Raw Intel

Russia’s state defense conglomerate Rostec says its Su-57 Felon fifth-generation fighter has completed its first flight using a new fifth-generation engine, known as “izdeliye 177,” marking what the company describes as a new phase in testing for the aircraft. According to a statement from Rostec, the United Aircraft Corporation and United Engine Corporation have begun […]View the full article

The United States Air Force conducted Exercise Dragon Shield at Beale Air Force Base, California, in 2026, testing the ability of maintenance units to launch and recover U-2 Dragon Lady aircraft under simulated contested conditions, the service said in a released update. The exercise focused on the 9th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron (AMXS), which was tasked […]View the full article

The United States Army awarded Lockheed Martin Corp a $43,5 million contract modification on Feb. 20, 2026, supporting product assurance and launcher recapitalization for the PATRIOT Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) air and missile defense system, according to an official contract announcement. The modification increases the total cumulative value of the contract to $223 million. The award […]View the full article

The Israel Defense Forces said its Air Force, guided by naval and military intelligence, carried out strikes on Iranian Navy assets in the Caspian Sea, targeting missile ships and related infrastructure at a naval port in Iran. The operation marked the first such strike in the Caspian Sea since the start of Operation “Roar of […]View the full article

Northrop Grumman and the U.S. Air Force are accelerating development of the LGM-35A Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile, with the program now targeting a first flight test in 2027 and initial operational capability in the early 2030s. The Sentinel program is intended to replace the Minuteman III, the aging ground-based leg of America’s nuclear triad that […]View the full article

Ukraine’s defense forces struck a Russian missile corvette in the Caspian Sea overnight on May 7, hitting a Karakurt-class vessel capable of launching Kalibr cruise missiles at its base in Kaspiysk, Republic of Dagestan, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine announced. “In the area of the basing point ‘Kaspiysk’ (Kaspiysk, Republic of […]View the full article

Lockheed Martin opened a purpose-built missile production facility in Courtland, Alabama on Monday dedicated entirely to manufacturing the Next Generation Interceptor, the missile that will eventually replace the aging Ground-Based Interceptors currently guarding the United States against ballistic missile attack from Alaska and California. The 88,000-square-foot Missile Assembly Building 5 represents a concrete physical step […]View the full article

Ukraine is on the verge of test-launching its first domestically produced long-range ballistic missile capable of striking Moscow, the founder of the company building it said in a rare on-camera interview filmed inside one of the firm’s production facilities, according to the Ukrainian YouTube channel Pressing. Denys Shtilerman, chief designer and co-founder of Fire Point, […]View the full article

Raytheon, the RTX-owned defense manufacturer based in Andover, Massachusetts, announced that the U.S. Navy awarded it a $1.8 billion contract extension for hardware production and sustainment of the SPY-6 family of radars, building on an initial contract the company received in March 2022. The extension carries options that, if the Navy exercises all of them, […]View the full article

Ukrainian drone maker Airlogix has agreed to establish a joint venture with Finnish technology company Innokas in Finland, Oboronka reported, citing a company statement. Airlogix Chief Financial Officer Oleksandr Androshchuk and Innokas CEO Janne Kostamo signed a letter of intent at the DALO Industry Days 2026 defense exhibition in Denmark. The planned production facility would […]View the full article

I put this FbF up every few years, last time was 2016, because it simply is a great story that makes you think anew every time you read it. Enjoy...and ponder Training. Drills. PMS. PQS. Attention to detail. Do you do just the minimum, or do you ask for extra time to get it better and better? Do you train and inspect hard? How many times have you gone through different scenarios with your crew? Do all your watch standers know how critical their position and responsibility is? From the OOD to the YN3 on the 50cal.; do they appreciate that they are as important as the Commanding Officer? Discipline. Discipline and obedience in the time of stress, strain, and unimagina…

Well, at least they have a full scale static display; The German defense ministry has forwarded a request to lawmakers seeking approval for almost 4,5 billion euros, or $5.3 billion, that would pay for the country’s contributions to the next stage of the Future Combat Air System. Lawmakers on the Bundestag’s Budget and Defense committees are scheduled to consider the request next week. It covers a collection of research and technology-development activities, collectively dubbed phases 1B and 2, between 2021 and 2027. During that time, officials want to begin regular test flights with a demonstrator, constructed under the auspices of France’s Dassault Aviation. I am…

Americas Sikorsky won a $676.7 million deal for the supply chain management that includes 196 weapon replaceable assemblies/shop replaceable assemblies in support of the CH-53E and MH-53E helicopters. The contract will include a five-year base period with one two-year option. If the option is exercised, the contract will be a not-to-exceed amount of $752,324,052. Work will be performed in North Carolina Connecticut. Work is expected to be completed by December 2027. Bell-Boeing won a $18 million deal, which provides technical analysis, engineering, and integration support for the V-22 aircraft program. Work will be performed in Texas and Pennsylvania and is expected to b…

Americas Bell Boeing won a $12.3 million deal for CMV-22B Osprey deployment support. This was a sole-source acquisition using justification 10 US Code 2304 (c)(1), as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. This is a one-year base contract with no option periods. Locations of performance are Texas and Pennsylvania, with a November 30, 2024, performance […]View the full article

Americas Airbus US Space & Defense Inc., Arlington, Virginia won a $315,043,393 modification for UH-72 Lakota contractor logistics support and engineering services. Work will be performed in Grand Prairie, Texas, with an estimated completion date of December 31, 2025. Fiscal 2025 operation and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $85,621,324 were obligated at the time of the award. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity. The US Navy has declared initial operational capability (IOC) for the Next-Generation Jammer Mid-Band (NGJ-MB) system, taking a major step in providing the E/A-18 Growler an edge in electromagnetic spectru…

Türkiye and Indonesia have formally concluded a defense agreement for the procurement and local production of KAAN fighter jets. The Defense Industry Agency of Türkiye (Savunma Sanayii Başkanlığı) announced the signing of the commercial contract with Indonesia’s Ministry of Defense during the IDEF 2025 defense exhibition in Istanbul. The agreement covers the delivery of 48 […] The post Indonesia to buy 48 KAAN fighter jets first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

BAE Systems Information and Electronic Warfare Systems, based in Hudson, New Hampshire, has been awarded a $1,7 billion contract for the production and delivery of Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II (APKWS) rounds, the Pentagon announced. According to the Department of Defense, the contract covers up to 55,000 APKWS units under Full Rate Production Lots […] The post Pentagon awards $1.74B contract for APKWS rockets first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Raytheon Co. has been awarded a not-to-exceed $161 million deal to an existing contract to support expanded production and modernization of the AIM-9X air-to-air missile, a weapon central to U.S. and allied air defense capabilities. The modification to an existing contract, which includes support for Ukraine, calls for development and qualification of a new warhead, […] The post New AIM-9X missile upgrade deal includes weapons support for Ukraine first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Ground Force (PLAGF) has begun fielding a new short-range air defense system, believed to be designated HQ-13, as part of a modernization effort to equip frontline units with mobile, autonomous interception capabilities. Footage released by CCTV shows the system in operational use by an air defense company assigned to the […] The post China fields new short-range air defense system first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Full-scale mock-ups of foreign-made air defense systems resembling the S-300 and HQ-9 were seen during the Resolute Hunter 26-1 exercise at Naval Air Station Fallon, Nevada, on November 10, 2025. The decoys appeared in desert-pattern camouflage commonly associated with Iranian forces. According to a statement: “During Resolute Hunter, 1st Radio Battalion, I Marine Expeditionary Force […]View the full article