Raw Intel

Ukraine’s military intelligence agency, the Main Directorate of Intelligence, known as HUR, said Friday that Russia has built a secret military complex of biological laboratories on an island in the Tver region, where it experiments with dangerous viruses and other pathogens on behalf of the armed forces. HUR identified the facility as the “Center for […]View the full article

Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi lodged a strong protest with Adm. Samuel Paparo, commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, on Oct. 9 over the arrest of a U.S. Marine on suspicion of robbing and killing a woman on Okinawa. The two met at Japan’s Ministry of Defense in Tokyo during Paparo’s visit, the ministry said. Koizumi […]View the full article

Singapore-based BeeX used its ALPHA underwater drone to place explosive charges on a moored sea mine and a swinging steel target and then destroy both during a closed-door mine countermeasures demonstration in the United Kingdom, the company said on Oct. 27. The one-day event, held on Sept. 17 and hosted by British defense consultancy Copper […]View the full article

This would stir thing up a bit. A leading defence expert has projected that China will attack India by 2012 to divert the attention of its own people from "unprecedented" internal dissent, growing unemployment and financial problems that are threatening the hold of Communists in that country. "China will launch an attack on India before 2012. There are multiple reasons for a desperate Beijing to teach India the final lesson, thereby ensuring Chinese supremacy in Asia in this century," Bharat Verma, editor of the Indian Defence Review, has said. Verma said the recession has "shut the Chinese exports shop", creating an "unprecedented internal social unrest" w…

AIM-120C from F-22A (click for test missile zoom) Raytheon’s AIM-120 Advanced, Medium-Range Air to Air Missile (AMRAAM) has become the world market leader for medium range air-to-air missiles, and is also beginning to make inroads within land-based defense systems. It was designed with the lessons of Vietnam in mind, and of local air combat exercises like ACEVAL and Red Flag. This DID FOCUS article covers successive generations of AMRAAM missiles, international contracts and key events from 2006 onward, and even some of its emerging competitors. One of the key lessons learned from Vietnam was that a fighter would be likely to encounter multiple enemies, and would need …

For a whole host of reasons, Australia needs a potent and numerous submarine force. Geography and potential opponents make the case pretty straight forward. It looks like they are not on a smooth path; As this is written, the head of the French naval construction company Naval Group, Pierre Eric Pommellet, is in Australia meeting federal ministers in an attempt to rescue the contract. Tragically for Australia – and for Monsieur Pommellet – not one of those ministers has the experience or competence to wrangle a successful result. Many informed commentators in France, Australia and elsewhere now expect the much-celebrated deal to be abandoned. If that happens, replacing…

Americas Triumph Gear System won a $24.3 million contract action for the repair of the pylon conversion actuator used on the V-22 aircraft. The V-22 Osprey is a joint-service, medium-lift, multimission tilt-rotor aircraft developed by Boeing and Bell Helicopters. Boeing is responsible for the fuselage, landing gear, avionics, electrical and hydraulic systems, performance and flying qualities. All work will be performed in Park City, Utah, and is expected to be completed by August 2023. Naval Supply Systems Command Weapon Systems Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity. Data from the F-15 Eagle Passive Active Warning Survivability System was analy…

From the NDAA to some rather positive words from the SECNAV on some of our favorite maritime areas of concern, so far December has produced a few positives to think about - if you don't think too much about the Army-Navy game on Saturday... This week's Midrats free for all will start here and then we'll work our way around the national security landscape. As always, open topic, open phones ... so come join us for the conversation Sunday from 5-6pm Eastern. Join us live if you can, but it not, you can get the show later by subscribing to the podcast. If you use iTunes, you can add Midrats to your podcast list simply by clicking the iTunes button at the main showpage - or y…

Americas General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI) has teamed with EDGE to integrate smart weapons into the MQ-9B SkyGuardian aerial drone. The partnership will see the Abu Dhabi company’s precision-guided and guided-glide munitions integrated into the unmanned system for increased firepower. The BETA Technologies Alia electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft marked a historic […]View the full article

Americas Lockheed Martin won a $79 million contract. This contract procures diminishing manufacturing sources parts required for the production and sustainment in of the F-35 aircraft for the Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy, Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customers, and non-US Department of Defense (DOD) participants. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas, and is […]View the full article

Americas Performance Drone Works (PDW) has received more than $15.3 million in contracts to deliver its proprietary C100 small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS) to the US Army. The drones will support the force’s posture across high-profile theaters, according to the Alabama-based company, with most to be distributed across the Indo-Pacific, European, and Central Command areas of responsibility. The “game-changing” capabilities are expected to provide medium-range reconnaissance and tactical air support. Raytheon has been awarded a $401.2 million full-rate production contract by the US Navy for 131 Block V Tomahawk missiles. As part of the contract, 26 missiles will be deliv…

Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) has taken a major step toward exporting its domestically developed supersonic jet trainer, HÜRJET, to Europe through a newly signed strategic partnership with Airbus. The agreement, which outlines plans to deliver up to 30 HÜRJET aircraft to Spain, was formalized during the 17th International Defense Industry Fair (IDEF) in Istanbul. According […] The post Spain to buy 30 Turkish Hürjet jet trainers first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

At U.S. Marine Corps Base Quantico last week, Global Military Products and Polaris Government and Defense joined a live-fire event showcasing the Scorpion Light mobile mortar system, also known internationally as the Alakran. The demonstration took place during the Marine Gunners Symposium and was observed by a group of Marine gunners. The Scorpion Light system, […] The post U.S. Marine Corps tests Scorpion light mortar system first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Spain has launched a sweeping modernization of its military aviation capabilities, approving a five-year, €3.7 billion ($4.3 billion) funding plan that includes new training aircraft, transport platforms, and helicopters. The plan, announced in a royal decree published in the official state gazette on September 24, will direct substantial contracts to Airbus as the lead contractor […] The post Spain to buy up to 45 Turkish-made jet trainers first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Castelion, a U.S. defense startup developing affordable long-range weapons, announced Friday that it has secured integration contracts with both the U.S. Army and Navy for its new hypersonic strike system, known as Blackbeard. In a company statement, Castelion said it will collaborate with both services to integrate the Blackbeard weapon onto operational platforms and conduct […] The post U.S. startup wins contracts for hypersonic strike weapon first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

NVO Praktika, a Ukrainian manufacturer of armored military and specialized vehicles, has signed a memorandum on industrial cooperation with Spain’s Tecnove and Escribano Mechanical & Engineering. As noted by the Ukrainian side, the cooperation establishes joint production in Spain of armored 4×4 vehicles, fire-support platforms, and specialized equipment based on Praktika’s designs and Tecnove’s manufacturing […]View the full article

The United States Army is taking early steps to modernize and sustain its UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter fleet, signaling plans to keep the platform in service well beyond mid-century as operational demands and technology continue to evolve. According to the Army, the Capability Program Executive Aviation, working through its Utility Helicopters Project Office, has issued […]View the full article

Russia has used export-version surface-to-air missiles intended for foreign customers to strike ground targets in Ukraine, according to an investigation published Friday by Defense Express. Fragments recovered after recent strikes show that Russia fired 48N6E2 missiles, an export variant of the long-range interceptor used by the S-300PMU2 Favorit and S-400 air defense systems. As reported […]View the full article

Lithuania has begun construction of a new rail connection to the Rudninkai military training area to improve troop and equipment transport in support of a German brigade deployment, the Lithuanian Ministry of National Defence announced in February 2026. The project is intended to accelerate military mobility and ensure reliable movement of forces and heavy equipment […]View the full article

The United States Navy has awarded General Dynamics Electric Boat a $15.38 billion contract modification to support the Columbia-class ballistic missile submarine program, including design work, lead yard support, and industrial base development. According to the U.S. Department of War, the award covers additional Columbia-class submarine design activities, class lead yard support, sustainment, and integrated […]View the full article