Raw Intel

Israel’s defense minister said the Israeli military will continue conducting “powerful” air strikes against Tehran, as the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed ongoing operations targeting Iranian military infrastructure during the current conflict. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced the continuation of the campaign in a public statement, saying Israeli forces are “carrying out intensive strikes […]View the full article

B.E. Meyers & Co. is heading to SOF Week 2026 in Tampa, Florida, with a new high-power laser targeting and illumination system in tow. The Redmond, Washington-based defense technology manufacturer will unveil the VSLAP-V1 at Booth 1153 when the special operations community’s premier annual gathering opens May 18, positioning the device as the next generation […]View the full article

Everyone should be familiar with what a “stress test” is, like your doctor gives you if he thinks you have a problem with your ticker. That or if you served, a “smoke check” with either a piece of equipment or a person. If you really want to find out where there is a weakness in a system is so you can make changes, reinforce, or simply know where the limits are—you need to stress the system to its design limit. The problems will reveal themselves. Even weak and suboptimal systems can get along just fine as long as they are not under stress. Do that too long, and you never really know if the system will function fully as designed when you need it at full performance. Heck,…

The commander of Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces publicly accused domestic warhead manufacturers of delivering substandard products that are forcing frontline units to expend far more drones than necessary to destroy a single target — and he used a real combat operation to prove it. Robert Brovdi, call sign “Madyar,” commander of the Unmanned Systems Forces […]View the full article

The United States Navy has awarded Boeing a $12 million contract tied to the MQ-25A Stingray, extending work on one of the Navy’s most closely watched drone programs. The order, valued at $12,074,613, was awarded to Boeing in St. Louis, Missouri, under an existing basic ordering agreement. Rather than covering new aircraft production, the contract […]View the full article

A startup’s drone just deployed armed FPVs from the air during a live-fire exercise of the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Polk. Petrel Technologies validated its AERO Sky hybrid VTOL unmanned aircraft alongside the 101st Airborne Division during a Joint Readiness Training Center exercise at Fort Polk last week, with multiple armed First-Person View drones […]View the full article

Japan’s Self-Defense Forces are participating in Balikatan 26, the U.S.-Philippine hosted multinational exercise, and the capabilities they brought to the training reflect a force increasingly oriented toward the kind of joint, combined operations that the Indo-Pacific security environment demands. The Japan Joint Staff released imagery showing the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force’s US-2 amphibious aircraft conducting […]View the full article

The U.S. Navy is upgrading the communications suite on the E-6B Mercury, an airborne nuclear relay aircraft, even as the service moves forward with the E-130J Phoenix II, the platform eventually set to replace it. Naval Air Systems Command published a presolicitation notice on May 1, 2026, announcing its intent to award a sole-source delivery […]View the full article

The last four years’ conflicts from the Strait of Hormuz through the Red Sea to the Black Sea have presented a raft of lessons to the navies of Europe. How are they positioned to address the lessons, and what moves are already taking place? Returning to the Midrats Podcast LIVE today at 5 pm Eastern to discuss this and related topics will be Alessio Patalano. You can join the studio and the live chat at this link. If you’re reading this after the show, refresh the Substack page later Sunday for updated links to the uploaded audio. Alessio is a Professor of War and Strategy in East Asia and senior fellow at the Center for Statecraft and National Security at King’s College…

Russia ignored Ukraine’s ceasefire initiative and launched a sustained overnight attack with drones and glide bombs within minutes of a silence regime taking effect, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha declared on May 6, calling Moscow’s parallel proposal for a May 9 ceasefire a political performance with no connection to genuine diplomacy. Sybiha posted the statement […]View the full article

Poland’s Operational Command of the Armed Forces said that on Friday, March 13, 2026, a pair of Polish Air Force MiG-29 fighter jets intercepted and escorted a Russian Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft over the Baltic Sea. The interception reflects ongoing efforts by NATO members to monitor and control airspace activity near allied territory, particularly as Russian […]View the full article

The Royal Netherlands Navy has acquired 12 V-BAT unmanned aerial systems following operational testing, including trials conducted during the Cold Response exercise off Norway. According to the Dutch Navy, the V-BAT drones are equipped with radar and camera systems designed to conduct reconnaissance and gather intelligence over extended periods. The platform can operate for several […]View the full article

The U.S. Air Force is preparing to sole-source a contract to Lockheed Martin Space Systems to integrate America’s nuclear warhead reentry vehicle into the new Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile, a critical step in transferring the country’s ground-based nuclear deterrent from the aging Minuteman III system that has stood watch since the 1970s to the weapon […]View the full article

It has been just about a year since the “new normal” following the defenestration of the divisive and sectarian secular religion of DEI from the Pentagon. Riding on a wave of court cases that continue to take apart decades of sanctioned bigotry, the change was abrupt and— except for the high priests and rent seekers whose entire worldview was bounded by their religion—not really missed all that much. Do not be complacent. It is easy to think that this is a permanent “new normal” but that would be an error. The action in the courts are important. The new leadership’s priorities in the Executive Branch are also important. However, without legislation, the latter is epheme…

The U.S. Navy bought six specialized reconnaissance boats designed by former Australian Navy frogmen, built in North Carolina, and validated through two years of testing with Marine Corps special operations units. Naval Sea Systems Command awarded The Whiskey Project Group USA a $17.5 million contract for six Multi Mission Reconnaissance Craft (MMRC), expeditionary watercraft designed […]View the full article

Every now and then I hear about some vague connection between the USAF and the liquor Jeremiah Weed. Though the USAF is better known for its anime swords, I guess they can up their game a bit by creating some legends of their own to justify a connection to a drink. I’d prefer Robin Olds and a bucket of champagne vibe, but I’m not USAF, so that’s up to them. What about the U.S. Navy? Sadly, General Order 99 took the wind out of our sails a bit, but I had a thought recently. I ran into this pic. Just get a look at these ballers. I dug around a bit and found the backstory via the Navy SEAL Museum: Aboard the USS Burrfish (SS 312) near Peleliu in the Pacific Ocean, part of a…

Satellite imagery published by the open-source intelligence community Exilenova+ has confirmed a successful Ukrainian strike on the research and production branch of the NTC Radar scientific center in Rostov, struck overnight between May 7 and 8. According to Exilenova+, the main building was completely destroyed, while a second structure partially burned out. Two additional drone […]View the full article

U.S. President Donald Trump amplified the news within minutes, stating on social media that Iran had announced the strait “is fully open and ready for full passage.” Yet Trump simultaneously made clear that the American naval blockade of the waterway would “remain in full force” until Tehran reaches a broader agreement with Washington to end […]View the full article

Video circulating on Russian military Telegram channels shows what appears to be remotely controlled drone variants of a Shahed-type long-range attack drone, pursuing and striking Ukrainian Navy patrol boats in the Black Sea. Russian sources claim two patrol vessels were destroyed in the attacks, though the exact date of the engagement and the fate of […]View the full article

Ukrainian defense manufacturer UkrArmoTech has launched factory trials of a prototype tracked armored personnel carrier called the Skif, marking the company’s first venture into tracked armored vehicle development after establishing itself as one of Ukraine’s leading producers of wheeled armored platforms. The announcement was reported by Defense Express. For UkrArmoTech — known for wheeled armored […]View the full article