s Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Annual Meeting & Exposition in Washington. The announcement places Integris at the center of a $45 billion Army modernization effort to […] The post Integris to supply armor for new U.S. Army combat vehicle first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Most should know by now that today is the 250th Anniversary of the founding of the US Navy. The first few months were a rush to get a flotilla fitted out. Did you know the first ship to fly an “American flag?” It was the USS Alfred...though that is not quite right. There was no United States at the time…so more accurately, the Continental Ship Alfred would be more appropriate. …Congress on October 13 to authorize the fitting out of two American warships,[1] one of 10 guns and the other of an unspecified size, to attempt to capture these ships and divert their invaluable cargoes to the ill-equipped soldiers of Washington’s army. Congress decided, on October 30,[2] to spec…

A new fleet of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy has departed from Qingdao, a military port in eastern Shandong Province, to assume escort duties in the Gulf of Aden and waters off Somalia, according to Chinese state media. The deployment, announced by Xinhua on October 11, is the 48th such rotation since China launched […] The post China sends warships to Gulf of Aden first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The Midrats Podcast is BACK LIVE this week with an ever-popular Midrats Melee format. We’ll cover the waterfront from the Pacific to the Caribbean and whatever else pops up in between. We’ll go LIVE at 5 pm Eastern this Sunday. You can join us LIVE at this link. The chat room is always open, so if there are questions you have for Mark and me, or a topic you’d like us to pontificate about…hop in the chat room and join the conversation. If you are reading this after the one-hour show, check back later on Sunday when I’ll update the Substack link with the links to the recorded podcast. This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider be…

During the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza on October 10, amid the ongoing ceasefire agreement, previously unseen variants of the U.S.-made Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) were observed in use by the Israel Defense Forces. The vehicles appeared to feature new satellite-based communication systems, suggesting they have been converted into mobile command-and-control platforms. Footage […] The post New Israeli JLTV variant spotted in Gaza first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

DFA Systems, an Albuquerque, New Mexico–based startup, says it is developing the Precision Flying Grenade (PFG), a one-way attack drone it describes as simple enough for regular infantry to operate without specialist training. In a statement, the company said, “In order to be readily adopted by the US military, Group 1 sized one-way attack drones […] The post New Mexico startup develops “flying grenades” first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) has reached a new operational milestone with its fleet of Chinese-built Wing Loong II drones, logging 5,000 flight hours as of May 2024, according to the Defense Arab. The Wing Loong II, manufactured by China’s Aviation Industry Corporation (AVIC) and exported through its subsidiary, the China National Aero-Technology Import […] The post Chinese combat drones log over 5,000 flight hours in Saudi Arabia first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Ukrainian technology company IXIAN has introduced a new robotic engineering system designed for battlefield recovery and heavy-duty technical operations. The platform, based on the company’s Terrikon-X unmanned vehicle, has been upgraded with a manipulator arm capable of clearing debris and conducting engineering tasks remotely. According to IXIAN, the Terrikon-X platform can carry a payload exceeding […] The post Ukrainian firm develops robotic recovery vehicle first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

China’s state-owned land systems manufacturer Norinco has developed a compact, lightweight Yitian air-defence vehicle built on a 4×4 off-road Yema chassis. The system pairs an armored vehicle for the crew compartment with launchers modified for TY-90–type missiles intended to intercept low- and ultra-low-altitude helicopters, unmanned aircraft and high-speed cruise missiles. The Yitian is designed for […] The post China develops new lightweight air defense vehicle first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The Pakistan Army carried out a series of large-scale and targeted strikes on Afghan Taliban positions following intense border clashes that erupted late Saturday, Pakistani security officials said. The violence comes days after Pakistan reportedly conducted an airstrike in Kabul, escalating tensions between the two neighbors. According to Pakistani officials, the latest exchange of fire […] The post Pakistani jets hit Taliban targets after border clashes first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Ukrainian long-range strike drones hit targets overnight at the Smolensk Aircraft Plant (SmAZ), Russia’s major producer of air-launched precision-guided munitions. According to Ukrainian defense sources, the attack was carried out by long-range unmanned aerial vehicles operated by the Ukrainian Defense Forces. The strike reportedly targeted facilities within the Smolensk Aircraft Plant complex, which is operated […] The post Russian missile plant damaged in drone attack first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article