Raw Intel

In Italy vs. USA ... the Italians will beat us to the punch. Curious what they plan on doing? Swallow your pride and head on over to USNIBlog for the details. Note: there will be guns. Lots of guns. 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=pDyEmQ5lUo0:nJNd84_fV2c:gIN9vFwOqvQ http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=pDyEmQ5lUo0:nJNd84_fV2c:-BTjWOF_DHI http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=pDyEmQ5lUo0:nJNd84_fV2c:V_sGLiPBpWU http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=pDyEmQ5lUo0:nJNd84_fV2c:F7zBnMyn0Lo http://feeds.feedbu…

Americas The US Army declared that it has tested an autonomous variant of the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) on June 16. The Autonomous Multidomain Launcher was tested at Yuma Proving Ground and two other islands during a 1.25-hour mission. The Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD) land-based intercontinental ballistic missile system (ICBM) is expected to make its first flight in 2023, GBSD program manager Col. Jason Bartolomei disclosed on June 14. He foresees the system reaching initial operational capability in 2029. Full operational capability will be 2036. Middle East & Africa Last month, the US Air Force’s 379th Expeditionary Logistics Readin…

Americas General Atomics together with the US Army ist working on developing a Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA) for the Multi-Domain Operations-capable Gray Eagle Extended Range (GE-ER) Unmanned Aircraft System. Incorporating MOSA on GE-ER Increment 2 spans the entire system, including the aircraft and the Command and Control software suite. The implementation of MOSA will provide multiple new standards for C2, Future Airborne Capability Environment, Open Mission Systems, Universal Armament Interface (UAI), as well as further segregating the Flight/Mission systems’ hardware and software. The US Army’s 94th Army Air and Missile Defense Command (94th AAMDC) is deployin…

From a historical and military planning point of view, it is hard to understate the sea change this represents not just for NATO but for the nations’ involved. Finland will launch an immediate debate on joining NATO, Finnish officials said on Wednesday, as the country reconsiders its longtime stance outside the Western military alliance following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Prime Minister Sanna Marin said that a decision would be made in coming weeks. “There are different perspectives to apply (for) NATO membership or not to apply and we have to analyze these very carefully,” she said at a news conference in Stockholm, according to Reuters. “But I think our process wil…

0 Reaper, ready… (click to view full) The MQ-9 Reaper UAV, once called “Predator B,” is somewhat similar to the famous Predator. Until you look at the tail. Or its size. Or its weapons. It’s called “Reaper” for a reason: while it packs the same surveillance gear, it’s much more of a hunter-killer design. Some […]View the full article

Americas According to Defense Post, L3Harris has failed to overturn the US Army’s decision to award Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) a $991-million contract to produce the HADES next-generation spy plane. This after the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) ruled in favor of SNC to proceed with production despite a protest filed in October. The GAO’s decision confirms that the winning vendor met all operational and regulatory requirements and that the contract award was made in full compliance with the law. The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) demonstrated the first at-sea refueling of the No Manning Required Ship (NOMARS) program. A pair of unmanne…

Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has showcased ongoing maintenance and overhaul work on the Type 10 main battle tank at its Chitose facility in Hokkaido. The process, known as “overhaul and repair,” is a critical midpoint intervention in the vehicle’s service life, intended to restore the tank to its original performance level after years of intense […] The post Mitsubishi extends life of Type 10 battle tanks first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Ukraine’s defense technology incubator Brave1 has launched a renewed grant program aimed at accelerating the development of advanced weapons, including ballistic and surface-to-air missiles. The initiative, announced at the recent event “Decisive Innovations: Ukraine’s Next Steps in the Technological War”, provides up to 150 million hryvnias ($3.6 million) for projects focused on explosives, missile systems, […] The post Ukraine targets new HIMARS-style weapons with $3.6M grants first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The U.S. Department of War has awarded Sierra Nevada Corp. (SNC) a $15 million contract to provide technical support, maintenance, and sustainment services for the Ukrainian Navy’s Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-UAS) program, according to a contract announcement. Under the agreement, Sierra Nevada will deliver product-based field services, including subject matter experts, to enhance the maintenance […] The post Pentagon contracts SNC for Ukraine’s counter-drone program first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

After a lengthy hiatus, the U.S. Air Force has resumed high-altitude drone reconnaissance missions over the Black Sea, signaling renewed American intelligence-gathering activity in one of Europe’s most tense military zones. On October 25, a massive Northrop Grumman RQ-4B Global Hawk, operating under the callsign FORTE 10, was observed conducting surveillance operations over the southern […] The post U.S. spy drone returns to Black Sea patrols first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Huntington Ingalls Industries has received a series of contract modifications totaling over $142 million to finalize capability enhancements and change orders for the second ship in the Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier program. The U.S. Navy has awarded Huntington Ingalls Incorporated, based in Newport News, Virginia, a combination of contract modifications to support completion of […]View the full article

Boeing has partnered with Anduril Industries in a bid to develop a future air defense interceptor for the U.S. Army, as the service moves forward with plans to address emerging aerial threats through its Integrated Fires Protection Capability program. According to a press release from Anduril Industries, the company will provide the solid rocket motor […]View the full article

The UK Ministry of Defence has awarded BAE Systems a £453.5 million ($613 million) contract to begin full production of the ECRS Mk2 radar for Royal Air Force Typhoon aircraft. The contract follows a completed program of testing and evaluation and represents the next phase of the UK’s long-term investment in Typhoon capability. The Ministry […]View the full article

The United States Navy has approved Raytheon’s StormBreaker smart weapon for operational use on the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet strike fighter, the company announced Feb. 20, 2026. The approval expands the Navy’s precision strike capability at a time when naval aviation forces are adapting to contested environments that demand engagement of mobile targets in poor visibility […]View the full article

The United States Air Force has successfully demonstrated a new capability to install and upgrade software on the F-22 Raptor in minutes, marking a shift in how mission systems can be updated directly on the aircraft. The effort was conducted by Defense Unicorns in partnership with the Air Force Sustainment Center Software Directorate. According to […]View the full article

The Australian Army successfully test-fired the first domestically manufactured Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System missiles at the Woomera Test Range in South Australia on April 9, 2026, a milestone that places Australia in exclusive company. Australia is now the only country outside the United States to manufacture the GMLRS missile — a distinction that carries […]View the full article

A Chinese vehicle-mounted laser weapon system designed for counter-drone operations has been spotted at the Dubai International Airport in the United Arab Emirates, images circulating in open-source defense channels show, marking an apparent export of Chinese directed-energy technology to a Gulf state that has been actively expanding its counter-UAS capabilities. The system visible in the […]View the full article

I’d like to revise and extend my remarks from my post this March, Up-arm the Fleet? With What? There is a limiting factor to my argument that I have no one but myself to blame for in the subtitle: To hell with your RCS. I want more weapons topside, now. If you want to hear the topside thoughts, give the linked-post above a read. What I’d like to ponder this fine Tuesday is something below decks. Nothing new, really. Nothing that needs to be invented. Nothing that requires all that much more than…space below deck. Right now, the smallest standard installation of the MK-41 VLS system is a single-module 8-cell package, 4x2. It is not a small bit of kit. The basic module is…

Two American defense technology companies have partnered to integrate a 360-degree passive infrared sensing system into a close-in counter-drone platform, combining LightPath Technologies’ all-around optical awareness capability with Picket Defense Systems’ Inferno RTC to create a more persistent detection solution against the first-person-view and AI-enabled drones that have become the defining aerial threat of modern […]View the full article

I remember sending this off into the ether with a shrug 22 years ago as if it were yesterday. 22nd anniversaries are not that big of a deal, and I know many of you, like my friend Sid, have been with us from the start. I did a good origin story on the 20th anniversary post, so if you’re new, give it a read. At the 20th anniversary, my friend Claude Berube was kind enough to interview me on the inarguable UNCLAS Read Board Podcast that is outside the paywall. I think it ages well. I think for the rest of the 22nd I wanted to take note of a few things. First of all, in the last year, we saw the passing of a CDR Salamander Plankowner, Byron Audler, in April. A good man I had…