Raw Intel

The Senate Armed Services Committee has published the advance policy questions, with answers, for the nominee for appointment to be our next Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Daryl L. Caudle, USN. If you want to know where he stands or where the center-mass of consensus thinking on topics are, this is about as good of a source as any. Yes, there is a fair bit of boilerplate, but there are some solid answers as well. Even better, it is a serious set of questions. I did word searches for some of the socio-political garbage previous CNOs invested their personal capital in, and none of it is there. To keep things short, I do have a list of Top-5 quotes for you to consider.…

South Korea is moving closer to deploying a next-generation unmanned aerial system designed to fly alongside its KF-21 Boramae fighter jet, aiming to expand the Republic of Korea Air Force’s (ROKAF) air combat capabilities through human-machine teaming. A recent demonstration video released by Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) showcased a conceptual air combat mission involving the […] The post South Korea develops AI-controlled drone to fly with KF-21 fighter first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

A South Korean Air Force C-130 transport aircraft prompted a response from Japanese fighter jets earlier this month after it entered Japanese airspace without prior authorization, according to South Korean defense officials. The incident occurred on July 13 as the aircraft was en route to Guam for training. Military officials said the crew encountered severe […] The post South Korean C-130 plane triggers Japanese jets scramble first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

France’s next-generation military helicopter, the H160M Guepard, has completed a flight milestone at Airbus Helicopters’ Marignane facility, according to an announcement from the Direction générale de l’armement (DGA) on July 24. Developed as part of the Light Joint Helicopter (HIL) program, the Guépard is intended to provide a modular, multi-role rotorcraft platform across all three […] The post France’s next-gen military helicopter makes its first flight first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) will dispatch a team to Kuwait in September to evaluate 38 retired F/A-18 Legacy Hornet fighter jets as part of a possible acquisition program, according to Malaysian defense officials. General Datuk Seri Muhamad Norazlan Aris, the newly appointed Chief of the Royal Malaysian Air Force, confirmed that the U.S. […] The post Malaysia to inspect Kuwait’s retired F/A-18 Hornets first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Denmark has purchased MBDA France’s VL MICA air defense system, according to a statement released by the Danish Defence Acquisition and Logistics Organization (FMI). The contract, signed as part of the Danish military’s accelerated investment strategy, will deliver two “fire units” of the VL MICA surface-to-air missile system. The acquisition is part of an early-phase […] The post Denmark buys VL MICA air defense system first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Thailand has reportedly used its Ukrainian-made T-84 Oplot main battle tanks in combat for the first time. Local media and defense observers in Thailand say the Royal Thai Army employed the tanks during an assault on Cambodian military positions in the area near the Thai-Cambodian border. Sompong Nondhasa, a prominent Thai defense commentator, posted online: […] The post Reports: Thai Oplot tanks deployed to Cambodian border first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Russian forces have used a newly developed guided aerial bomb for the first time in a strike against Ukraine, according to Ukrainian officials. The attack, carried out by a Su-34 bomber, hit civilian targets in the city of Kharkiv with two UMPB-5 precision-guided munitions fired from approximately 100 kilometers away. The strike, launched from near […] The post Russia tests new bomb in strike on Ukrainian city first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Russia has sharply increased its production of Garpiya-A1 attack drones despite Western sanctions, according to documents reviewed by Reuters and cited by European security officials. The documents show that Izhevsk Electromechanical Plant Kupol (IEMZ Kupol), a sanctioned Russian defense manufacturer, boosted its annual output of the Garpiya-A1—Moscow’s domestically produced version of the Shahed-class drone—from 2,000 […] The post Russia ramps up kamikaze drone production with Chinese help first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The Royal Thai Air Force carried out air strikes against two Cambodian military targets on Thursday, after a surprise assault earlier in the day. According to Royal Thai Army deputy spokesperson Col. Ritcha Suksuwanon, six F-16 fighter jets were launched from Ubon Ratchathani province and struck ground targets inside Cambodia. “We have used air power […] The post Thai F-16 jets hit Cambodian targets after border attack first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Türkiye’s defense electronics leader ASELSAN has introduced its new ground-based precision strike system, GÖKTAN, during the IDEF 2025 defense exhibition. The system is part of a broader suite of next-generation warfare technologies showcased by the company, aimed at meeting the changing needs of modern armed forces operating across multiple domains. According to ASELSAN, GÖKTAN is […] The post ASELSAN unveils GOKTAN strike system at IDEF 2025 first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The French military announced a joint air surveillance operation over the Black Sea on July 24, conducted in close coordination with British and Belgian forces. The operation aimed to enhance regional stability and safeguard the security of Europe’s southeastern flank amid ongoing concerns about access to international airspace and maritime freedom. The surveillance mission, conducted […] The post France, UK, Belgium jets patrol Black Sea first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Show LinksReforming the promotion system in DOD Australian Missile Canister Loading Equipment (MCLE) USNS Oscar V. Peterson (T‑AO 206) SummaryIn this episode of the Commander Salamander UNCLAS Read Board Podcast, the host discusses various topics related to national security, military developments, and the challenges faced by the Navy. Key themes include t… Read more View the full article

No, neither that pic above nor the one below is the F/A-XX, but it’s the closest we’ve got. However, let’s review the decades-long Salamander Requirements List we have set out for the next Navy tactical aircraft. All hail the return of the heavy fighter to the airwing: Range: It has to fight in the Pacific and engage other enemies from a distance. Payload: It must be able to carry at least a half-dozen AIM-174B Gunslinger, with a minimum of four of them internally. As the drone wars over Israel have proven its utility again, it must have an internal gun. Flexibility: Must perform air-to-air and air-to-ground missions like the Super Hornet it will replace.. Two Engines:…

Neither rust nor the People’s Republic of China (PRC) sleep. They are determined, persistent, and keep the long-term view—especially when it comes to their neo-mercantilist drive to dominate global trade and the ports. Remember when early on in the Trump Administration it seemed that BlackRock was going to buy back some of the critical port infrastructure that the PRC grabbed hold of while the world was distracted and pockets got itchy? Well, don’t think all is taken care of. Via James T. Areddy, Daniel Kiss & Ming Li in last Saturday’s WSJ: When a Hong Kong conglomerate set plans this year to sell its global network of shipping ports to an American-led investment gro…

“The difference, of course, between the debate over the nature of thermonuclear war and previous such debates is that it remains hypothetical. And unless we want to bet everything on the optimist, that is what it will always be. For if we lost this bet, and the pessimist turned out to be right, a thermonuclear war will have destroyed the human race, and along with it things like discourse and memory. The debate would remain forever unresolved, because those pessimists proven right, along with those optimists proven wrong, would all be dead.” —Campbell Craig, Destroying the Village The Israeli-American attack on the Iranian has for now at least, brought the topic of the t…

On today’s Midrats, we have returning guest Craig Whiteside and his co-author Ian C. Rice joining us to discuss one of the nightmares we all have in the new book coming out this month. He co-authored it with Ian Rice, Non-state Special Operations: Capabilities and Effects. From the abstract: Building on previous research on Islamic State special operations, the book develops a theoretical framework surrounding a typology of VNSA (militants, proxies, criminal/cults, and mercenaries) to explore variations of non-state special operations, with multiple cases for each category of actor. Understanding when and why VNSA use special operations provides insights into the inner w…

When it comes to the A-1H Skyraider vs. MiG-17s, some are familiar with the story from 1966, but have you heard it first person right after it took place? This story, which I first covered back in 2009, is a classic and brings us back to a man we honored in another FbF last month: Lieutenant Pete Russell, USN. That’s him on the right in the picture above, with LTJg. Tom Patton, USN as they discuss the story below. LCDR Leo Cook and his wingman LTJG Wiley were the lead section of Skyraiders working to locate and hopefully rescue a downed US pilot in North Vietnam. While maneuvering at low altitude between ridges and cloud layers, they were jumped by what turned out to be t…

On Monday, the Congressional Research Service came out with its latest, Navy DDG(X) Next-Generation Destroyer Program: Background and Issues for Congress. This is worth your time, as we need to get this right. We have to get this right because we have yet to cut steel on a successfully designed surface warship since Ronaldus Magnus was CINC. The same organizations, processes—and in some cases people—that failed on DDG-1000, LCS, CG(X), and are doing their best to scupper FFG-62, are working on DDG(X), so keep a weather eye on the program. I’m trying to be an optimist, but concerns have been growing roots for years. Low-trust is well-deserved. At first read, I thought we …

It has taken a while, mostly because of the memories of their grandfathers, but after years of hard work by people you may never hear of, one of the most powerful, important, and natural alliances in the Pacific is growing closer together—that of Japan, Australia, and the U.S. Senior U.S., Australian and Japanese flag officers agreed today to further enhance logistics interoperability among their maritime forces. Their intent is to enable deeper maritime cooperation among the three nations, building upon their enduring commitment to stability and security in the Indo-Pacific. Official seal of the Department of the Navy. Note: 18 United States Code, Part 1, Chapter 47, Sec…