Raw Intel

IERUS Technologies, based in Huntsville, Alabama, has been awarded a contract valued at $475 million to support test activities across multiple U.S. missile defense radar platforms. The award was announced by the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and covers a performance period spanning nearly a decade. Under the contract, the company will conduct a broad range […]View the full article

Germany has decided to move forward with an additional purchase of Airbus H145M light combat helicopters, exercising an option included in a 2023 contract and expanding the country’s planned fleet as it continues to modernize its rotary-wing forces. According to Airbus Helicopters, Germany has ordered 20 additional H145M helicopters, bringing the total number under contract […]View the full article

The United States State Department has approved a possible $800 million Foreign Military Sale to Kuwait covering sustainment and follow-on technical support for the country’s Patriot air-and-missile defense program, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said on January 14. The agency confirmed that it has delivered the required certification notifying Congress of the proposed transaction. According […]View the full article

U.S.-based innovation company REGENT unveiled its new autonomous unmanned surface and aerial vehicle, known as “Squire,” during a briefing attended by U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and senior defense officials in Quonset, Rhode Island. The presentation took place at the historic Seabee Museum, where REGENT executives introduced the autonomous Seaglider drone as part of […]View the full article

The Czech Army has begun testing its first CV90 MkIV infantry fighting vehicle in Sweden, placing the new armored platform through demanding trials in harsh Nordic terrain and winter conditions. The official X account of the Czech Army confirmed that the vehicle is undergoing extensive testing designed to verify that the platform meets the military’s […]View the full article

General Dynamics Land Systems has secured a $450 million agreement from the United States Marine Corps for the next development phase of its Advanced Reconnaissance Vehicle. The award covers the pre-production development phase, in which the company will finalize the vehicle’s design and build several examples from part of the planned ARV family for government […]View the full article

Sierra Nevada Company’s BRAWLR air defense system made a notable public appearance at Exercise FLEX 2026, when senior U.S. military commanders, including the four-star head of U.S. Southern Command, got a close look at the weapon system integrated aboard a Textron Systems’ multi-mission uncrewed surface vessel. The visit brought together Marine Gen. Francis L. Donovan, […]View the full article

Elbit Systems has folded another autonomy company into its defense portfolio, acquiring Israel’s Blue White Robotics through its FUSE unit in a deal aimed at turning ordinary off-road vehicles into self-driving military and security machines. The Haifa-based defense company said FUSE completed the purchase of 100% of Bluewhite’s shares, adding an Israeli developer best known […]View the full article

A known design flaw in the U.S. Air Force’s newest and most expensive aerial refueling tanker has now contributed to four separate midair accidents since 2022, including two incidents where the aircraft’s refueling boom, a 15-meter (50-foot) telescoping arm worth millions of dollars, was torn completely off the plane and fell into the ocean, Task […]View the full article

Twenty-five U.S. senators want to know why the Pentagon is still sitting on an investigation into one of the deadliest strikes involving American forces in more than three decades, and they’re giving the Department of War exactly one week to start answering. Senators Elissa Slotkin of Michigan and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, joined by […]View the full article

German ARX Robotics and its Ukrainian manufacturing partner Roboneers have delivered 30 unmanned ground vehicles to Ukraine’s Defense Forces, equipping a single regiment to run logistics, casualty evacuation and ammunition resupply missions with unmanned systems at the same time, the German company said. The regiment is now operating the vehicles across multiple mission types simultaneously, […]View the full article

An autonomous machine gun system engaged drone targets in the Arizona desert, according to official photos from a U.S. military exercise. The system, called Bullfrog and built by Texas startup Allen Control Systems, pairs a standard M240 machine gun with a robotic turret, in this case bolted into the bed of a pickup truck. The […]View the full article

BAE Systems will build electronic warfare systems for three more production lots of the F-35 Lightning II under a new contract from Lockheed Martin, the company said on Oct. 6. The contract covers AN/ASQ-239 systems for F-35 Lots 20 through 22, along with systems to retrofit and modernize older aircraft already in service. BAE Systems […]View the full article

Lockheed Martin has received a $114.6 million order to redesign two key navigation systems on the F-35 Lightning II, the GPS electronic unit and the NAV100 inertial navigation system, replacing electronic parts that are going out of production so the stealth fighter can keep rolling off the line. The cost-plus-fixed-fee order, announced on Oct. 23, […]View the full article

Activists, in all their forms, are an interesting sub-species of non-state maritime actors. We’ve discussed the Sea Shepherds here extensively, who have the closest thing to a fleet of any of the non-state maritime actors. Greenpeace, the Sea Shepherds' older, but slightly more docile sister organization, has also engaged in aggressive tactics throughout its history. Greenpeace's most recent campaign is designed to stop Arctic drilling. The involvement of Lucy Lawless, actress-turned-boarding officer, demonstrates how these direct action organizations have embraced celebrity endorsers to promote their cause, which is no different than many other political or environment…

From a little side-bar I was having with our buddy Galrahn - we wandered in the Royal Navy's VERY retro sounding Joint Concept Note 1/12: Future 'Black Swan' Class Sloop-of-War: A Group System. OK, the only retro use is "Sloop-of-War" - which I fully support. It ain't a corvette ... and it is almost more like the exceptionally poorly named LCS. Read the whole thing - but without picking it apart all over the place - right or wrong I like some of the intellectual work behind it. The Brits have done some good, modest, and reasonable intellectual ponderings; "122. The UK needs affordable solutions to deliver a balanced fleet. It requires the agility to adjust to a…

Americas DRS Systems won a $10.5 million contract modification for an engineering change to the Energy Magazine Prototype design for the DDG51 Class destroyer program. This award is for an engineering change proposal of the Energy Storage Module that will provide capability to supply power to a directed energy load and includes design, build and testing for a total of two prototype units. The Arleigh Burke (DDG 51) Class guided missile destroyers provide a wide range of warfighting capabilities in multi-threat air, surface and subsurface environments. Arleigh Burke class destroyers are equipped with the Navy’s Aegis Weapon System, the world’s foremost integrated naval wea…

Americas L3Harris Technologies won a $45.9 million deal, which provides engineering maintenance and repair support services for Advanced Self-Protection Jammer AN/ALQ-165, Integrated Defensive Electronic Countermeasures AN/ALQ-214, and aircraft self-protection optimization software in support of F/A-18 series aircraft for the Navy and Foreign Military Sales customers. The AN/ALQ-214 is the next-generation radio frequency (RF) integrated countermeasure system. The legacy (V)3 version is currently deployed on the US Navy’s F/A-18E/F aircraft to provide self-protection. Work will take place in Clifton, New Jersey. Estimated completion will be in February 2026. Sikorsky won …

Americas Alliant Techsystems won a $41.2 million deal, which procures low rate initial production Lot One of the AGM-88G Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile – Extended Range (AARGM-ER). This contract provides for the production and delivery of 16 AGM-88G AARGM-ER All Up Rounds, six AGM-88G AARGM-ER Captive Air Training Missiles, four Common Munitions BIT Reprogramming Equipment Plus interface devices, initial spares, and required supplies and support. Work will take place in California and West Virginia. Estimated completion will be in March 2024. Northrop Grumman won a $12.9 million contract modification, which provides for the retrofit of Airborne Electronic Attack …

As navalists are wont to do, first think I do when looking at the latest developments in Ukraine, I look to the Black Sea coast. In the run-up to the war, a lot of attention was given to the naval buildup on the area by the Russian Navy, especially with the bulk of their remaining amphibious warships. Besides a minor operation in the Sea of Azov early on, there has been little seen of them, much less a vaunted amphibious assault around Odessa. There are many tactical level details we just don’t know about at this date, so as we look to the sea, today we’ll keep this to the big pixels, specifically the fundamentals we already knew but may have forgotten to one degree or a…