Raw Intel

KC-135: Old as the hills… (click to view full) DID’s FOCUS articles cover major weapons acquisition programs – and no program is more important to the USAF than its aerial tanker fleet renewal. In January 2007, the big question was whether there would be a competition for the USA’s KC-X proposal, covering 175 production aircraft […]View the full article

Fears of a potential Russian military campaign against NATO’s eastern flank by 2027 have gained renewed attention across Europe. But Lithuanian-based security expert Darius Antanaitis — a well-known and influential voice on Baltic defense matters — believes the threat is more likely to materialize around 2030, and only under certain geopolitical conditions. In comments to […] The post Expert: Baltic war would open multiple fronts for Russia first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Robotican, a leading Israeli developer of autonomous robotic and drone technologies, announced September 2 the introduction of a new armed configuration for its ROOSTER hybrid drone system, adding a precision-guided warhead designed for urban and indoor operations. The company said the upgraded ROOSTER is capable of carrying a payload of up to 300 grams, allowing […] The post Robotican develops armed hybrid drone for urban missions first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Global Military Products will participate in the U.S. Army’s upcoming Transformation in Contact (TiC) 2.0 event with its Scorpion Light 81mm mobile mortar system, part of an ongoing effort to modernize indirect fire capabilities under the Soldier Enhancement Program (SEP). The trials, conducted under a contract with the Product Manager for Artillery Mortars and Precision […] The post U.S. Army to test new Scorpion light mortar system first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine is actively negotiating with France over a possible acquisition of Dassault Rafale fighter jets. Speaking with reporters, Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine is pursuing parallel talks with three nations—Sweden, France, and the United States—regarding the future of its tactical aviation fleet. “I am conducting three parallel conversations regarding aircraft—with the Swedes, […]View the full article

The United States Army confirmed in an official release that it deployed “wooden tanks” during the Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center (JPMRC) Rotation 26-01 at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, on Nov. 6, 2025. The service referred to these systems as an “opposing force tank simulation set,” describing them as an effective and economical tool to support […]View the full article

China has carried out a flight of a third prototype of its heavy next-generation fighter-bomber known as the J-36, signaling steady progress in a program of future Chinese combat jets. Photos showing the aircraft in flight alongside a J-10C fighter were published on December 25. The images depict an airframe that differs in visible details […]View the full article

United States Army paratroopers from the 11th Airborne Division conducted a mass tactical airborne operation in Hokkaido, Japan, in late January 2026 as part of North Wind 26, a bilateral winter training exercise with the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, U.S. Army Japan confirmed. The operation took place at Hokudai-en in northern Hokkaido and involved soldiers […]View the full article

Northrop Grumman has officially named its YFQ-48A prototype Talon Blue, formally identifying the autonomous fighter drone developed under its company-funded Project Talon portfolio as part of ongoing work with the United States Air Force on future collaborative combat aircraft. The designation of Talon Blue as the YFQ-48A reflects the aircraft’s role within the Air Force’s […]View the full article

The Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said Russian forces carried out 619 assault operations between March 17 and March 20, 2026, but failed to break Ukrainian defenses and suffered heavy losses during the offensive. Syrskyi said Ukrainian command anticipated the escalation and reinforced frontline units in advance, allowing forces to absorb […]View the full article

The Israel Defense Forces has used its new Ro’em self-propelled howitzer in combat for the first time, firing the system during artillery strikes in southern Lebanon. Units from the 282nd Artillery Brigade brought the wheeled system, also known as the SIGMA 155, into action to support ground operations near the border. The howitzers were used […]View the full article

The U.S. Army has fielded Mobile Fire Teams in Lithuania, adapting a concept developed and battle-tested by Ukrainian forces fighting drone swarms since 2022 and deploying it along NATO’s eastern flank as part of the Eastern Flank Deterrence Initiative. Soldiers from the 5th Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 52nd ADA Brigade conducted zeroing operations […]View the full article

Russia’s state defense conglomerate Rostec has unveiled what it claims is the lightest body armor in its class, presenting the Obereg 2.0 vest to the defense ministers of Moscow’s closest military allies at a showcase outside the Russian capital. Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov led a delegation of defense ministers from the Collective Security Treaty […]View the full article

Northrop Grumman secured a $312 million contract from the U.S. Navy on June 24, 2026, to produce additional Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Program Block 3 systems in two configurations called Hemisphere and Quadrant, expanding a production line that is now arming destroyers, aircraft carriers, and amphibious assault ships with the most capable electronic jamming technology […]View the full article

A North Carolina Air National Guard unit, part of the U.S. military’s part-time reserve force, wants to give its people the ability to quietly fly themselves into places a helicopter would get shot down trying to reach, and the shopping list it just published reads less like a defense contract and more like gear for […]View the full article

CIA Director John Ratcliffe flew to Moscow for meetings on August 25, CBS News reported, citing multiple sources. The trip explains the previously unexplained flight of a U.S. Air Force C-17A Globemaster III that landed at Vnukovo International Airport near Moscow that morning after departing Riga, Latvia. The Kremlin said it had “no information” about […]View the full article

Americas Northrop Grumman Systems won an $82 million contract, which provides for sustainment, engineering, logistics, test, mission control, and operator training systems support for MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). This effort also includes procurement of field service representatives and technical support to ensure that the MQ-4C Triton UAS aircraft are mission-capable for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions supporting Triton’s early operational capability and initial operating capability. Work will take place in Maryland and California and Florida. Estimated completion will be in March 2022. General Electric won a $23.8 million contra…

Americas The US Air Force published a new B-21 Raider artist rendering graphic with an accompanying fact sheet on July 6. The rendering is based on the actual aircraft, and an artist’s interpretation of the B-21 design, with Edwards Air Force Base, California in the background. The aircraft will undergo testing there. The US Defense Department canceled a $10 billion cloud computing contract that’s been the subject of ongoing legal battles, saying it “no longer meets” requirements. A Pentagon representative told reporters that instead, the department will be soliciting new proposals from cloud service providers. Middle East & Africa Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapi…

Americas Raytheon won a $340 million deal for mobile sensors operations and maintenance services of the Cobra King radar system. Cobra King is a mobile radar system, called an active electronic scanned array, of S- and X-band phased radars in use by the Air Force Technical Applications Center. It provides radar data to the Department of Defense’s strategic community, the Missile Defense Agency and other government agencies. Work will take place in Florida. Estimated completion date is October 31, 2031. SECO has successfully tested a new deck control device (DCD) to be used for controlling the MQ-25 on aircraft carrier flight decks. The device was successfully tested earl…

At last week’s SNA, an initial concept for DDG(X) was put up on a slide for all to see; Don’t get too excited though; ...the hull form shown in the concept image is not representative of the ship and that the service has not settled on a specific design yet. ...The program office isn’t committed to a specific hull design but presented a swept, angular, bulbous bow design reminiscent of an Arleigh Burke rather than the tumblehome, wave-piercing design of the Zumwalts. “We haven’t actually locked down the hull form, yet. That’s a concept,” Connelly said, referring to the concept drawing the office presented. “It is one of the many options still in play. … We as the de…