Raw Intel

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

Russia has concentrated at least 15 Su-57 stealth fighter jets at the Dzyomgi air base in the Khabarovsk region, about 280 kilometers from the Chinese border, according to satellite images published by the AviVector project and reported by the Ukrainian outlet Militarnyi. Satellite imagery dated February 9 shows 15 Su-57 aircraft parked in the open […]View the full article

United States Air Force personnel released a photo of an MQ-9 Reaper assigned to the 431st Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron on January 13, showing the aircraft positioned inside a shelter at Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea. The Air Force said the squadron’s presence reinforces U.S. commitment to security on the Korean Peninsula and provides a […]View the full article

Over at WSJ, recent Midrats Podcast guest and former Congressman Mike Gallagher, along with Kevin Wallsten remind us where we were just a year ago in their article, How DEI Caused a Military Recruitment Crisis. So much progress has been made over the last year in a move away from sanctioned sectarianism and institutional racial discrimination that it is easy to forget how bad things were. We should not forget. Much of the progress is based on executive action, not legislation or significant new action in the courts. With the courts, quite a few firewalls have been put in, but not enough. Without proper legislation, we are just one election away from returning to this. Und…

BAE Systems has successfully test-fired a laser-guided 70mm rocket from a Eurofighter Typhoon, taking a notable step toward giving the aircraft a lower-cost option for countering drones and other small aerial threats. The trial took place in March and was announced by the company on April 8. Conducted with support from the UK Ministry of […]View the full article

The Hellenic Navy has signed a contract to procure ship-based CAMCOPTER S-100 Unmanned Air Systems (UAS) for deployment aboard its new Frégate de Défense et d’Intervention (FDI) Belharra-class frigates, according to a February 13, 2026 announcement by manufacturer Schiebel Group. Under the agreement, the rotary-wing unmanned aircraft will operate from three French-built frigates — HS […]View the full article

In the second half of the last Midrats Podcast, Mark and I discussed the recently released Maritime Action Plan. I still don’t understand why we release such documents on a Friday before a three-day weekend, but whoever makes that call should be left with the next bar tab. To their great credit however, the April 2025 Executive Order demanded a deliverable, and they got it done on time. If you are looking for a naval strategy or other “this type of system doing that” report, you won’t find it here, and nor should you. This is signed by Marco Rubio as National Security Advisor and Russ Vought as the Director of the Office of Management and Budget. It is best seen as an eco…

It is always a great day when an alumnus of The Midrats Podcast assumes another position to advance our Navy. A decade after joining the faculty at the Naval War College, Captain Sam Tangredi, USN (Ret.), PhD, has a new line on his CV. From the Summer/Autumn Edition of the Naval War College Review, On a personal note, it is a tremendous honor for me to relieve the watch as editor in chief of the Naval War College Review from Dr. Jon Caverley. Over many years, the Review frequently published my research and analyses. My writing benefited from the assessments and recommendations of great Review editors—including Bob Laske, Frank Uhlig, and Tom Grassey—along with their succ…

It is curious what the U.S. military chooses to honor. There are five or so U.S. Army units that in one way or another refer to themselves as “Spartans.” Even the U.S. Navy and USAF have a unit or two in that game. It isn’t just ancient Greek history; it is all over the place. Heck, back in the day, the U.S. Navy had an attack squadron named the Clansmen, with a “C” not a “K”, VA-46, that served from 1955 to 1991. It was stationed in the very un-Scottish Cecil Field in the piney woods of northeast Florida. Yes, the U.S.A. is a young country, but we have plenty of martial legends of our own—well-documented with real people from real units. You don’t have to look far. As t…

Russia’s Kalashnikov Concern presented a range of weapons and mobility systems currently in demand in combat operations in Ukraine during a defense exhibition hosted by state corporation Rostec, where company representatives demonstrated new electric military transport platforms alongside small arms and reconnaissance equipment. The presentation was shown to Rostec chief executive Sergei Chemezov as part […]View the full article

Lockheed Martin has signed a memorandum of understanding with Hungary’s 4iG Space and Defence Technologies to develop a long-range rocket artillery system tailored to Hungarian military requirements. According to a statement from Lockheed Martin, the agreement focuses on integrating the company’s Artillery Rocket System Launcher Loader Module onto trucks built in Hungary. The resulting system […]View the full article

Helsing, a German AI defense company, has conducted the first launch of its HX-2 strike drone from a coastal vessel in the waters off Plymouth, UK, the company announced, marking a new operational environment for a system it has been developing and deploying on the battlefield in Ukraine. The trial took place off a fast […]View the full article

Oshkosh Defense will use the AUSA Global Force Symposium & Exposition, set for March 24-26, to present two of its latest mobility-focused systems: the L-MAV autonomous vehicle and the Mobile Artillery Platform that serves as the vehicle base for Elbit America’s SIGMA artillery system. The company said its exhibit will focus on integrated mobility solutions […]View the full article

BAE Systems said it will spotlight a set of combat vehicle, artillery, precision-guided munitions, and ordnance capabilities at the 2026 AUSA Global Force Symposium & Exposition, using the event to present both fielded systems and programs it says are being adapted for future Army needs. The company’s lineup includes the Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle, the Bradley […]View the full article

The United States Central Command said it conducted a strike on the Kuh-E Barjamali ballistic missile assembly facility in Iran, releasing before-and-after imagery dated March 1 and March 7, 202. The facility, located in the Barjamali Hills southeast of Tehran, was identified as a production site for close-, short-, and medium-range ballistic missiles. The strike […]View the full article

Japan’s Ministry of Defense said it has reviewed the latest progress and budget planning for its next-generation fighter aircraft program, as Tokyo continues close coordination with the United Kingdom and Italy on what is now known as the Global Combat Air Programme. According to a statement released on December 26, Japan’s Vice Minister of Defense […]View the full article

Canada on February 24, 2026, announced a new package of military assistance to Ukraine that includes the donation of more than 400 armored vehicles and the extension of its military training mission, Operation UNIFIER, for an additional three years, the Canadian government said in a joint statement released in Ottawa. The announcement coincides with the […]View the full article

Raytheon has secured a contract from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to supply SeaRAM ship self-defense systems for Australia’s Sea3000 General Purpose Frigate program, the company announced. Under the contract, Raytheon will supply SeaRAM launchers, Blast Test Vehicles, and technical services to support installation and testing for the first three ships in the Sea3000 program, which are […]View the full article

Indra Land Vehicles and IDV, a Leonardo Company, signed a strategic agreement on April 17, 2026, to deliver the new Marine Infantry Amphibious Combat Vehicle — known by its Spanish acronym VACIM — to the Spanish Armed Forces under a Special Modernization Program commissioned by the Spanish Ministry of Defence. The contract covers the supply […]View the full article

U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll publicly acknowledged before Congress that the American military is actively adopting lessons from the Ukrainian Armed Forces, calling Ukraine’s wartime innovations a fundamental transformation of how humans engage in armed conflict. Driscoll made the remarks during a congressional hearing, speaking directly to Ukraine’s battlefield performance since Russia’s full-scale invasion began. […]View the full article