Raw Intel

Amid the ongoing war in Ukraine, Russia is accelerating efforts to transform Iranian-designed Shahed drones into jet-powered, remotely controlled weapons aimed at devastating cities and overwhelming air defenses, according to a new report from UNITED24. The Shahed drone, first developed in Iran and transferred to Russia in 2022, has become one of the Kremlin’s most […] The post UNITED24: Russia adds remote control to Shahed drones first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

A new Ukrainian electronic warfare system designed to counter drones such as Mavic and FPV models was unveiled in Lviv during the forum “Joint Enterprises, Joint Defense.” The system, named DF-M, was developed by Ukrainian company Piranha Tech. It introduces a modular design that allows military units to select different jamming blocks for the frequency […] The post Ukraine develops new DF-M drone jamming system first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Turkey has entered a new phase in its defense modernization as serial production of the Altay main battle tank officially began at BMC’s new facility in the capital. The launch represents what Turkish officials have described as the realization of a “100-year dream” for the nation’s defense industry. According to Anadolu Ajansı, the Altay tank […] The post Turkey begins serial production of Altay tanks first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) has announced the rollout of its first mass-produced Armored Modular Vehicle (AMV), a next-generation wheeled armored personnel carrier set to begin deployment this fiscal year. According to the Ministry of Defense, the vehicle is built under license from Finland’s Patria by Japan Steel Works, which is responsible for producing […] The post Japan receives first locally built AMV first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

U.S. Army and Marine Corps units carried out joint beach landing drills at Marine Corps Base Hawaii on August 26. According to the Marines, the exercise involved a Maneuver Support Vessel (Light), or MSV(L), from the 7th Transportation Brigade, which was used for onloading and offloading drills with Marines of the 3d Littoral Logistics Battalion, […] The post U.S. Army, Marines test joint beach landings in Hawaii first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

U.S. Central Command and the Egyptian armed forces held Bright Star 25, a multinational exercise widely recognized as one of the largest in the world. The event began with a formal ceremony at Mohamed Naguib Military Base, Egypt, on August 28, and has since advanced into full-scale drills involving forces from across the globe. According […] The post U.S. and Egypt lead one of world’s largest military exercises first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

U.S. Marines carried out reloading drills with the Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) at Camp Hansen, Okinawa, Japan, on September 3, 2025. The exercise was designed to strengthen their ability to rapidly rearm the system in expeditionary conditions. According to the Marine Corps, the NMESIS is a ground-based offensive anti-ship missile system intended for […] The post U.S. Marines practice NMESIS reloads on Okinawa first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Amid ongoing instability in Europe and the war in Ukraine, naval forces from the United States, Germany, and Norway conducted joint anti-submarine warfare drills in the Barents Sea, an area marked by increased Russian undersea activity. According to the Royal Norwegian Navy, the frigate HNoMS Thor Heyerdahl (F314) joined the German Navy Sachsen-class frigate FGS […] The post NATO warships hunt Russian subs in Arctic first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Malaysia’s Army has taken delivery of a prototype K200 Infantry Fighting Vehicle upgrade, jointly developed by local firm Cendana Auto and South Korea’s Hanwha Aerospace, for live trials during this year’s Latihan Kuasa Tembak exercise. The project follows a memorandum of agreement signed in August last year between Hanwha Aerospace and Cendana Auto to modernize […] The post Malaysia tests upgraded K200 fighting vehicle first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

South Korea is launching a sweeping initiative to ensure that every soldier in uniform learns to operate drones, with the Ministry of National Defense unveiling its “500,000 Drone Warriors” program on September 4. The effort is designed to integrate unmanned systems into all Army units, making drone flight skills a standard part of military training. […] The post South Korea to train every soldier as drone operator first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Japan’s Ministry of Defense announced that deployment of the upgraded Type 12 surface-to-ship missile will be accelerated, with the first ground-based units to be stationed in Kumamoto before the end of this fiscal year. The Ministry said on August 29 that both ship- and aircraft-launched variants of the improved Type 12 will now enter service […] The post Japan to field new missile systems earlier than planned first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Taiwan is moving to expand its stockpile of Stinger air defense missiles, with the Army planning a supplemental purchase of several thousand rounds valued at NT$11 billion ($340 million), according to local defense reports. The move follows an earlier $2.1 billion package for 2,621 man-portable Stingers from the United States. According to Taiwan’s Liberty Times […] The post Taiwan to buy more Stinger missiles first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

India is considering local production of Israel’s long-range Rampage missile under the government’s “Make in India” initiative. The Indian Army first acquired the missile in 2020 following the Galwan clash with China. Since then, it has become a cornerstone of India’s long-range strike capability. On May 10, 2025, during Operation Sindoor, the Indian Air Force […] The post India eyes local production of Rampage missile first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Pentagon’s No.1 weapons supplier, Lockheed Martin, is joining with President Donald Trump’s administration and South Korean industry to strengthen access to critical materials vital for national defense. The initiative, announced by Michael Williamson, President of Lockheed Martin International, is aimed at building a more resilient supply chain for technologies essential to both U.S. and allied […] The post Lockheed Martin, South Korean Zinc sign critical materials deal first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Japan’s Ministry of Defense has selected the Textron T-6 Texan II as the next primary trainer aircraft for the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF), with deliveries set to begin in 2029 and continue in stages through 2032. Kanematsu Corporation, which proposed the Textron-built aircraft, confirmed the decision and highlighted its broader aerospace ambitions. The company […] The post Japan to receive Textron T-6 trainers by 2029 first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Saudi Arabia has become one of the first countries in the world to acquire laser-based air defense systems, purchasing China’s SkyShield integrated counter-drone system to protect key sites and expensive air defense assets such as the Patriot from drone attacks. But operational experience in the kingdom’s harsh environment has revealed serious limitations. The SkyShield system […] The post Saudi military slams Chinese laser weapon first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The U.S. Army has awarded three agreements valued at approximately $15.5 million to Forterra of Clarksburg, Maryland, Overland AI of Seattle, Washington, and Scout AI of Sunnyvale, California, as part of an effort to accelerate autonomous mobility within Army formations. According to the Army, the Unmanned Systems (UxS) Autonomy agreements will integrate commercial autonomy solutions […] The post U.S. Army aims to turn squad vehicles into drones first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The U.S. Army has signed the largest contract in its history for the production of Patriot missiles, awarding Lockheed Martin a $9.8 billion agreement to manufacture nearly 2,000 PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) interceptors through fiscal year 2026. According to an Army release, the contract covers the procurement of 1,970 missiles “and associated hardware for […] The post U.S. Army secures largest Patriot missile order first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Well, I was wrong Tuesday afternoon. I mean, we have been doing a bit of shooting at drug runners. A bit. Like many Sailors of my generation, I spent roughly a year of my life in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific chasing drug runners around. At some point around the turn of the century, we started shooting out their engines or even boarding their semi-submersibles. As such, even with the new deployment we discussed a bit last week, when word came out, I thought we were just picking up old habits. Well, that was not this. Ladies and gentlemen, I believe we have some new ROE. This is new, significantly new. I also don’t think this is a one-off. President Trump pretty much…

Poland and South Korea have entered into a new defense partnership to localize missile production, underscoring Warsaw’s efforts to strengthen self-reliance and modernize its armed forces. On September 2, during the opening day of the International Defence Industry Exhibition (MSPO) in Kielce, Hanwha Aerospace and WB Group signed an agreement to establish a joint venture […] The post Poland, South Korea start joint missile production first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article