Raw Intel

Of all the theories out there about if/when/where the People’s Republic of China may decide to claw back more territory they “lost” during their century of humiliation, there is one common thread that is there, but is not given the attention it deserves: demographics. The demographic collapse we are all about to see over the next few decades will arrive in East Asia first, then Europe. The greatest impact on the globe will be in East Asia, simply by the numbers, if nothing else. Demographics are one of those things you really cannot spin your way out of. You can’t catch up. A baby is born and reaches adulthood—or it does not. You can try to hide numbers and lie to your b…

Elbit Systems Ltd. confirmed that it will supply its Helmet Display and Tracking System (HDTS) to the Israeli Air Force for integration across the UH-60 Black Hawk, locally designated “Yanshuf,” helicopter fleet, introducing an upgraded pilot display system designed to enhance operational capability and flight safety. The adoption of the HDTS synthetic vision system addresses […]View the full article

EOS Defense Systems USA said Friday it conducted counter-unmanned aerial system (C-UAS) testing of its weapon system at N2L Range in Huntsville, Alabama. EOS said the trials were aimed at refining system performance and ensuring readiness against evolving drone threats. “Capability is proven in the field,” the company said in a statement. “EOS recently worked […]View the full article

Raytheon is moving its AMRAAM Extended Range missile into full-rate production under a new $234.8 million contract from the Department of War. The award gives Raytheon Co. of Tucson, Arizona, a not-to-exceed $234,757,000 cost-plus-fixed-fee undefinitized contract action to complete the work needed for the production transition. The contract runs through April 13, 2030, with all […]View the full article

Redwire has delivered more than 200 Penguin uncrewed aerial systems to the Ukrainian Armed Forces since 2022, the company announced in its latest social media post. The disclosure, posted by Redwire on its official social media account, marks one of the more concrete public tallies of a Western UAS platform’s operational footprint in Ukraine. More […]View the full article

America’s military campaign against Iran has been running for three months, and the Army is already writing checks to close one of the capability gaps it exposed. A $68 million contract awarded June 3, 2026, to Griffon Aerospace of Madison, Alabama, will deliver the next generation of one of the U.S. military’s most widely used […]View the full article

South Korea successfully completed a technical flight test of its domestically developed long-range air-to-ground missile Cheonryong on June 25, 2026, following two consecutive failures in January and March that forced engineers to remotely shut down the engine and ditch the prototypes in the Yellow Sea, Seoul Economic Daily reported on June 28. The test, conducted […]View the full article

A Croatian drone manufacturer has laid out an ambitious bet that Europe’s appetite for weapons it doesn’t have to import from China or the United States is only getting bigger. Orqa announced Wednesday it is scaling its annual manufacturing capacity from roughly 290,000 products today to 500,000 by the end of 2026, a jump the […]View the full article

The AC-130J Ghostrider is one of the most heavily armed aircraft in the U.S. military, a modified cargo plane converted into a gunship that circles slowly overhead and rains down precision fire on ground targets. It carries a 30 mm cannon, a 105 mm howitzer, and a mix of guided bombs and missiles, all controlled […]View the full article

Interesting. OPNAV NOTICE 5400 (PDF) from August 1st is worth a few comments. 1. Purpose. To approve the change in permanent duty station (PDS) for Carrier Strike Group (CSG) NINE per reference (a). 2. Background. Per POM-12 guidance, Navy will resource and align CSG staffs equal to the number of operational CVNs. CSG-9 will change PDS from Everett, WA to San Diego, CA and will change carrier assignment from USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN (CVN-72) to USS RONALD REAGAN (CVN-76). LINCOLN will shift homeport from Everett, WA to Newport News, VA for Refueling and Complex Overhaul in August 2012. CSG-9 will be reassigned to REAGAN, homeported in San Diego, replacing CSG-7 due …

What is duty, duty to yourself, those who work for you, your mission, those who gave you your mission, and the purpose the mission was created? How do you rack and stack these priorities? Once again, my mind went to the story of T.E. Lawrence; The next morning, 23 May, the party left Khabra` Abu Ajaj and rode northeast by north to a group of wells of `Arfajah, whereby they aimed at entering the lower Wadi Sirhan, passing over a vast, flat, empty, no-man’s land which was called Bisayt [Biseita] meaning a carpet. In the evening they came to the top of a sand ridge named Ja`ala [Jaala] and slept there peacefully. According to the maps to be mentioned later, this is exactly …

Americas Northrop Grumman won a $38 million contract modification, which increases the contract ceiling to procure an additional 173 Tech Refresh Mission Computers (TRMC) and an additional 173 TRMC trays in support of the Army’s domestic production UH-60V aircraft. The UH-60V is an upgraded version of the current UH-60L aircraft. Instead of the UH-60L’s legacy cockpit, the newer version features a fully open, digital and integrated avionics suite. The changes increase the life and mission capabilities of the UH-60 platform. Work will take place in Utah and California. Expected completion date is December 2023. The US Navy has disclosed its plan to deactivate five expedit…

Americas Rolls-Royce won a $1 billion deal, which provides intermediate, depot-level maintenance and related logistics support for approximately 210 in-service T-45 F405-RR-401 Adour engines in support of the US Navy. Work will take place in. Mississippi, Texas, Florida and Maryland. Estimated completion will be in July 2027. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) has successfully integrated the Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6 E-Series turboprop engine on the MQ-9B. “Integrating their PT6 E-Series engine onto our MQ-9B SkyGuardian® aircraft offers an alternate option for future customers that includes a 33 percent increase in power, dual channel electronic pr…

The United States' Secretary of State, Tony Blinken - again the Secretary of State - is so out of his lane right here it is hard to tell if he even knows what his lane is as our chief diplomat. This opinion of his - which in this venue is now American policy because he said it - is so firmly in the Secretary of Defense's lane that it almost defines it. Once again, where is Secretary of Defense Austin? His ongoing silence and supine posture as the Secretary of State and National Security Advisor continue to steal his lunch money and girlfriends out in the open is not just professionally embarrassing - it endangers the nation and our allies. Give it a listen. In essence he …

Americas Raytheon won a $38 million modification to previously awarded contract for an option exercise and the award of a technical refresh of DDG-1000 Class Total Ship Computing Environment Hardware in support of Zumwalt Test Facility Ship Mission Center, peripherals and spares hardware. Work will be performed in Manchester, New Hampshire; Nashua, New Hampshire; Portsmouth, […]View the full article

Iron Dome concept (click to view full) On August 16, 2011, Rafael and Raytheon announced a partnership to market the Iron Dome system in the United States. This rocket interception system developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems has an all-weather range of up to 70 km (43.5 miles). To make the system mobile, the detection/tracking radar and battle management/control parts of the system are carried on trucks, while the missile firing unit is mounted on a trailer. Then in November 2011 the Jerusalem Post reported that the US Army had expressed interest to protest its bases in Iraq and Afghanistan. South Korea is also reportedly interested. While exports remain tentative…

The U.S. Air Force’s long-serving T-1A Jayhawk training aircraft completed its final operational flight on July 28, departing from Naval Air Station Pensacola and arriving at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona. The aircraft’s destination was the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG), where it will be used for parts reclamation to support other […] The post U.S. Air Force retires T-1A Jayhawk training aircraft first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

A formation of UH-1N Iroquois helicopters flew over Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, in August 2025, underscoring the enduring presence of the Vietnam-era aircraft in one of America’s most sensitive nuclear missions. According to the U.S. Air Force, the UH-1N’s primary missions include airlifting emergency security forces, conducting surveillance of off-base nuclear weapons convoys, […] The post Legendary UH-1s continue to guard America’s nuclear arsenal first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have introduced a new logistics unit designed to deliver supplies, transport equipment, and even detonate enemy infrastructure — all without putting soldiers in harm’s way. The unit, named “Taltan,” integrates drones, robotic vehicles, and autonomous platforms into its operations to support troops in challenging environments. Created just four months ago, […] The post Israel deploys drone unit to supply frontline forces first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Sentrycs, an established developer of protocol manipulation-based counter-drone technology, and Omnisys, a specialist in mission optimization systems for defense and homeland security, have announced a strategic partnership aimed at improving how sensors are deployed across complex operational environments. According to a joint statement, the collaboration brings together Sentrycs’ passive drone detection and mitigation capabilities with […]View the full article