Raw Intel

Lockheed Martin Space has been awarded a $68.5 million contract modification for the Next Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared Geosynchronous program, pushing the total cumulative value of the contract to $8.2 billion. Work will be performed in Boulder, Colorado, with completion expected by August 2028. Space Systems Command at Los Angeles Air Force Base in El […]View the full article

New Zealand has identified Japan’s Mogami-class frigate and Britain’s Type 31 as the two candidates under consideration for its naval frigate replacement program, Defence Minister Judith Collins announced on May 7, 2026, putting Tokyo’s warship design in contention for a second Pacific ally’s fleet within months of Australia selecting the same platform. New Zealand Defence […]View the full article

Greece has signed an agreement to expand its fleet of Shield AI V-BAT drones for maritime surveillance operations across the Aegean Sea, the company announced June 2, deepening a partnership that has already seen the Hellenic Army deploy the systems for intelligence and reconnaissance missions across one of NATO’s most geographically complex operating environments. The […]View the full article

A Spanish defense firm has completed live flight testing of its BANDIT-X drone interceptor before military operators in Slovakia, demonstrating the full operational cycle of the system in what the company’s co-founder described as a validation milestone that separates real capability from the concept renders and commercial presentations that dominate the counter-drone industry. ARMMO Defense […]View the full article

TCOM LP, based in Columbia, Maryland, was awarded a $447 million contract by U.S. Army Contracting Command at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, to handle production, fielding, sustainment and lifecycle support for the Persistent Surveillance Systems-Tethered family of systems, an aerostat-based surveillance program the Army has relied on for more than a decade. The contract itself […]View the full article

Ukraine’s Defense Forces have added the Alexa Spatium, a jet-powered drone built to intercept small aerial, ground, and surface targets, to their arsenal, according to a Ukrainian defense outlet on Aug. 21. The turbojet-powered aircraft was developed by Ukrainian engineers specifically to counter fast, low-flying threats in combat conditions. Its primary targets are Russia’s Shahed-type […]View the full article

Good analysis by NIGHTWATCH of some events taking place in the South China Sea. Philippines-China : The Philippine military on 2 March sent two military aircraft to patrol the ocean and air space near Reed Bank, a long time Philippine-occupied territory in the South China Sea. The Philippines took the action in response to the behavior of two Chinese patrol boats which harassed a Philippine ship searching for oil, according to Philippine military commander Lieutenant General Juancho Sabban. A Philippine OV-10 aircraft and an Islander light patrol aircraft were deployed after the incident was reported, Sablan said. The Chinese boats appeared ready to ram the Phi…

Americas Bell Boeing won a maximum $36.5 million contract modification to extend the period of performance for delivery of V-22 spare consumable and depot-level repairable parts. The V-22 Osprey is a joint-service, medium-lift, multimission tilt-rotor aircraft developed by Boeing and Bell Helicopters. Boeing is responsible for the fuselage, landing gear, avionics, electrical and hydraulic systems, performance and flying qualities. The aircraft operates as a helicopter when taking off and landing vertically. The nacelles rotate 90° forward once airborne, converting the aircraft into a turboprop aircraft. Work will take place in Maryland, Texas and Pennsylvania. Estimated c…

Since 17 of our Sailors drowned in berthing after the collisions of the summer of 2017 to now - we have covered almost the time it took from the attack on Pearl Harbor to victory in Tokyo Bay ... and yet ... what have we really done? Look at the metrics. That's what I did over at USNIBlog. Come and see. 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=g3oFD2hsujQ:40ZR1PD4JA8:gIN9vFwOqvQ http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=g3oFD2hsujQ:40ZR1PD4JA8:-BTjWOF_DHI http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=g3oFD2hsujQ:40ZR1PD4JA8:V_sGLiPB…

Americas The Vanilla unmanned aircraft system has set a new world record for unrefueled, internal combustion endurance of an unmanned aircraft on October 2. The drone took off from Edwards Air Force Base and flew for 8 days, 50 minutes, and 47 seconds. The distance covered was 12,200 miles. The Vanilla is designed as a cost-effective, airborne intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance platform that can be launched immediately to provide persistent coverage. The US Army wants to perform a test launch of its Precision Strike Missile, or PrSM, later today, with the goal of seeing just how far the Lockheed Martin-made weapon can go. The launch is planned from Vandenberg …

Americas Lockheed Martin won a $13 million contract modification under the previously awarded Aegis Weapon Systems contract HQ085121C0002. This in scope modification increases the ceiling on Contract Line Item Number (CLIN) 0012. This CLIN and contract modification will be incrementally funded at time of award. Work will take place in New Jersey. Estimated completion is October 31, 2022. Boeing won a $10.8 million modification, which exercises options to procure 359 Primary Bleed Air Pressure Regulator (PBAR) valves in support of the Environmental Control System PBAR and Shut Off Valve Improvement modifications to the F/A-18 E/F and EA-18G aircraft. Work will take place …

The US military and her Commonwealth allies lost over 10,000 men killed in the Solomon Islands Campaign in WWII. Over 40 USN ships were sunk, 800 aircraft shot down. We killed almost 90,000 Japanese, sunk over 50 of her ships, and destroyed over 1,500 of her aircraft to kick her out. You should know the map and the names. How many warships do we have named after this campaign from battles to those who fought in it? How have we honored this legacy? How have we maintained this legacy? We've been reporting on our lack of stewardship in the islands of the Western Pacific for years now, and things are getting more attention, but still do not seem to be getting much better …

P-8A Poseidon (click to view full) Maritime surveillance and patrol is becoming more and more important, but the USA’s P-3 Orion turboprop fleet is falling apart. The P-7 Long Range Air ASW (Anti-Submarine Warfare) Capable Aircraft program to create an improved P-3 began in 1988, but cost overruns, slow progress, and interest in opening the […]View the full article

Americas The US Coast Guard has received a stand-in icebreaker ship to support the service’s polar cutter fleet modernization program. Handed over by Offshore Service Vessels, the MV Aiviq’s primary role is to retain the force’s presence in the Arctic until the arrival of the service’s new Polar Security Cutters by the 2030s. The $125-million deal to procure the commercially-available system was awarded to the Louisiana-based maritime company in November. After its induction, the MV Aiviq will be renamed USCGC Storis, which makes the system the second to bear the name. The US Army has chosen BAE Systems to prototype a new artillery cannon, envisioned to defend bases again…

Ukraine’s armed forces are facing a pressing need for armored vehicles capable of withstanding battlefield threats, with Ukrainian defense outlet Defense Express reporting that at least 20,000 units with STANAG 4569 Level 2 protection and around 3,000 units with Level 3 protection are required. According to the report, Level 2 armor under the NATO STANAG […] The post Ukrainian military needs 23,000 armored vehicles first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

In less than two years since launching its Collaborative Combat Aircraft program, the U.S. Department of the Air Force has flown a prototype platform, underscoring a shift in how the service develops and fields new weapon systems. The unmanned aircraft, designated YFQ-42A, was developed with General Atomics and conducted its first flight at a California […] The post U.S. Air Force prototype uncrewed fighter jet takes flight first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

What, pray tell, does one have to have to have a lead role in a FbF? Character. Today, we have the character of a strong, smart women who lived in a period of time when most women were little more than property. Another great woman who we just have a hint of what she was; I give you .Ela, Countess of Salisbury. Ela, only child of Eleanor de Vitre and William, 2nd Earl of Salisbury, from whom she inherited large estates in Wiltshire, was born (date unknown) at Amesbury. The estates, including Chitterne, had been held by Ela’s great- great-grandfather, Edward, after William the Conqueror defeated King Harold. Ela’s grandfather, Patrick, constable of Salisbury, was create…

The Brazilian Army has conducted field acceptance tests on the second prototype of its upgraded remotely operated weapon system, the UT30BR2, according to the Tecnologia & Defesa. The tests were carried out on October 9 and 16 by personnel from the Army’s Manufacturing Directorate (Diretoria de Fabricação, DF) and the War Arsenal of Rio (Arsenal […] The post Brazilian army evaluates new UT30BR2 turret on Guarani vehicle first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Kazakhstan Paramount Engineering and WSE LLP, part of the Barys Dynamics group, conducted a full-scale demonstration of the new “Terrex – Barys A” amphibious armored vehicle on November 14, 2025, showcasing its firepower, mobility, and domestic weapons integration. The live demonstration took place at the Bereg training center on the banks of the Ili River […]View the full article

Though written from a distinctly Australian perspective, there is a great article from the Australian Naval Institute, Pax Americana to Pax Sinica, that would be a great way to start your week. What I find most useful is that it efficiently outlines why, from Washington, to Brussels, to Canberra, serious people should not simply shrug their shoulders as the U.S. Navy, foolishly, has allowed itself to become the world’s #2 navy, and fading. It should give you a few strong point to respond to people who don’t want to take the time to fully understand what it would mean for the People’s Republic of China to put its stamp on the world’s oceans that have been given a uniquely …