Raw Intel

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and RENK Group CEO Dr. Alexander Sagel announced on February 13, 2026, that the German defense manufacturer will invest $150 million in Michigan through 2030, expanding its industrial and research footprint tied to U.S. military supply programs. The investment includes $70 million in capital expenditures and $80 million dedicated to research […]View the full article

The U.S. Air Force has begun early market research for the remanufacture of a key defensive electronic warfare component used on the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber. A sources sought notice published April 10 by DLA Aviation in Oklahoma City identifies the requirement as the B-2 Receiver Countermeasure. Responses are due by April 17, making this […]View the full article

The United States Navy’s Naval Air Systems Command announced plans on March 16 to pursue a sole-source contract with Boeing for software updates to the Harpoon missile support system, according to a presolicitation notice. The effort focuses on updating the Common Munitions BIT/Reprogramming Equipment Mission Application Program, a system used to support and maintain Harpoon […]View the full article

Japan’s fiscal year 2026 defense budget, enacted on April 7, includes ¥11.1 billion ($69.7 million) earmarked for the acquisition of five “wide-area UAVs” for the Ground Self-Defense Force, according to budget documents published by the Ministry of Defense. The budget line describes the wide-area UAV as a system capable of detecting surface vessels and other targets […]View the full article

The Royal Australian Navy has formally established and named the Maritime Autonomous Systems Unit — known as MASU — a dedicated command structure built to develop, integrate, and operationally employ a new generation of uncrewed maritime platforms. The unit’s activation marks one of the most concrete organizational steps the Navy has taken toward embedding autonomous […]View the full article

A Spanish defense firm has completed live flight testing of its BANDIT-X drone interceptor before military operators in Slovakia, demonstrating the full operational cycle of the system in what the company’s co-founder described as a validation milestone that separates real capability from the concept renders and commercial presentations that dominate the counter-drone industry. ARMMO Defense […]View the full article

The United States has approved a Foreign Military Sales case valued at up to $1 billion to provide submarine combat systems support, technical assistance, and embedded personnel to the United Kingdom as part of the AUKUS security partnership. The notification, released by the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs on March 20, 2026, expands a previously approved […]View the full article

Show LinksNYT article on U.S. buildup around Iran. CSIS Graph mentioned by Shashank Joshi 2017 Navy Times article on Ford-class toilets Captain Luther’s note circa 2011/12 on the USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77)’s plumbing issues Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s 2011 article on same issue SummarySal discusses the current military and geopolitical situation, focu… Read more View the full article

Six defense technology companies walked into a demonstration event with separate products and walked out days later with a fully integrated autonomous hunter-killer ground vehicle system, presenting it directly to the Secretary of the Army in what participants described as proof that the American defense industry can move at a speed the Pentagon’s traditional procurement […]View the full article

Russia has publicly revealed the production process of its new Khishchnik (Predator) 4×4 armored vehicles during a high-profile visit by an elite Russian Armed Forces unit and Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov to the Remdiesel manufacturing facility in Naberezhnye Chelny. According to publicly released footage and statements from Russian officials, the delegation inspected assembly lines producing […]View the full article

Yesterday’s mention of the USS Tennessee (BB 43) had me thinking of other survivors of the attack on Pearl Harbor. That was when I remembered a FbF from a long time ago whose photo I like so much. There she is above, USS Pennsylvania (BB 38). Well worth an encore FbF. This is more of a reading assignment than anything else - this “summary” describes a ship’s life in full. When most people think of her, they think of her at her lowest point. At 0755 on the morning of December 7, 1941, the USS PENNSYLVANIA was sitting in dry-dock in the Pearl Harbor Navy Yard. Her screws had been removed from their shafts and were resting on the bottom of the dock. She had been scheduled …

Explosions were reported across multiple Iranian cities, including the capital Tehran, after the United States and Israel carried out coordinated military strikes early Saturday, according to official statements and media reports. United States President Donald Trump described the operation as a “massive and ongoing” military campaign aimed at countering threats posed by Iran. The strikes […]View the full article

The United States has continued elevated air and maritime military activity in the Caribbean region following Saturday’s U.S. operation in Venezuela, with fighter aircraft and naval assets operating near Venezuelan borders, according to local reports. Residents of Puerto Rico, where one of the United States’ operational military bases in the region is located, reported sustained […]View the full article

Northrop Grumman on March 31 showcased the autonomous mission capabilities of its Lumberjack Group 3 uncrewed aircraft system during the United States Army 101st Airborne Division’s Operation Lethal Eagle exercise. According to NG, the Lumberjack drone demonstrated full autonomous mission control through the U.S. Army’s Maven Smart System, allowing Army personnel to test how the […]View the full article

Russia has publicly released footage of its Zubr automated counter-drone system operating for the first time, showing the weapon detecting, tracking, and engaging aerial targets with minimal human involvement. The release came alongside confirmation from Rostec, Russia’s state-owned defense conglomerate, that the first batch of Zubr systems has already entered active duty protecting critical infrastructure […]View the full article

Great news via Matt White at T&P. A Marine who single-handedly destroyed a major bridge in Vietnam, swinging hand-over-hand across its steel girders to plant explosive charges even as an enemy tank fired at him, now appears set to receive the Medal of Honor. Marine Capt. John Ripley’s three-hour, one-man assault on the Dong Ha Bridge in April 1972 has long been a hallowed story in the Marine Corps. Fellow Marines, friends, and advocates have pushed for decades to see the Navy Cross he was awarded for the battle upgraded to a Medal of Honor. Those efforts appear to be nearing success, after the Senate approved special legislation that cleared the way for the award to b…

The French Army’s 54th Artillery Regiment has begun tactical trials of interceptor drones built to take down hostile unmanned aircraft, as the service moves to strengthen its defenses against threats similar to the Shahed and Lancet systems seen in Ukraine. The evaluation has been running for several months under a tasking from the Commandement du […]View the full article

United States special operations forces rescued a wounded American colonel from deep inside Iranian territory in the early hours of Sunday, April 5, completing one of the most complex and costly combat search-and-rescue operations in modern American military history. The officer, the weapons system officer aboard an F-15E Strike Eagle shot down by Iranian forces […]View the full article

A report published by the Chinese newspaper Global Times says China is seeking to expand exports of military aircraft following what the publication described as the first combat success of the export-oriented J-10CE fighter jet during an overseas air battle in 2025. The report indicates that the aircraft’s performance generated increased international attention toward Chinese […]View the full article

U.S. Marines from the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit conducted an extensive series of combined arms training exercises at Camp Santiago, Puerto Rico, throughout March 2026, integrating light armored vehicles, attack and reconnaissance drones, vehicle-mounted mortar systems, and MV-22B Osprey assault operations into a sustained training package that tested the unit’s full expeditionary combat capability. The […]View the full article