Raw Intel

If CWO5 Eric Slover did not not exist, I don’t know if a writer would be able to create him. At this week’s State of the Union speech, two people were awarded the Medal of Honor for actions almost 75 years apart. The first was Elmer Royce Williams, Captain, USN (Ret.)., who we covered a month ago for his actions in the Korean War that had to be kept secret for so long. The second saw a much quick turnaround for actions in the capture of Maduro in Venezuela. I don’t think I need to add more. Attention to Citation: Chief Warrant Officer Five Eric A. Slover distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity, above and beyond the call of duty, on January 3, 2026,…

Varjo has been selected as the extended reality technology provider for an immersive armored vehicle training program now being deployed for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, as part of a Nordic defense technology collaboration with Norway’s Fynd Reality. The system is already being fielded in Ukraine and is designed to support familiarization, procedural training, and maintenance […]View the full article

Peru selected the F-16 Block 70 fighter jet built by Lockheed Martin, signing a technical agreement on April 20, 2026 — but the procurement that Washington called a success triggered an immediate political crisis in Lima that is still unfolding. In 2024, the country launched a formal competitive bidding process. Lockheed Martin responded with a […]View the full article

The U.S. Department of State has approved a possible $340 million Foreign Military Sale to Japan for equipment and services supporting the country’s indigenous upgraded Hyper Velocity Gliding Projectile (HVGP) capability, according to a notification released on March 25, 2026. The proposed package centers on test preparation, range support, transportation, and associated logistics services for […]View the full article

Australia’s fleet of advanced electronic surveillance jets is nearly complete, with the Royal Australian Air Force confirming the arrival of its third MC-55A Peregrine at RAAF Base Edinburgh in South Australia. Three of the four aircraft in the planned fleet have now been delivered, bringing three of the planned four aircraft to Australia, with one […]View the full article

After President Trump’s speech Wednesday night, Secretary of State Marco Rubio reminded everyone of the four goals of Operation Epic Fury. • Destroy their weapons factories • Destroy their navy • Destroy their air force • Destroy their chances of ever having a nuclear weapon I start with that for a reason. These stated goals have been consistent throughout the first month of the operation. That fact can get lost because when he talks about the operation, President Trump is, well, Trumpy in how he communicates. The hyper-partisans on both sides react by throwing a bunch of chaff in the air, making meaningful discussions difficult. We see that in the comments section here …

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…

SummaryThis episode features Dr. Colin Dueck, with Mark and Sal, discussing the historical and strategic importance of U.S. policy towards Latin America, the evolution of the Monroe Doctrine, and current challenges and opportunities in the hemisphere. Discussion is centered on how U.S. foreign policy can shape the future of the region amid great power competition. You can listen at this link, subscribe to the podcast, or listen via the Spotify widget below. Show LinksWhy the Monroe Doctrine Still Matters, Colin Dueck Dr. Colin Dueck’s AEI page China’s Growing Influence in Latin America, Council on Foreign Relations Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America The b…

The U.S. State Department has approved Denmark’s request to purchase AGM-114R Hellfire missiles and related equipment in a potential foreign military sale valued at $45 million, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said on Thursday. According to the agency, Denmark requested up to 100 AGM-114R missiles, along with three Captive Air Test Missiles, six M299 launchers, […]View the full article

In an exclusive interview with Defence Blog, the co-founder and chief executive of Israeli defense technology company Commcrete said a new generation of miniaturized satellite communication systems is reshaping how defense organizations approach combat search and rescue, as militaries move away from legacy models that depend on establishing connectivity only when conditions allow. Itzik Daniel […]View the full article

France has restarted production of its naval cruise missile after a production halt that began in 2021, according to reporting by Le Parisien. The missile in question is the MdCN, also known as the SCALP Naval, a cruise missile developed by MBDA from 2006 and operational since 2017. Production stopped after the completion of earlier […]View the full article

Otto Aerospace has completed a flight-test campaign for an unmanned aircraft built around laminar-flow aerodynamics, validating in actual flight the drag-reduction performance the company has been modeling for years and generating data with direct implications for long-endurance drone design. The tests were conducted at Spaceport America in New Mexico, within White Sands Missile Range airspace, […]View the full article

With so much else going on, it is easy to forget that the Russo-Ukrainian War of 2022 is still ongoing. It has always been true that if you want to better prepare your nation for its next war, watch closely what works or does not work in other people’s wars. We’ve seen a cottage industry build around this concept when it comes to the conflict in Ukraine. Some of it gets rather tiresome as people try to directly translate what works on the Ukrainian steppe to a potential Taiwan conflict, for just one example. Much of this pontificating and projecting is firmly where most people are comfortable, the Tactical level. We’re not going to do that today. Recently, breaking above…

SummaryIn this episode, the host discusses the recent Greenland kerfuffle, exploring the implications of international relations, particularly between the US and Europe. The conversation delves into the miscommunication between leaders, the dynamics of NATO, and the broader context of US-European relations under different administrations. The host empha… Read more View the full article

Yuma Test Center has installed and fired a Proof Gun System for the first time, giving the U.S. Army a dedicated artillery testing platform that can swap gun tubes in and out without ever needing a complete howitzer on the range. The Proof Gun System was developed by the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command […]View the full article

The U.S. Marine Corps Systems Command in Quantico, Virginia awarded Seattle-based Overland AI a $20 million contract to supply unmanned ground vehicles and accompanying software in direct support of the Marine Air Defense Integrated System, the Corps’ primary mobile air defense capability, with deliveries required by October 2027. The Marine Air Defense Integrated System, known […]View the full article

Washington-based investment syndicate Pravo Ventures has invested in Ukrainian aerostat developer Aerobavovna, backing a company already supplying airborne platforms to Ukrainian forces for communications and sensing tasks. In a statement, Pravo Ventures said Aerobavovna is “building critical aerostat-based capabilities for Ukraine and its allies,” adding that it is “excited about the team’s continued growth and […]View the full article

Stockholm-based defense investment firm Front Ventures closed a €5 million (approximately $5.4 million) share raise on May 8 to fund early-stage defense technology companies in Ukraine and Sweden, with the raise oversubscribed by 278 percent in a signal of how urgently private capital is chasing battlefield-proven innovation. The raise, structured as a rights issue of […]View the full article

The U.S. Army awarded a contract to German drone distributor DRONIVO GmbH on April 2, 2026, for 15 EAGLE NXT eBee VISION small unmanned aerial systems, six ground control stations, and a pilot training package to equip the 2nd Cavalry Regiment ahead of the Saber Strike 26 exercise. The contract, valued at €870,810 — approximately […]View the full article

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, known as DARPA, published a solicitation on June 5, launching a new program called ExPEDitions, short for Expeditionary Power- and Energy-Dense Implementations, to develop rechargeable batteries capable of delivering five to ten times the energy density of current technology for use in drones, ground vehicles, and other military equipment. […]View the full article