Raw Intel

The United States Air Force has awarded Lockheed Martin a $1.9 billion contract for the C-130J Maintenance and Training System (JMATS) IV, according to a contract announcement. The agreement covers production, modernization, sustainment, and support of training systems used by crews and maintenance personnel operating the C-130J Super Hercules aircraft. The program addresses the continued […]View the full article

Ukrainian long-range drones struck a chemical plant in the city of Kirovo-Chepetsk in Russia’s Kirov region, according to local reports describing a nighttime attack on an industrial facility located more than 1,300 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. The strike reportedly targeted the Kirovo-Chepetsk Chemical Combine, a major industrial complex situated at the confluence of the […]View the full article

SRT Marine Systems announced it has signed a new $261 million contract with a sovereign government customer to deliver a national Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) system, the company said in a statement. The agreement represents a new addition to SRT’s Sovereign Partnership Programme and will provide the customer with an integrated platform for monitoring activity […]View the full article

Russian forces likely shot down one of their own military helicopters in the Rostov region during a Ukrainian drone attack late on March 3, according to reports cited by the Militarnyi. The incident reportedly occurred near the town of Millerovo, where Russian air defenses were responding to a large wave of unmanned aerial vehicles. Crew […]View the full article

It is D+3, and there is one part of Operation Epic Fury that keeps popping up to top-of-mind for me, the Low-cost Unmanned Combat Attack System (LUCAS). First of all, like I said Sunday, BZ to the staff weenie(s) who came up with that acronym for the best blatant copy-job by the U.S. military since the Springfield 1903 looked at Mauser and said, “Nice gun you have there.” Let’s go back to this announcement from around Christmas time that I’m a little pouty did not come into my scan at the time. Centcom launched Task Force Scorpion Strike four months after Secretary of War Pete Hegseth directed acceleration of the acquisition and fielding of affordable drone technology. …

The United States Army on March 2, 2026, issued a notice for follow-on Technical Assistance and Field Service Representative support for the PATRIOT Advanced Capability-3, or PAC-3, Defense System covering program years 2027 through 2029. The notice, published by Army Contracting Command at Redstone Arsenal, calls for industry capability statements by March 17, 2026. The […]View the full article

Daimler Truck AG announced on March 3, 2026, that its Mercedes-Benz Zetros defense vehicles successfully completed intensive winter testing in the Finnish Arctic Circle, where temperatures dropped to minus 20 degrees Celsius and road conditions were largely icy and snow-covered. The testing campaign was conducted to verify that the Zetros defense vehicle series can maintain […]View the full article

The Pentagon’s Missile Defense Agency on March 2, 2026, published new details of its Nimble Options for Buying Layered Effects, or NOBLE, announcement, establishing a five-year acquisition framework running through March 27, 2030. The announcement consolidates multiple contracting authorities under a single structure to support missile defense research, prototyping, and rapid capability development. The NOBLE […]View the full article

Germany’s Bundeswehr intends to submit a budget request in the second half of 2026 to conclude a framework contract with KNDS for the procurement of up to 500 MARS 3, also known as EuroPuls, multiple launch rocket systems, according to reporting by hartpunkt journalist Waldemar Geiger. Roughly half of the systems included in the framework […]View the full article

German analyst Julian Röpcke renewed his criticism of European defense procurement systems after Ukrainian forces destroyed a Russian Buk-M1 surface-to-air missile system at a distance of more than 100 kilometers in the Zaporizhzhia region. In a post on X, he cited the combat performance and cost of a Ukrainian-made kamikaze drone used in the strike. […]View the full article

The United States Navy on March 2, 2026, awarded Northrop Grumman a $225,1 million contract modification to support the E-130J aircraft under the Take Charge and Move Out recapitalization program. The award exercises options for the design, development, and delivery of all E-130J weapons systems training materials and courseware. The modification (P00011) is issued under […]View the full article

Jackson-based AdlerAerospace, in partnership with its Czech R&D affiliate TRL Drones, has developed the TALOS-J and TALOS-E interceptor drone systems — a new fixed-wing counter-unmanned aerial system (C-UAS) family designed using operational lessons drawn from battlefield conditions in Ukraine, the company confirmed during an exclusive interview with CEO and Chairman Wilhelm Meya. TRL Drones brings […]View the full article

Qatar’s Ministry of Defense said on March 2, 2026, that Qatari air defenses shot down two Iranian Su-24 Fencer swing-wing attack jets and intercepted multiple ballistic missiles and drones targeting the country, according to an official statement released in Doha. The ministry stated that Qatar Emiri Air Force and naval air defense units successfully neutralized […]View the full article

As we are at D+2 and spent a full hour yesterday discussing Operation Epic Fury on the Midrats Podcast, I’m not going to review what we know so far—if you’d like Mark and my take, give the episode a listen. What I would like to do is dive into a topic that I hinted at in the show: my historical support for the punitive expedition. The target is valid, and the method has been underused for way too long. I support the strikes on Iran because it firmly fits into a view I have held on the use of national military power for decades, based on thousands of years of military practice. If you are not up to speed with the thousands of Americans dead and maimed by the Islamic Repub…

Ukrainian forces are increasingly employing German-made HX-2 one-way strike drones along multiple frontline sectors, according to reporting by Ukrainian defense outlet Militarnyi. Militarnyi reported that HX-2 drones developed by German defense technology company Helsing are now being used on several operational axes to conduct strikes inside Russian-controlled rear zones. According to the outlet, the drones […]View the full article

United States Central Command confirmed that three U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets were shot down over Kuwait late March 1 during what officials described as an apparent friendly fire incident while supporting Operation Epic Fury, according to an official command statement. In a statement released from Tampa, Florida, U.S. Central Command said: […]View the full article

The United States Army has awarded Textron Systems Corporation a prototype agreement for the Low Altitude Stalking & Strike Ordnance (LASSO) program, the company announced last week. The agreement supports the Army’s effort to provide Infantry Brigade Combat Teams (IBCTs) with an organic precision strike capability designed to engage armored vehicles, hardened targets, and concealed […]View the full article

Former Russian deputy energy minister Vladimir Milov has published an analysis assessing the current condition of Russia’s defense-industrial sector, concluding that production growth is slowing while financial pressures across military manufacturers are increasing. The assessment, built on publicly available industrial statistics, corporate disclosures, and official statements, challenges the narrative that wartime spending has produced a […]View the full article

Kuwait’s Ministry of Defense confirmed that several United States Air Force combat aircraft crashed during morning hours, stating that all aircrews survived and were safely recovered following emergency search and rescue operations, according to an official government statement identified as Statement No. 7. In its official announcement, the Kuwaiti Ministry of Defense spokesperson said: “This […]View the full article

Saudi Arabia’s state oil company Aramco shut down operations at its Ras Tanura refinery following a drone strike that triggered a fire at the major Gulf coast facility, an industry source said Monday, as verified video footage later confirmed flames at the site after the incident. According to an industry source cited in reporting, Aramco […]View the full article