Raw Intel

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…

The U.S. Navy is asking industry for ideas on a replacement for the Evolved SeaSparrow Missile, the ship-defense weapon used by a dozen NATO navies to shoot down anti-ship missiles and aircraft. The Naval Sea Systems Command posted a sources sought notice on Aug. 20 seeking companies capable of designing, building, and supporting what the […]View the full article

Americas Honeywell International won a $25.7 million deal for the manufacture of four parts associated with the wheels and brakes used in support of the F/A-18 aircraft. This contract includes a three-year base period with no options. F/A-18 Hornet became the nation’s first all-weather fighter and attack aircraft, and was designed for traditional strike applications such as interdiction and close air support without compromising its fighter capabilities. The F/A-18 A-D is employed in Marine Corps fighter attack squadrons, US Navy and Marine Corps Reserve squadrons, the Navy Flight Demonstration Team (Blue Angles), and various other fleet support roles. F/A-18E/F Super Ho…

We've spent a long time here and on Midrats discussing the almost criminal neglect of the "unsexy but important" parts of our maritime national security infrastructure by our uniformed and civilian leadership over the last three decades. It goes beyond the wholesale destruction of our base, shipyard, and repair facilities. Over and above our under-resourced auxiliaries from ice breakers to command ships. We have a moribund merchant marine, almost non-existent war reserve, and our repair facilities are so incredibly delicate they cannot meet the well planned peace time repairs, much less any realistic wartime requirements. And yet ... we continue to mindless drift in histo…

Americas The Air Force awarded Canadian Commercial a $70 million deal for the Wescam Aggregate Services Plan. This contract provides for the continuation of contractor logistics support for the three configurations of L-3 Communications/Wescam MX Electro/Optical Infrared (EO/IR) Sensor System line replaceable units installed on the AC-130U/W/J. The AC-130U Spooky is the third generation of C-130 gunships. All gunships evolved from the first operational gunship, the AC-47, to the AC-119, and then the AC-130A which was the basis for the modern C-130 Hercules gunship. Work under the contract will take place in Florida and New Mexico. Estimated completion date is December 31,…

Americas Lockheed Martin won an $8 million order, which exercises an option to procure diminishing manufacturing sources, to include lamp module assemblies and filter packs in support of the operation of F-35 ProSim Projectors for non-Department of Defense (DOD) participants and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customers. Work will be performed in Wolverhampton, United Kingdom; and […]View the full article

Americas Austal won an $8 million deal to provide advance planning, material procurement, and accomplishment of work for emergent availabilities in support of the littoral combat ship USS Kingsville (LCS 36). This effort is to develop and provide planning, engineering support, planning and logistics technical documentation, funds and man-hour expenditure data, projected costs, cost estimates, […]View the full article

Americas The United States on Monday unveiled almost $6 billion in military and budget aid for Ukraine, as Washington races to provide assistance before Donald Trump takes office next month. The imminent return of Trump, who has repeatedly criticized aid for Ukraine, has cast doubt on American support continuing at similar levels as under outgoing President Joe Biden. With Trump’s swearing in just three weeks away, only a limited time window remained for billions of dollars in already authorized assistance to be disbursed. Raytheon won a $31 million modification, which increases the contract ceiling to procure long lead hardware for recertification and modernization of 25…

Thailand and Cambodia exchanged heavy artillery fire on Friday as a rapidly intensifying border conflict entered its second day. The Royal Thai Army reported shelling in multiple areas, including Ubon Ratchathani and Surin provinces, and confirmed it had launched strikes in response to attacks from Cambodian forces. According to a statement from Thailand’s Second Army […] The post Thailand deploys tanks, jets in border showdown first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The U.S. Air Force has released new images of its OA-1K Skyraider II in training, highlighting progress by the 492nd Special Operations Wing as the aircraft continues to log flying hours in formal instruction. The OA-1K Skyraider II serves as a cost-effective, crewed platform designed to support special operations personnel in austere and geographically isolated […] The post U.S. Air Force showcases OA-1K in special ops training first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The transition from Dassault’s Mirage 2000 fighter jet to the Rafale is accelerating worldwide as nations phase out older fleets in favor of the French company’s most advanced multirole aircraft, Dassault Aviation CEO Éric Trappier told French lawmakers on September 24. Speaking before the National Assembly, Trappier highlighted that several countries — including India, Qatar, […] The post Dassault chief: Customers want Rafale first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Textron Aviation is promoting its AT-6 Wolverine as a purpose-built aircraft to counter long-range one-way attack drones, such as the Iranian-designed Shahed-136, which have been used extensively in Ukraine, Israel, and Saudi Arabia. These drones, launched in large numbers, have challenged the effectiveness and economics of existing air defense systems. Military forces in both Ukraine […] The post Textron pitches AT-6 Wolverine as drone interceptor first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

General Electric has received a contract valued at $9.7 million for the procurement of initial provisioning spares and consumables for the F110-GE-129 engine. The U.S. Air Force Lifecycle Management Center awarded the contract on November 18, 2025. According to the Department of War, the contract supports a Foreign Military Sales (FMS) requirement for the Bulgarian […]View the full article

Airbus Helicopters says it has reached a new stage in the Tiger Mid Life Upgrade (MLU) program with the activation of a full-scale ground test facility designed to reduce risk ahead of flight testing planned for 2026. According to a statement from Airbus Helicopters, the newly activated “Helicopter 0” test bed reproduces the complete Tiger […]View the full article