Raw Intel

A British-made Terrahawk Paladin short-range air-defense system has appeared in service with Ukraine’s 156th Air Defense Missile Regiment, marking the first confirmed sighting of the platform on the battlefield. The system, mounted on a MAN HX chassis, was originally promised to Ukraine in 2023 and is designed to counter unmanned aerial threats that continue to […]View the full article

Russia’s Airborne Forces have begun testing a new multifunctional ground robotic platform known as the Omich-2, a system designed by engineers in the city of Omsk and intended for transport, evacuation, and potential combat support roles. The Omich-2 is described as an optionally piloted unmanned ground system with a total weight of about 650 kilograms […]View the full article

India is set to publicly unveil its Long Range Hypersonic Anti-Ship Missile (LRAShM) during the Republic Day parade on January 26, marking the first official presentation of the country’s longest-range hypersonic strike weapon developed for maritime operations. The missile, formally known as the Long Range Anti-Ship Missile, is a boost-glide hypersonic system developed by the […]View the full article

China’s AVIC Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group has officially presented a new vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) unmanned aerial vehicle known as the Yunying (Cloud Shadow in Chinese), a tail-sitter drone featuring a ducted-fan design closely resembling the V-BAT system developed by U.S. company Shield AI. The Yunying-25V UAV was officially showcased during the 2026 CCTV […]View the full article

Ukrainian long-range one-way attack drones struck two major aviation facilities in Russia in recent days, targeting the Aviastar aircraft plant in Ulyanovsk and the 123rd Aircraft Repair Plant in Staraya Russa. The attacks come as Ukraine continues efforts to disrupt Russia’s military aviation production and maintenance capacity, focusing on facilities linked to transport aircraft and […]View the full article

A ground-based launcher, described as a so-called “FrankenSAM” and armed with R-77 medium-range air-to-air missiles, has been spotted in the Russian city of Oryol, about 100 miles from the Ukrainian border, according to the Ukrainian publication Militarny. Photographs of the launcher show it configured with four R-77 air-to-air missiles, each mounted on aviation-style pylons attached […]View the full article

Raytheon has landed its largest single order to date for the SharpSight surveillance radar, a 120-unit contract awarded by Blue Raven that the company says signals strong global demand for a system it is now ramping up to produce in bulk. The contract, announced by Raytheon (an RTX business), pairs the radar manufacturer with Blue […]View the full article

Canada’s Royal Canadian Navy will equip its next generation of warships with the same submarine-hunting sonar system that the British Royal Navy operates, after Thales Canada secured a contract from Lockheed Martin Canada to supply the S2087 towed array sonar for the future River-class destroyers. The award makes Canada the 20th navy worldwide to select […]View the full article

I don’t know about you, but I really want to hear your garden-variety journalist read this from the teleprompter. Türkiye will host a NATO Summit in Ankara on 7- 8 July 2026. The meeting will be chaired by the NATO Secretary General and will take place at the Beştepe Presidential Compound (T.C. Cumhurbaşkanlığı Külliyesi) in Ankara, Türkiye. As we stand by for the summit, I am going to watch who writes “Turkey” like a proper English speaker, or “Türkiye” like a compromised low-T drone scared of its shadow. OK, enough of me being unserious and petty. Let’s dive into the important things. If you don’t have a NATO background, you might not be anticipating much, but that woul…

Lockheed Martin unveiled a new, cheaper version of its Patriot air defense interceptor at the Farnborough International Airshow, announcing that the PAC-3 Adapted Capability Effector, known as PAC-3 ACE, will cost less than half as much per unit as the missile it’s designed to complement, the PAC-3 MSE, which runs roughly $4 million per round […]View the full article

In my unending attempt to keep a well-rounded and diverse information flow, I was bouncing around and came across this quote from The West Australian. Privately, US officials are also alarmed at the protection levels of Australian bases, including HMAS Stirling and RAAF Base Darwin, where significant numbers of US personnel and military assets will be operating. Earlier this month a conservative and influential Trump-aligned think tank urged Australia to spend billions buying US-made missile interceptors to defend key bases from Chinese military attack. “At least three THAAD batteries and hundreds of interceptors to defend key bases, such as RAAF Base Darwin, from PLA att…

Marine Corps attack and utility helicopters are getting more secure links to share battlefield data with other aircraft, ships, and ground units. The U.S. Navy awarded Northrop Grumman a $34.4 million contract modification to build additional Link 16 kits for the UH-1Y Venom and AH-1Z Viper helicopters, according to a Department of War contract announcement. […]View the full article

The U.S. Army will brief defense companies in Huntsville, Alabama, on Oct. 27-28 about its plans for a new short-range air defense system built on a pallet that can be loaded onto almost any vehicle, giving light and fast-moving units their own protection against drones, helicopters and attack aircraft. The industry day covers Maneuver-Short Range […]View the full article

An armed, reusable drone that fires 40 mm grenades and 12-gauge shotgun rounds and then flies back to be reloaded has been cleared for purchase and use across the U.S. military, after Skyborne Technologies’ Cerberus MI was added to the U.S. Department of War’s Blue UAS Cleared List, the company announced on Oct. 26, 2026. […]View the full article

The following review by Elise Cooper is an exclusive for BlackFive readers. You can read all of our book reviews by clicking here or on the Books category: Dale Brown’s latest book, Tiger’s Claw , proves once again that he is able to bring to life a thrilling and dramatic story that could be in the headlines in the near future. Currently China is in a position to challenge America militarily, economically, and politically. After reading Tiger’s Claw people might understand how the Chinese-American rivalry will play out. The plot starts out with a powerful China and a US weakened by an economic downfall. After China launches its first successful test of…

There is a moment when even a prisoner sees an opportunity to contribute to the war. Considering the nightmarish conditions experienced by prisoners of Imperial Japan faced in WWII ... the quiet bravery here is gobsmacking; A shipyard is a massive and highly complex industrial system. In 1943, before the age of computer automation, the basic production process could be roughly summarized as follows. A marine engineer would design, in blueprint form, drawings of a ship’s components. These parts would then be rendered into wooden moulds or templates that could be used to trace out the shape of each part on thick steel plate, which would guide the acetylene torches used t…

They are ugly, boring, quiet, sedentary, misunderstood, ignored, disrespected ... yet in crisis - surprises & terrifies everyone. They are also something we need to be ready to use immediately if we are serious about confronting China. I'm pondering things that go bump in the night over at USNIBlog. Come by and ponder 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=Qs8UOVkwgLs:tEqoTjxpyvk:gIN9vFwOqvQ http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=Qs8UOVkwgLs:tEqoTjxpyvk:-BTjWOF_DHI http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAF…

Americas Raytheon won a $3 billion contract for F-15 Radar Eagle Vision. This contract provides for the production, modernization and support of the F-15 APG-82 radar system to rapidly deliver and stay aligned with the F-15 weapon system program. According To Raytheon, the APG-82(V)1 AESA radar is the latest radar advancement for the US Air Force F-15E fleet and optimizes the F-15E jets multirole mission capability. Additionally, with its extensive range and advanced multi-target track and precision engagement capabilities, the APG-82(V)1 offers enhancement in system reliability over the APG-70 radar. Work will take place in California. Expected completion date is June 8,…

Americas Rolls Royce won a $9.3 million deal for Virginia Class submarine propulsors. The deal shall provide a maximum of seven Virginia Class propulsor rotor assemblies, scoop bar sets, and associated engineering support services. The Virginia Class attack submarine is the US Navy’s newest undersea warfare platform and incorporates the latest in stealth, intelligence gathering and weapons systems technology. Work will take place in Mississippi and Massachusetts. Expected completion will be by May 2025. Boeing won a $391.4 million deal for up to five CH-47F renew aircraft. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. The CH-47 is an American twin-engined, tand…

Americas The US Air Force’s 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron has started to paint their WC-130J Hurricane Hunters back to the original shiny gray paint scheme and the first repainted aircraft returned back to Keesler Air Force Base on April 5. “Prior to 2007, the squadron’s aircraft all had glossy gray paint, which was used on weather reconnaissance aircraft, primarily for its durability, longevity, and efficiency,” said Lt. Col. Erik Olson, 53rd WRS director of operations. Martin Defense Group LLC won a $15 million deal for the development of an Amphibious Vehicle for Unmanned Surface Mobility (AVUSM). This contract provides for technology development and maturation…