Raw Intel

A dispute over Western-supplied unmanned aerial systems resurfaced in Ukraine on Thursday, March 5, after Ukrainian military expert Taras Chmut publicly criticized Latvian-made AtlasPro reconnaissance drones previously delivered to Ukrainian forces. Chmut accused the manufacturer Atlas Aerospace and Ukrainian officials involved in procurement of these drone systems that he said failed to meet battlefield requirements. […]View the full article

The United States Navy said early Friday that it has sunk more than 30 Iranian naval vessels since the beginning of its ongoing maritime campaign against Iran’s fleet. U.S. officials also confirmed that a large Iranian drone carrier operating at sea was struck late Thursday and left burning following the attack. The announcement comes as […]View the full article

The Ukrainian Navy said its forces destroyed a Russian Kamov Ka-27 helicopter that attempted to land on the “Syvash” drilling platform in the Black Sea during a nighttime strike on March 5. The operation was conducted by the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine together with units of Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces targeting […]View the full article

The United States Air Force has issued a request for information seeking vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) small unmanned aircraft systems capable of operating from austere locations to support operations conducted by Task Force 99, according to a notice released March 5. The effort reflects a requirement to expand operational flexibility for intelligence, surveillance, and […]View the full article

The United States Navy is seeking industry input on software upgrades for the Large Aircraft Infra-Red Counter Measures (LAIRCM) system used on the P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, according to a presolicitation notice released by the Naval Air Systems Command. The Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), through its Program Executive Office for Maritime Patrol and […]View the full article

The United States Army has awarded GM Defense LLC an $18 million contract for the delivery of 121 Infantry Squad Vehicles (ISV), along with anti-lock brake system and electronic stability control kits and vehicle storage covers, according to an official contract announcement. GM Defense, based in Detroit, Michigan, received the firm-fixed-price contract with a value […]View the full article

The United States Army has awarded Raytheon a $184 million contract to provide hardware, installation, and support services for the Patriot air defense system operated by the United Arab Emirates, according to an official contract announcement. The contract comes as the United Arab Emirates faces repeated missile and drone attacks attributed to Iran, underscoring the […]View the full article

As always, we need to head to the chartroom. Take a look at the chart above that I yanked from NYT. What it represents are the Sea Lines of Communication (SLOC) out of the Persian Gulf/Arabian Gulf. Each of those dots is a tanker delivering the hydrocarbons that enable modern civilization to exist and keep three of the four horsemen of the apocalypse in the stable. The one center-screen? That is the SLOC our warships and their logistics chain use to move from the Pacific into the Indian Ocean and on to our fleet. See the city of Colombo? That is the main commercial hub on the island nation of Sri Lanka. The very center of the SLOC that flows south of Sri Lanka lies about…

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un oversaw the launch of strategic cruise missiles from the newly built Choe Hyon destroyer during inspections of the warship earlier this week, according to state media reports published Thursday. According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim Jong-un visited the Choe Hyon destroyer on Tuesday and Wednesday to inspect […]View the full article

United States Marines with the 4th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division are operating Rheinmetall Mission Master Silent Partner autonomous ground vehicles during field operations at Camp Schwab in Okinawa, Japan, as part of a combined Marine Corps Combat Readiness Evaluation. According to a statement from the Marine Corps, the Mission Master Silent Partner vehicles were […]View the full article

U.S. Central Command confirmed that the United States used the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) in combat for the first time during Operation Epic Fury, marking the operational debut of the long-range surface-to-surface missile developed to replace the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS). In a statement, U.S. Central Command said: “In a historic first, long-range Precision […]View the full article

Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Defense confirmed on March 5, 2026, that unmanned aerial vehicles launched from Iranian territory struck Nakhchivan International Airport and other civilian infrastructure in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. The ministry said the attack originated from Iran and involved drones crossing the border into Azerbaijani territory. The incident has raised immediate security concerns along […]View the full article

Two Iranian drones crossed into Azerbaijani airspace and struck Nakhchivan International Airport, injuring two people and causing damage to civilian infrastructure, according to Azerbaijan’s foreign ministry. The incident occurred near the Iranian border in the Nakhchivan exclave, roughly 10 kilometers from Iranian territory. According to Azerbaijan’s foreign ministry, two drones entered the country’s airspace and […]View the full article

The United States Navy torpedoed and sank the Iranian Navy frigate IRIS Dana in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Sri Lanka late Tuesday night, according to statements from U.S. officials and Sri Lankan authorities. The strike was carried out by a U.S. submarine and resulted in at least 80 fatalities aboard the Iranian […]View the full article

Everyone should be familiar with what a “stress test” is, like your doctor gives you if he thinks you have a problem with your ticker. That or if you served, a “smoke check” with either a piece of equipment or a person. If you really want to find out where there is a weakness in a system is so you can make changes, reinforce, or simply know where the limits are—you need to stress the system to its design limit. The problems will reveal themselves. Even weak and suboptimal systems can get along just fine as long as they are not under stress. Do that too long, and you never really know if the system will function fully as designed when you need it at full performance. Heck,…

Chinese armored units have been observed operating Type 96A main battle tanks equipped with the active protection system, according to video footage circulating on Chinese social media. The footage shows several Type 96A tanks being transported while fitted with the APS equipment, suggesting the vehicles belong to an operational military unit rather than a factory […]View the full article

India’s Ministry of Defence signed a contract on March 3 with Russia’s state arms exporter Rosoboronexport to procure ship-based vertical launch surface-to-air missiles for the Indian Navy’s Shtil-1 air defense system, according to a report by the news agency UNI. The deal is valued at 2,182 crore rupees, or approximately $238 million, and will supply […]View the full article

The United States Air Force conducted a test launch of an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile late March 3 from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, according to Air Force Global Strike Command. The missile, equipped with two test reentry vehicles, lifted off at 11:01 p.m. Pacific Time as part of a routine flight […]View the full article

The United States Army is converting the Pennsylvania Army National Guard’s 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team into a Mobile Brigade Combat Team, with the transition scheduled to take effect by March 31, 2026, according to an announcement from Joint Force Headquarters – Pennsylvania National Guard. The change will replace the brigade’s Stryker armored vehicle structure […]View the full article

The United States Marine Corps has awarded BlueHalo Labs, a subsidiary of AeroVironment, a $22,8 million contract modification for the procurement of additional Titan SV MPv3 counter-drone systems and spare parts kits to support the service’s Organic-Counter Small Unmanned Aerial Systems (O-CsUAS) program, according to a March 3, 2026 contract announcement. The award modifies a previously […]View the full article