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Australian-based Electro Optic Systems (EOS) on Feb. 6, 2026, officially opened a new manufacturing and integration facility in Singapore, establishing a regional hub to support the production, testing, and sustainment of high-energy laser weapon systems for customers across Asia and Europe. According to a press release from the company, the new site will serve as […]View the full article

Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace has signed a new contract with the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) to deliver PROTECTOR remote weapon stations (RWS) for use on several Swedish Army platforms, including the CV90 (local name Stridsfordon 90) infantry fighting vehicle. According to a company announcement issued on December 8, the contract is valued at over […]View the full article

RENK Group AG has secured new defense contracts worth more than €45 million ($53 million) to supply transmission systems for several core armored vehicles operated by Germany’s armed forces, reinforcing the role of European industry in NATO’s ongoing force expansion and readiness efforts. According to a press release from the company, RENK will deliver HSWL […]View the full article

Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works and XTEND have completed a new integration effort aimed at improving command and control of uncrewed aerial systems across multiple classes, a development tied to evolving joint all-domain command and control concepts. According to information released on December 18, 2025, the two companies integrated XTEND’s Operating System, known as XOS, into […]View the full article

The UK government has announced the next phase of its plan to establish new munitions and energetics factories across the country, identifying at least 13 potential sites as part of a major effort to increase warfighting readiness and rebuild an industrial base that largely disappeared nearly two decades ago. According to the government’s announcement, “the […]View the full article

Germany has placed its first production order for the RCH155 wheeled howitzer, moving to introduce a new remote-controlled artillery system into service under a long-term framework agreement that could eventually reach 500 vehicles. According to the announcement, the German Armed Forces awarded the order to ARTEC GmbH. The contract covers the first 84 RCH155 systems […]View the full article

If you need to take a break from getting the house ready for Thanksgiving (well, I do), then I’ve got just the thing for you … a LIVE Midrats Podcast Free for All! Sunday from 5-6 pm Eastern, Mark and I will be going live to cover the national security waterfront. You can join us live at this link. If you are reading this after the show or on email, just refresh the Substack page later on Sunday night, and all the links for the recorded podcast will be here. Better yet, if you don’t already, follow one of the links on the page to subscribe to the Midrats Podcast so it is always available for you. Leave a comment Share This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new post…

The U.S. Army gave its most ambitious rotorcraft program a name to match its ambitions on April 15, officially designating Bell Textron’s MV-75 tiltrotor aircraft the Cheyenne II during the Army Aviation Association of America’s annual Warfighting Summit in Nashville, Tennessee. The naming honors two federally recognized nations: the Northern Cheyenne Tribe of Montana and […]View the full article

Lockheed Martin has begun final assembly of the first F-35A Lightning II fighter jet destined for the German Air Force at its Fort Worth, Texas production facility. The airframe has entered final assembly with its major structural components joined and positioned for installation of critical systems. The F-35A program is intended to provide the Luftwaffe […]View the full article

Show LinksThe Congress, the Golden Fleet, and the Shipbuilding Industrial Base in 2026 You can listen at this link, subscribe to the podcast, or via the Spotify widget below. SummaryIn this episode of Midrats, Sal and Mark engage with Eric Labs, a senior analyst at the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), to discuss the complexities of shipbuilding costs, the role of the CBO in providing independent estimates, and the challenges faced by the U.S. Navy in maintaining and expanding its fleet. Eric shares insights on the differences between CBO and Navy cost estimates, the impact of maintenance on overall ship costs, and the importance of a skilled labor force in shipbuilding.…

Russia’s Ministry of Defense said on Thursday, January 1, that it handed over decrypted routing data and a flight controller from what it claims was a Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle involved in an alleged attack on President Vladimir Putin’s residence near Lake Valdai to a representative of the U.S. embassy’s military attache office. According to […]View the full article

The United States State Department has approved a possible Foreign Military Sale (FMS) to the Government of Lebanon for Medium Tactical Vehicles and associated support, with an estimated cost of $90.5 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) formally notified Congress of the proposed sale on December 5, 2025. According to DSCA, the Government of […]View the full article

Leidos received a contract modification worth roughly $27.2 million on behalf of USSOCOM to buy what the military calls All Up Rounds, meaning fully assembled, ready-to-fire missiles rather than components or prototypes, for the AGM-190A Havoc Spear Small Cruise Missile program, with the work centered in Huntsville, Alabama, and expected to run through February 2029. […]View the full article

The U.S. Air Force has announced the arrival of a second B-21 Raider flight test aircraft at Edwards Air Force Base. According to a Department of the Air Force release on September 11, the new test asset will allow engineers and flight crews to move beyond initial flight performance checks and into more advanced phases […] The post U.S. Air Force adds second B-21 to accelerate testing first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

China’s Ministry of National Defense issued a sharp warning to Taiwan after the island’s army held a ceremony to induct newly delivered U.S.-made M1A2T main battle tanks. The comments were delivered by Senior Colonel Jiao Bin, spokesperson for the ministry, during a press briefing on November 7. The question referred to remarks by Taiwan’s leader […]View the full article

China’s newest long-endurance stealth unmanned aerial vehicle, the CH-7, has completed its maiden flight. State broadcaster CCTV said on Monday that China’s new high-altitude, high-speed, long-endurance CH-7 had recently completed its first flight. The outlet reported that the aircraft demonstrated long endurance, stealth, and high cruising speed, and was designed to meet “the needs of […]View the full article

Lebanon-based manufacturer Frem has revealed new images showing development progress of its next-generation tactical vehicle, Venom, as the company continues work on a prototype designed for special operations missions, CEO David Frem confirmed. The images, shared by Frem, show the vehicle under construction in its Special Operation Vehicle (SOV) configuration, a lightweight variant focused on […]View the full article

Infantry cadre assigned to the 1st Battalion, 166th Regiment – Regional Training Institute conducted Soldier Borne Sensor training from Dec. 9–11, 2025, using nano-uncrewed aerial systems from Teledyne FLIR, also known as the Black Hornet 4, as part of ongoing efforts to modernize small-unit reconnaissance and prepare instructors for future unmanned aircraft system integration. The […]View the full article

U.S. Army soldiers from 2d Squadron, 2d Cavalry Regiment, launched the Hornet one-way strike drone at Pabradė Training Area in Lithuania on May 3, 2026, as the system continues to expand its footprint across American military exercises in Europe. The same week, Hornet drones were also deployed at Bemowo Piskie Training Area in Poland during […]View the full article

Poland has begun serial production of a new 6×6 armored tactical vehicle known as Heron, according to ZBiAM. The production launch is taking place at Huta Stalowa Wola S.A., one of Poland’s key state-owned defense manufacturers. The Heron vehicle is built on a chassis supplied by Tatra Defence, which is part of Czechoslovak Group. “Heron […]View the full article