Raw Intel

Americas General Atomics Aeronautical Systems won a $34.8 million deal, which procures Air Vehicle and Ground Control Station spares in support of the successful operational capability of the Marine Air Ground Task Force Unmanned Aircraft System Expeditionary Medium Altitude Long Endurance MQ-9 Reaper air vehicles. Work will be performed in Poway, California, and is expected to be completed in May 2028. Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Bell Boeing won a $21.9 million deal, which provides for non-recurring efforts for the engineering, component production, supportability, and management necessary to facilitate the incorporat…

Russian forces launched an assault on Ukrainian positions in Zaporizhzhia under the cover of both Russian and American flags, according to a report from the defense news outlet Militarnyi. The incident took place near Mala Tokmachka in the Zaporizhzhia region, where Russian troops attempted to storm defensive positions held by Ukrainian forces. Open-source intelligence specialists […] The post Russian troops use American flag in Ukraine attack first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Ukraine has presented a new generation of robotic warfare with the debut of the VATAG heavy uncrewed ground vehicle (H-UGV), unveiled at the Brave1 Defense Tech Valley 2025 summit on September 16. According to Defense Express, the system integrates artificial intelligence and advanced control technologies to perform a wide spectrum of battlefield missions. The VATAG […] The post Ukraine unveils AI-driven heavy ground robot first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

In response to mounting losses from low-cost Ukrainian FPV drone strikes, Russia’s VNII “Gradient” has developed a new counter-UAV system named “Multik”, designed to protect helicopters and ground forces from first-person view (FPV) drone attacks. The new system was detailed in promotional materials released by KRET, a division of Russia’s defense electronics sector. The system […] The post Russia equips helicopters with new drone defense system first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Russia has made clear it has no plans to provide military assistance to Venezuela, with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stating that Caracas has not asked Moscow for weapons or troops. Speaking to Russian media, including TASS, Lavrov stressed that while Venezuela remains a friendly nation and strategic partner, the relationship does not include mutual defense […]View the full article

United States military air transport activity into Puerto Rico is continuing at a sustained pace, according to open-source flight tracking data and aviation observers monitoring movements from the continental United States into the Caribbean. The pattern has drawn attention from analysts who view the island as a forward logistics node for U.S. operations near northern […]View the full article

United States Central Command and regional partners opened a new coordination cell for integrated air and missile defense at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar on Jan. 12. The Middle Eastern Air Defense – Combined Defense Operations Cell, or MEAD-CDOC, is housed inside the Qatar-based Combined Air Operations Center. According to CENTCOM, the cell brings […]View the full article

Ukrainian armored vehicle manufacturer UKR ARMO TECH announced its intention to expand into the Middle East market while increasing production capacity to meet potential export demand, following its participation in the World Defense Show in Saudi Arabia. The company showcased its DESNA multi-purpose tactical vehicle and GYURZA-03 MRAP-class platform at the exhibition in the Kingdom […]View the full article

The United States Department of War is moving to integrate the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) interceptor onto U.S. Navy destroyers equipped with the Aegis combat system, according to defense budget documents and reporting by Inside Defense. The plan directs $65 million in fiscal year 2026 reconciliation funding to support integration of the […]View the full article

A General Atomics Aeronautical Systems test aircraft for the U.S. Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft program suffered a mishap following takeoff from a company-owned airport in the California desert on Monday at approximately 1 p.m. Pacific time, the company announced. The aircraft involved was a YFQ-42A, one of several production-representative test platforms currently in the […]View the full article

U.S. Air Force Special Warfare Airmen tested a commercial off-the-shelf kinetic counter-drone interceptor in Arizona earlier this month. The proof-of-concept event brought together Airmen from the 48th Rescue Squadron, 7th Air Support Operations Squadron, and 316th Civil Engineer Squadron Explosive Ordnance Disposal at the Arizona Army National Guard Florence Military Reservation. The exercise integrated a […]View the full article

Thales completed the first successful test firings of its new X-Fire multiple rocket launcher, confirming that France is moving at serious pace toward a sovereign long-range strike capability that does not depend on foreign ammunition for its core operational function. The system, developed jointly with French vehicle manufacturer Soframe and mounted on an agile 8×8 […]View the full article

On Thursday, we were reminded what the word exceptional actually means. Three were awarded the Medal of Honor. I tried to find a copy of the text of their citations, but they are not posted yet that I could find. Retired Marine Corps Maj. James Capers Jr.: Recognized for his exceptional bravery and leadership while leading a rescue mission while severely wounded during the Vietnam War. Retired Army Maj. Nicholas Dockery: Awarded for his courageous actions and for defending his platoon while under heavy attack in the Kapisa Province of Afghanistan. Late Marine Corps Col. John W. Ripley (Posthumous): Honored for his extraordinary heroism during the Vietnam War, where he ex…

A satellite passing over southern Russia captured the aftermath Tuesday evening, and the image leaves little room for doubt: the Russian border guard ship Izumrud sits partially submerged against its pier, the surrounding dock scorched black from fire, exactly as Ukraine’s navy said it would be after announcing the ship’s destruction earlier the same day. […]View the full article

The U.S. Army’s search for a replacement to one of its most iconic armored vehicles is entering a make-or-break phase, and a nationwide network of American factories is racing to prove its design deserves the job. American Rheinmetall announced that its Lynx XM30 infantry fighting vehicle prototype is approaching delivery to the Army, a milestone […]View the full article

Two Bangladesh Army soldiers were killed and an officer was seriously injured on September 9, 2026, when a tank exploded during a live-fire exercise at the Hathazari Field Firing Range in Chattogram. The Bangladesh Army’s Inter-Services Public Relations Directorate, known as ISPR, confirmed the accident. ISPR said the blast happened while the crew was firing […]View the full article

A U.S. Navy MQ-4C Triton surveillance drone ended up stuck at the end of a runway beside the St. Johns River at Naval Station Mayport, Florida, a photo released by open-source account TheIntelFrog shows. The image, posted on X, shows the large unmanned aircraft off the end of Runway 5, the strip that runs toward […]View the full article

Czech company KBP International has unveiled GRYF, a long-endurance drone designed to carry interceptor drones and small missiles aloft so it can hunt down hostile unmanned aircraft, presenting the aircraft on Oct. 21, 2026, at the Future Forces Forum in Prague in the presence of Czech President Petr Pavel. GRYF works as a flying weapons […]View the full article

It is one thing to talk about a "Pacific Pivot" or the importance of the Indo-Pacific theater ... but you signal you are serious by your actions. I think Australia has put down a marker ... and they are making the correct move. They see the Long Game. A three-decades-long Australian naval presence in the Middle East will come to an abrupt end this year as the Federal Government grapples with an increasingly uncertain strategic environment closer to home. Defence Minister Linda Reynolds has announced Australia will no longer send a Royal Australian Navy ship to the Middle East every year. ... The shift was flagged in the Government's recent Defence Strategic Update,…

Americas Boeing won a $25.4 million deal to improve the quality of the Apache Attack Helicopter AH-64E and lessen the associated post production maintenance burden. The AH-64 Apache is a twin-engine, four bladed, multi-mission attack helicopter designed as a highly stable aerial weapons-delivery platform. With a tandem-seated crew consisting of the pilot, located in the rear cockpit position and the co-pilot gunner (CPG), located in the front position. With the addition of improved situational awareness, flight performance, and joint interoperability, the AH-64E has become the most advanced aerial fighting vehicle in the world. Work will take place in Mesa, Arizona. Estim…