Raw Intel

Shashank Joshi has a good rundown of the strategic implications of the Taliban attack on PNS Mehran. The only part I'm uncertain about is this: Thirdly, the attack's terrible human toll was accompanied by the highly visible, and militarily significant, destruction of at least one, perhaps two, P-3C Orion anti-submarine and maritime surveillance aircraft (one has been destroyed; two others appear damaged). These $35m US-supplied aircraft - advanced variants of the older P-3 aircraft - were inducted last summer, with the expectation that six more would follow by 2012. Their loss compounds an already lopsided naval balance with respect to India, which now possess…

Americas BAE Systems was awarded a $58 million contract from Boeing. The deal is to start low rate initial production of the F-15 Eagle Passive Active Warning and Survivability System for the US Air Force. “The start of EPAWSS production marks a critical milestone and is a testament to the dedication and commitment of our industry team,” said Jerry Wohletz, BAE’s VP/GM of Electronic Combat Solutions, in a press statement. “Our technology is cutting-edge, our factories are world-class, and our people are innovative and mission-focused.” The all-digital system EPAWSS enables pilots to monitor, jam and deceive threats in contested airspace and combines multispectral sensors …

Americas Lockheed Martin won a $9.4 million contract modification for HELLFIRE and Joint-Air-to-Ground Missile engineering services. The AGM-114 Hellfire II is an air-to-ground missile developed primarily for the anti-armor role. It is a combat-proven tactical missile system using multiple launch platforms based on air, sea and ground. Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM) is an Army led program managed by PEO Missiles and Space, Joint Attack Munitions Systems (JAMS) Project Office. JAGM is a multi-sensor air-to-ground missile that is the successor to the combat proven HELLFIRE Romeo and HELLFIRE Longbow missiles. Work will take place in Florida. Estimated completion date i…

Want to get a more wholistic view of what is and what is not worth the investment of strategic effort, sacrifice, and investment? Follow the money. Pondering a great graphic over at USNIBlog. Come by and puzz'l your nogg'n with me for a bit. 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=M3Aa8mHvcmI:w4kkIfL0PHE:gIN9vFwOqvQ http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=M3Aa8mHvcmI:w4kkIfL0PHE:-BTjWOF_DHI http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=M3Aa8mHvcmI:w4kkIfL0PHE:V_sGLiPBpWU http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=M3Aa8mHvcmI:w4kkI…

Happy New Year everyone on The Front Porch! 2022 will be 18th year that we've been meeting together here at CDRSalamander ... come July my alter-ego will be legal to vote. Damn, time flies. So many of you I see here have been with us from the beginning. I've only had the pleasure of meeting a few of you IRL, but I do appreciate you taking time from your busy lives to visit here, see what I think you might find interesting, and add your flavor to the stew. Some of you I count as friends, and almost all friendly acquaintances. I really do appreciate all of you and enjoy our exchanges here ... even when you tell me I'm wrong. I learn more from you as a collective than anyth…

As we watch another war wage in Europe fueled to a large degree by ethnic hatred and division, we find again people who are trying to promote the same cancerous mindset in our wonderfully diverse nation and Navy. One of the primary ways to inflame sectarian tensions is to encourage separation while at the same time instituting a series of preferences and punishments - unequal treatment - based on what group you are defined as. In the zero sum game that is promotion and desirable billets that impacts income and career prospects - that's just accelerant. The Diversity Bullies' diktat makes you disconnect your critical thinking skills. The fear that the commissariat has in…

Americas The US has agreed to co-produce the Stryker armored fighting vehicle with India in an effort to enhance New Delhi’s deterrence against China. New Delhi recently submitted a letter of intent for the deal to Washington, Nikkei reported citing a US defense official. The US Air Force has announced that its B-21 Raider stealth bomber completed […]View the full article

Americas Lockheed Martin has announced the first-ever launch of a Patriot PAC-3 missile segment enhancement (MSE) interceptor using the Virtualized Aegis Weapon System. Conducted in collaboration with various US Department of Defense components, the test saw the advanced missile engage and neutralize a cruise missile target mid-flight. It utilized a ground-based MK-70 containerized launch platform from […]View the full article

Americas Boeing won a $615.8 million contract for the F-15 Eagle Passive Active Warning Survivability System full rate production. This deal provides for procurement of Group A and Group B kits, system engineering program management, and interim contractor support lay-in material. Work will be performed in St. Louis, Missouri; and Nashua, New Hampshire, and is expected to be completed by December 31, 2030. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity. Laughlin Air Force Base in Texas bid farewell to its last T-1A Jayhawk last month, as the Air Force continues its drive to retire the heavy aircraft trainer. …

Ukrainian drone operators with the Security Service’s “A” Center for Special Operations (CSO “A”) have intercepted a Russian Orion unmanned aerial vehicle in what appears to be the most advanced drone-on-drone engagement recorded to date. The intercept, reported by the Ukrainian defense outlet Militarnyi, was confirmed through video footage published by the SBU. The Orion […] The post Ukrainian drone intercepts Russian Orion first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Japan’s Ministry of Defense is considering an unprecedented move to use armored civilian vehicles as replacements for the Ground Self-Defense Force’s (GSDF) aging light armored fleet. Officials say the plan involves testing modified commercial models, including vehicles produced by major Japanese automakers, to determine their suitability for future military use. According to officials cited by […] The post Japan plans to use civilian SUVs to replace aging military vehicles first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

BAE Systems is advancing a new vision for combat air support where autonomous drones fly ahead of helicopters, identify threats, and execute electronic or kinetic strikes — a model the company says could become operational in the near term. In a recent article, Robert Merryweather, Group Technology Director at BAE Systems, outlined the company’s roadmap […] The post BAE Systems maps future where drones lead the fight first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

If you need to take a break from getting the house ready for Thanksgiving (well, I do), then I’ve got just the thing for you … a LIVE Midrats Podcast Free for All! Sunday from 5-6 pm Eastern, Mark and I will be going live to cover the national security waterfront. You can join us live at this link. If you are reading this after the show or on email, just refresh the Substack page later on Sunday night, and all the links for the recorded podcast will be here. Better yet, if you don’t already, follow one of the links on the page to subscribe to the Midrats Podcast so it is always available for you. Leave a comment Share This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new post…

History isn’t just about the past; it’s a guide for today! On this episode, we unravel the myths surrounding Pearl Harbor and what they teach us about current global tensions with returning guest, John Keuhn. Dr. John T. Kuehn is Professor of Military History at the Army Command and General Staff College. He served in the US Navy as a naval flight officer flying in EP-3s and ES-3s, retiring in 2004. He has authored or co-authored seven books and was awarded a Vandevort Prize from the Society for Military History in 2023 for his article “Zumwalt, Holloway, and the Soviet Navy Threat Leadership in a Time of Strategic, Social, and Cultural Change.” His latest book from is S…

The United Kingdom has deployed Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter jets to Qatar as part of a defensive mission in response to regional tensions, the British government said in a press release on Friday. The deployment involves 12 Squadron, the joint RAF–Qatar Emiri Air Force Typhoon unit, which has moved aircraft to the Gulf region […]View the full article

Russia’s Kalashnikov Concern presented a range of weapons and mobility systems currently in demand in combat operations in Ukraine during a defense exhibition hosted by state corporation Rostec, where company representatives demonstrated new electric military transport platforms alongside small arms and reconnaissance equipment. The presentation was shown to Rostec chief executive Sergei Chemezov as part […]View the full article

The United States Department of State has approved a series of Foreign Military Sales to Gulf countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Jordan, covering air-to-air missiles, precision-guided munitions, missile defense radars, and counter-drone systems. The approvals come amid heightened regional tensions linked to the ongoing conflict involving Iran, with Washington moving to reinforce […]View the full article

The U.S. Army and Day & Zimmermann have inaugurated a new artillery Load, Assemble, and Pack facility in Parsons, Kansas, dedicated to the production of 155mm M795 artillery projectiles. The ribbon-cutting ceremony was hosted by Maj. Gen. John T. Reim, Portfolio Acquisition Executive for Agile Sustainment and Ammunition, marking what Army officials described as a […]View the full article

The U.S. Army is evaluating a low-cost counter-drone system developed by SAIC in collaboration with Kongsberg Defence and Aerospace, installed on a Joint Light Tactical Vehicle chassis during Project Flytrap in Lithuania. The system, known as the Reconfigurable Air Defense system or RAD, is being tested as part of Project Flytrap, a counter-UAS exercise running […]View the full article

Before any American strike package enters defended enemy airspace, an EA-18G Growler goes in first to blind the radars, jam the communications, and break the targeting chain that would otherwise kill the jets behind it. The Navy invested $61 million to significantly improve that aircraft’s ears. The Naval Air Systems Command at Patuxent River Naval […]View the full article