Raw Intel

The United States Navy has awarded General Dynamics Electric Boat a $15.38 billion contract modification to support the Columbia-class ballistic missile submarine program, including design work, lead yard support, and industrial base development. According to the U.S. Department of War, the award covers additional Columbia-class submarine design activities, class lead yard support, sustainment, and integrated […]View the full article

Satellite images published Tuesday provide the first visual confirmation that the April 11 fire at Russia’s Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aviation Plant — known as KnAAZ — caused significant structural damage to the workshop responsible for manufacturing the composite airframe components of the Su-57 Felon stealth fighter. The images, released by the OSINT group Exilenova+, show multiple roof […]View the full article

Two foreign drones crossed from Russia into Latvian airspace overnight and crashed in the Latgale region in the early hours of May 7, with one striking an oil storage facility in Rezekne and igniting a fire that emergency services extinguished before dawn. Latvia’s State Police confirmed that operational services at the oil storage facility on […]View the full article

A Netherlands-based command and control platform led one of four competing teams at NATO’s largest counter-drone interoperability exercise in May, fusing sensor data from 13 countries into a single operational picture and receiving an official certification from NATO’s communications agency confirming it successfully connected with 46 separate counter-drone nodes across two tiers of the alliance’s […]View the full article

Raytheon has secured a $1.1 billion contract modification to produce nearly 2,000 AIM-9X Sidewinder air-to-air missiles for the U.S. Navy, Army, Air Force, and foreign military customers, cementing the latest production lot of America’s premier short-range dogfight missile as global demand continues to outpace manufacturing capacity. The contract, awarded to Raytheon’s Tucson, Arizona facility and […]View the full article

Ukraine has turned its signature long-range kamikaze drone into something considerably more dangerous: a standoff strike platform. The outlet Oboronka reported that its correspondent, present at the Farnborough International Airshow in the United Kingdom, saw an An-196 Liutyi drone displayed on a Ukrainian stand carrying four missiles mounted beneath its airframe, a configuration that would […]View the full article

Saab has released the first public look at its concept for a Collaborative Combat Aircraft, an unmanned fighter designed to fly alongside crewed jets. The video shows an aircraft marked A3-01, featuring a delta-wing design, a single jet engine, and two intakes positioned on either side of the fuselage. The airframe shows visible attention to […]View the full article

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