Raw Intel

Russian forces are adopting a new infantry doctrine that places greater reliance on drones and robotic systems due to manpower challenges, according to an analysis by the DeepState OSINT project in cooperation with the Telegram channel Mannerheims son. The report said the Russian military is increasingly turning to unmanned ground systems, loitering munitions, and heavy […] The post Russia adopts new infantry doctrine amid manpower strain first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

One of Britain’s leading defense analysts has called for a sweeping reform of the Army Reserve and a substantial increase in the size of the British Army, warning that the current structure leaves the country unprepared for future conflicts. Writing on his X page, defense commentator Nicholas Drummond argued that the Reserve is being used […] The post U.K. needs 90,000 regular personnel and 30,000 reservists, analyst warns first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Russia has conducted a new test of its nuclear-powered cruise missile known as Burevestnik, or SSC-X-9 “Skyfall” in NATO designation, President Vladimir Putin confirmed following a briefing with Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov. According to Gerasimov, the test took place on October 21 and saw the missile cover 14,000 kilometers over a 15-hour […] The post Russia tests nuclear-powered cruise missile first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The Estonian Ministry of Defense said Monday that six new K9 “Thunder” self-propelled howitzers have arrived in the country as part of Estonia’s ongoing effort to expand its long-range artillery capabilities and strengthen its defense posture. The systems, produced in South Korea by Hanwha Defence, are being integrated into Estonia’s growing artillery fleet as regional […]View the full article

The United States Air Force has officially designated YFQ-48A as the Mission Design Series for Northrop Grumman’s Project Talon, a semi-autonomous prototype aircraft developed under the Collaborative Combat Aircraft program. According to an Air Force announcement, the assignment of the YFQ-48A designation represents a key step in the service’s effort to field next-generation semi-autonomous aircraft […]View the full article

The United Kingdom has selected seven defense companies to develop prototype uncrewed aircraft that will operate alongside Apache attack helicopters, advancing a British Army program aimed at integrating autonomous systems into frontline aviation operations. The UK Ministry of Defence confirmed that the companies were invited to the next stage of Project NYX, a program designed […]View the full article

Two United States defense companies have announced a new maritime security partnership aimed at protecting offshore energy and shipping operations in the Gulf of America, according to a public statement promoted by Polaris Media. The agreement brings together South Carolina-based marine autonomy specialist Janus Marine & Defense LLC and New Mexico-based RF systems contractor Raven […]View the full article

The British Army is beginning the retirement of its Land Rover fleet after 70 years of service, with thousands of vehicles set to be phased out over the coming months under a plan announced by the Ministry of Defence. According to the BBC, the withdrawal will be managed in line with Army demand, while work […]View the full article

A Japanese defense technology startup has begun offering a domestically produced fixed-wing drone, with a unit cost of approximately 70,000 yen — roughly $450 at current exchange rates. JISDA, formally known as Japan Integrated Security Design Agency and headquartered in Tokyo’s Chiyoda Ward, announced the availability of the ACM-01 “Shiraha” on April 14, 2026, positioning […]View the full article

Iranian forces attacked three U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyers transiting the Strait of Hormuz on May 7 with missiles, drones, and small boats, and U.S. forces struck back, hitting Iranian missile and drone launch sites, command and control locations, and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance nodes. U.S. Central Command announced that USS Truxtun (DDG 103), USS Rafael […]View the full article

A Ukrainian defense technology company has unveiled a heavy quadcopter drone designed specifically for satellite-controlled strikes, precision minelaying, and logistics resupply at ranges and from positions that conventional radio-controlled drones cannot reach, delivering a capability that Ukrainian frontline units requested directly as the nature of drone warfare on their front evolved in ways that ground-based […]View the full article

RENK America, the Muskegon-based subsidiary of German defense giant RENK Group AG, announced June 26 that the Army Contracting Command at Detroit Arsenal had awarded the company a new five-year production contract for its HMPT 800 hydromechanical transmission. The deal is the fourth consecutive multi-year contract in the same series, meaning the Army has now […]View the full article

A congressman whose own military career started at Fort Campbell has had four of his ideas written into the bill that funds and governs the entire U.S. military for the next year. Rep. Matt Van Epps, a Tennessee Republican representing the state’s 7th District, announced Wednesday that four of his amendments were included in the […]View the full article

Back during the previous Cold War, we knew that range was life. We had a heavy fighter in the F-14 built around a beast (for its day) of an air-to-air missile, the AIM-54C Phoenix with its 99.4 nautical mile (nm) range. A few years ago, we found a stopgap with a modified SM-6 called the AIM-174B Gunslinger, but it wasn’t quite what we needed in the long term—though it did get us 150+ nm. Via Carter Johnson at Naval News: The U.S. Navy’s newest air-to-air missile, the AIM-424 Malice…is capable of hitting targets over 250 nautical miles (463 kilometers) away, leveraging a 13.5″ diameter and aerodynamic profile that appears to have been built for range. That range would exce…

ScanEagle launch (click to view full) ScanEagle’s base Insight UAV platform was originally developed by Washington state’s Insitu, Inc. to track dolphins and tuna from fishing boats, in order to ensure that the fish you buy in supermarkets is “dolphin-safe”. It turns out that the same characteristics needed by fishing boats (able to handle salt water environments, low infrastructure launch and recovery, small size, 20-hour long endurance, automated flight patterns) are equally important for naval operations from larger vessels, and for battlefield surveillance. A partnership with Boeing took ScanEagle to market in those fields, and the USMC’s initial buy in 2004 was the…

Americas Sikorsky won a $735.9 million modification, which increases the scope for nine Lot Five low rate initial production CH-53K heavy-lift aircraft and associated aircraft, programmatic and logistical support. The Lot 5 contract contains an option for Lot 6 award for another nine helicopters. While each helicopter cost $97.6 million under the Lot 5 contract, the price will decrease to $94.7 under Lot 6. Work will take place in Connecticut, Kansas, Utah, Missouri, West Virginia, Washington, Canada, the UK, Wisconsin and Florida. Estimated completion date will be in December 2024. A Canadian board of inquiry has released its report into the crash of a CH-148 off Greece…

Americas General Dynamics won a $269 million contract for lead yard support and development studies and design efforts related to Virginia Class submarines. The Virginia Class new attack submarine is an advanced stealth multimission nuclear-powered submarine for deep ocean anti-submarine warfare and shallow water operations. Work will take place in North Carolina and Virginia. Estimated completion date is October 16, 2022. Boeing won a $14.5 million contract modification, which adds scope to provide test and engineering support necessary to complete the development of the Next Gen Jammer-Mid Band system in support of the phased replacement of the AN/ALQ-99 Tactical Jammi…

A little different topic this Fullbore Friday as ... I want to make you mad. I won't be subtle or clever here ... thanks to a simple tweet from The Other Sal, I am just going to hit you right in the forehead with it. Here we are at the dawn of 2022 and all over the spectrum of American maritime "thought leaders" from the SECNAV, CNO, Congress, and ostensibly pro-Navy institutions - we have excuses, squid-ink cover stories, and simple defeatism flavored with a machoistic lust for decline. Decline is a choice, and bullsh1t to all that. We are a maritime and aerospace power by geography, economy, and national interest even if those who are trusted to maintain and leverage t…

Sunday evening, the first pics came out of the Russian Black Sea Fleet flagship, the Slava Class cruiser Moskva. As we know this Monday AM ... this is her. No photoshop or spoof. If you need to brush up on your RECCE: Good news here is that as you can see in the green rectangle above, the life rafts have been deployed. As there were almost 500 Sailors assigned to her, that may be a secondary indication, along with the good weather, that those not killed on impact or in the following fire and secondaries were most likely able to get off the ship and as such, loss of life less. More to follow on that I hope. I'm sorry, I don't care what nation's flag they fly under; once…

The legal system works at the speed of smell, but we are getting closer to what may be one of the most important civil rights cases to come in front of the Supreme Court in the last half century. There are new readers coming to CDRSalamander every day, so once again let me set the foundation. The cornerstones are rather simple but essential for our wondrously polyglot experimental republic to survive; persons deserve to be judged as individuals; individuals deserve equal opportunity; people deserve to be judged by the content of their character, not the color of their skin; no favor should be given to nor ill-favor placed on any person based on something they can do nothi…