Raw Intel

Remember my 2017 article about the then “Seven Act Play” that was the effort in Afghanistan? Well, we’re going to visit part of Act-3: Act 3: Buyer’s Remorse – By late 2006, the NATO-sceptics’ critique started to break above the happy-talk. AFG was more serious than NATO and the USA were saying, and most of the alliance members were not up to the challenge, and if they were – their staying power was brittle at best. If you had to draw the line somewhere, it would have been the summer of 2007 when NATO failed to fill the rotary-wing aviation bridging force. At the last minute, a combination of US military and civilian contractors filled the gap. After that goat rope, it …

At Defence Blog, we asked armored vehicle expert and lead analyst Serhiy Berezutskiy, an analyst at the Ukrainian Strategic Initiative Center, to share his view on China’s newest tank concept and the future of armored warfare. The Russian-Ukrainian war has convincingly shown that the classical tank paradigm, which has dominated military thought since the Second […] The post Expert: China turns tanks into combat systems first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Ukrainian long-range one-way attack drones have carried out some of the deepest strikes of the war so far, hitting critical industrial sites deep inside Russian territory — more than 1,700 kilometers from the Ukrainian border — in what Kyiv officials say demonstrates a rapidly advancing domestic drone capability. Unmanned systems struck two major targets in […] The post Ukrainian long-range drones hit targets deep inside Russia first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The U.S. Missile Defense Agency has released its final solicitation for the Scalable Homeland Innovative Enterprise Layered Defense (SHIELD) program — a sweeping effort to transform how the United States develops and deploys next-generation missile defense capabilities. According to the solicitation, SHIELD will function as a Multiple Award Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract designed […] The post Pentagon unveils $151B SHIELD missile defense program first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The U.S. Department of War, through the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), is launching an ambitious new program to design and develop a next-generation High Mach Gas Turbine (HMGT) engine aimed at powering future reusable hypersonic aircraft. According to a solicitation released on September 24, the initiative—developed in partnership with the Air Force Research […] The post U.S. unveils plan to design engine for future hypersonic aircraft first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The Pentagon’s research and technology arm, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), has released a sweeping new funding solicitation through its Biological Technologies Office (BTO), calling on industry, academia, and research institutions to propose breakthrough solutions that harness biological processes for national security applications. The Broad Agency Announcement (BAA), designated HR001126S0003, outlines a multi-year initiative […] The post Pentagon seeks AI-driven bio solutions to protect troops first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The U.S. Army has reached a new milestone in its long-range fires modernization effort, successfully completing the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) Increment 1 Initial Operational Test and Evaluation (IOT&E) on September 26, 2025, at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. According to the Army, four PrSM Increment 1 missiles were launched against targets positioned […] The post U.S. Army’s cutting-edge missile system moves closer to service first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The U.S. Marine Corps has formally retired the Assault Amphibious Vehicle (AAV), closing a chapter that spanned more than half a century of amphibious warfare. The vehicle was officially decommissioned during an AAV Sundown Ceremony on September 26 at the Assault Amphibian School at Camp Pendleton, California, commemorating 53 years of service and honoring the […] The post U.S. Marine Corps retires iconic assault amphibious vehicle first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Russia carried out another large-scale missile strike against Ukraine overnight on October 3, employing a new tactic that relied heavily on ground-launched cruise missiles from the Iskander system rather than its usual air- or sea-launched weapons, according to a report from the Air Force of Ukraine. The Ukrainian Air Force said that during the assault, […] The post Ukraine hit by wave of ground-launched Iskander cruise missiles first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The Ukrainian-made Inguar-3 armored vehicle has once again proven its durability on the battlefield, withstanding a coordinated ambush and multiple drone strikes while keeping its crew alive. According to Ukrainian troops, the vehicle came under attack after being caught in an ambush and targeted by three optic-controlled FPV drones in rapid succession. Despite the precision […] The post Ukraine’s next-gen armored vehicle withstands triple drone attack first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Regulars here know I am a big supporter of the underdog, and in naval warfare few things are more of an underdog than Mine Warfare (MIW). Effective, deadly, affordable, and few things will terrify a ship faster than its crew yelling “MINE”! Forgotten and neglected in peace, absolutely devastating at war. Regulars also know that I love nothing more than dragging the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), AKA Little Crappy Ship (as popularized on this blog two decades ago) around. Where do they intersect where the former negates the latter? Friend to the blog, guest and occasional guest host for the Midrats Podcast, MIW SME, and altogether hail-fellow-well-met Matthew Hipple’s recent …

Ukraine and the United States have held a new round of technical discussions aimed at advancing a long-term agreement for the procurement and production of Ukrainian-made drones, according to a report from Militarnyi. A Ukrainian delegation, which included representatives from the Ministry of Defense and the National Security and Defense Council, traveled to the United […] The post U.S. and Ukraine move closer to landmark drone deal first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Cyprus’ National Guard has unveiled its newly acquired Tamnava multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) for the first time during a recent military parade. Developed by Serbia’s state-owned defense company Yugoimport, the Tamnava is a self-propelled, modular system capable of launching both 122mm Grad and 262mm rockets. According to Yugoimport, the Tamnava MLRS was designed as […] The post New Serbian rocket system debuts in Cyprus first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The U.S. Army has awarded FN America, LLC a $2 million Prototype Project Opportunity Notice (PPON) contract to further develop its Precision Grenadier System — a next-generation soldier weapon designed to deliver greater precision and lethality than current grenade launchers. According to the company, the FN Multi-purpose Tactical Launcher 30mm (MTL-30) will be designed in […] The post U.S. Army taps FN America for next-gen grenade launcher first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

France’s Directorate General of Armaments (DGA) has taken delivery of the Airbus H160 helicopter. The aircraft will be used by the prestigious EPNER flight test school to train future generations of test pilots, engineers, and aircrew. Patrice Gaillon, deputy director of EPNER and head of training, announced the delivery, calling the new aircraft a vital […] The post Next-gen H160 helicopter begins service with French test fleet first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Germany has officially taken delivery of its first P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft from Boeing, marking a new phase in the modernization of the German Navy’s long-range surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities. The handover ceremony took place in Seattle, Washington, and is seen as a milestone in strengthening Germany’s maritime defense posture and NATO’s collective deterrence […] The post Germany receives first P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Lockheed Martin, working alongside the Japan Ministry of Defense (JMOD) and the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA), has completed the initial activation of the Aegis System Equipped Vessel (ASEV) shipset 1 radar system, including all four AN/SPY-7(V)1 antennas. The milestone was achieved on schedule at Lockheed Martin’s Production and Test Center in Moorestown, New Jersey, […] The post Japan’s new SPY-7 radar enters key testing phase first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

South Korea’s military is quietly preparing for what it sees as a deeply troubling possibility: that North Korea could use a future conflict over Taiwan as an opportunity to attack the South or destabilize the Korean Peninsula while U.S. forces are engaged elsewhere. In a conversation with Defence Blog on condition of anonymity, a senior […] The post South Korea prepares for possible Northern attack during Taiwan war first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The U.S. State Department has approved a potential Foreign Military Sale to the Republic of Korea of AGM-65G2 Maverick laser-guided missiles and associated support valued at approximately $34 million, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) announced on October 1. Under the proposed deal, South Korea has requested 44 AGM-65G2 air-to-surface missiles along with U.S. government […] The post U.S. approves Maverick missile sale to South Korea first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The U.S. State Department has approved a potential Foreign Military Sale to Canada of M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and related equipment valued at an estimated $1.75 billion, according to a notification delivered to Congress by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency. Under the proposed deal, Canada has requested 26 M142 launchers and a […] The post Canada approved to buy HIMARS in $1.75 billion deal first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article