Raw Intel

Northrop Grumman announced Friday that its YFQ-48A Talon Blue autonomous combat aircraft completed its first engine run, a key developmental milestone achieved in collaboration with Pratt & Whitney and the U.S. Air Force. The announcement was brief but pointed. “YFQ-48A Talon Blue started its engine for the first time today, a significant advancement achieved with […]View the full article

Poland’s state defense group has signed agreements with two American companies to begin domestic assembly of Hydra 70mm unguided rockets, establishing a production and logistics center in Poland for a munition that its military plans to deploy across attack helicopters, air defense batteries, and fixed-wing aircraft. Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa, Poland’s state-owned defense industrial conglomerate known […]View the full article

Ukraine launched one of its largest drone offensives of the war overnight into June 6, sending more than 400 unmanned aircraft deep into Russian territory and striking targets that included a naval weapons depot near Saint Petersburg, an oil refinery in Siberia, a port in Russian-occupied Mariupol, and munitions warehouses in the Leningrad region. Russia’s […]View the full article

A two-person engineering firm in a small Colorado town just picked up a $4.3 million contract to help the Air Force answer a question that still sounds like science fiction: can rockets replace cargo planes for getting supplies anywhere on Earth in under two hours? The Department of the Air Force awarded the money to […]View the full article

Robotics company Target Arm Inc. said this week that its drone launch and recovery system has been integrated with unmanned ground vehicles built by HDT Global, a manufacturer of rugged robotic platforms used in military and industrial settings. The company announced the integration on social media on July 27, 2026. The combination pairs HDT Global’s […]View the full article

MSI Defence Systems has won a £16.6 million ($22.6 million) contract to supply three 30mm naval gun systems to an unnamed NATO country, according to Navy Lookout. The deal includes MSI-DS’s own radar and optical fire-control system, which the company says allows the gun mounts to engage aircraft, drones, surface vessels and semi-submersible threats. Deliveries […]View the full article

South African defense company Paramount unveiled a new reusable drone called V-Raven at the Africa Aerospace and Defence exhibition in South Africa on Sept. 19, replacing an earlier catapult-launched design with an aircraft that takes off and lands vertically without a runway. V-Raven grew out of Paramount’s earlier N-Raven program, a swarming drone the company […]View the full article

The U.S. Navy is building up its stocks of spare parts for the radars and fire-control gear on its Aegis warships, ordering $15.1 million worth of components from Raytheon in a deal it tied directly to the surface fleet’s goal of keeping 75 mission-capable ships ready on any given day. The Department of War contract […]View the full article

Americas Boeing won a $9 million deal, which provides correction of deficiency software builds for increment three acoustics integration and testing for the P-8A aircraft. The P-8A Poseidon, the US Navy’s maritime patrol aircraft, is capable of broad-area, maritime and littoral operations, and is also successful at search and rescue. Equipped with state of the art radars, sensors and a new air-to-air refuel capability, the P-8A is scheduled to receive periodic future enhancements to keep pace with the ASW threat. The P-8A Poseidon is responsive and interoperable with traditional manned forces and evolving unmanned sensors. Work under the new contract will take place in Ca…

On the tarmac at Andrews. I just don't know. A few more comments at USNIBlog, but not that many more. Come for the pic, stay for the ponder. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?d=yIl2AUoC8zA http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?d=qj6IDK7rITs http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=CL-Lu2JGRtA:dr_96jSjVPg:gIN9vFwOqvQ http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=CL-Lu2JGRtA:dr_96jSjVPg:-BTjWOF_DHI http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=CL-Lu2JGRtA:dr_96jSjVPg:V_sGLiPBpWU http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=CL-Lu2JGRtA:dr_96jSjVPg:F7zBnMyn0Lo http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/FAFV/~4/CL-Lu2JGRtAView the full arti…

The words of former SECDEF Gates was on my mind all weekend; Moscow has deployed some 100,000 troops to the borders of Ukraine. What now? Putin finds himself in a situation where Russian success is defined as either a change of government in Kyiv (with the successor aligned with Moscow) or conquest of the country. The 18th-century French diplomat Talleyrand is meant to have said: “You can do anything you like with bayonets except sit on them.” Putin must use those troops soon or face the humiliation of withdrawing them without achieving anything except pushing Ukraine closer to the west. In either case, he has placed himself in a difficult position at home and abroad. Th…

Some days - fullbore is just staying alive. It doesn't happen by accident; it takes you knowing your equipment, your procedures - and most importantly, your ability to think and act without delay. It also takes your Shipmates - known and unknown - who know their business.One of those days for Crusader pilot Cliff Judkins. Don't stop now - read it all.Hat tip SJS. First posted in JUL 2012 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?d=yIl2AUoC8zA http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?d=qj6IDK7rITs http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=wouIm5jLdlQ:NDgCLInmsXs:gIN9vFwOqvQ http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=wouIm5jLdlQ:NDgCLInmsXs:-BTjWOF_DHI …

Americas General Dynamics won a $26 million contract modification for Abrams systems technical support. The M1 Abrams is a third-generation American main battle tank designed by Chrysler Defense and named for General Creighton Abrams. Work will take place in Michigan. Estimated completion date is September 30, 2025. Piedmont Propulsion won an $11.6 million deal for maintenance and overhaul of the UH-60 Helicopter rotor hub. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. The UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter is the US Army’s primary medium-lift utility transport and air assault aircraft. It is a twin-engined medium-lift utility helicopter. Estimated completion date i…

As I mentioned on Sunday's Midrats, I've been thinking a lot recently about the implications mid-century of this graph; Along with the larger reasons that India and the United States should further grow their relationship for both security reasons and the simple fact we are both republics, reasonable people would think that American diplomatic and other parts of our government would be giving this relationship the attention is clearly needs. Well, you know my opinion of our State Department. Some related thoughts from our friend Cleo Paskal; The United States sends mixed messages to India.On the one hand, Washington highlighted the importance of India’s rise and lea…

CH-47Fs take off (click to view full) DII FOCUS articles offer in-depth, updated looks at significant military programs of record; this FOCUS Article covers the CH-47F/MH-47G Chinook helicopter programs, in the USA and abroad. These helicopters’ distinctive “flying banana” twin-rotor design stems from the brilliant work of aviation pioneer Frank Piasecki. It gives Chinooks the […]View the full article

Americas RIX Industries won a $31 million for a firm-fixed-price, undefinitized contract action for the procurement of 25 Virginia-class high pressure air compressors. All work will be performed in Benicia, California, and is expected to be completed by July 2030. Naval Supply Systems Command Weapon Systems Support, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity. L3Harris has accepted two contracts to provide management and control systems for the Royal Canadian Navy’s Surface Combatant (CSC) fleet. The CSC program was conceptualized in 2011 to replace the service’s existing Iroquois-class guided missile destroyers and Halifax-class frigates. Nova Scotia-based I…

Americas Bell Boeing Joint Project Office in Amarillo, Texas, has been awarded a $23 million contract modification to continue flight test support for the V-22 Osprey aircraft. This modification extends the existing contract to provide ongoing support for the Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and the government of Japan.The work will be distributed across multiple locations, with the majority of work (70%) performed in Patuxent River, Maryland, followed by Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (15%), Fort Worth, Texas (10%), and Hurlburt Field, Florida (5%). The project is expected to be completed in January 2026. Anduril Industries has taken over the development of the US Army’s Integ…

A new prototype aircraft spotted at Hongdu Aviation Industry Group’s facilities in Nanchang has fueled speculation that China is developing a naval variant of an advanced jet trainer modeled after the U.S.-built T-7A Red Hawk. Images and recently published design patents from China’s National Intellectual Property Administration indicate that the new jet, while externally resembling […] The post China develops new carrier-based jet trainer first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Taiwan is moving to expand its stockpile of Stinger air defense missiles, with the Army planning a supplemental purchase of several thousand rounds valued at NT$11 billion ($340 million), according to local defense reports. The move follows an earlier $2.1 billion package for 2,621 man-portable Stingers from the United States. According to Taiwan’s Liberty Times […] The post Taiwan to buy more Stinger missiles first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Ukraine and the United States have held a new round of technical discussions aimed at advancing a long-term agreement for the procurement and production of Ukrainian-made drones, according to a report from Militarnyi. A Ukrainian delegation, which included representatives from the Ministry of Defense and the National Security and Defense Council, traveled to the United […] The post U.S. and Ukraine move closer to landmark drone deal first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article