Raw Intel

Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces released combat footage showing the detection and destruction of a Russian 300-mm Tornado-S multiple launch rocket system during an operation conducted on occupied territory in the Zaporizhzhia region. The strike was carried out by operators of the “Ptahi” unit from the 1st Separate Center of the Unmanned Systems Forces, coordinated by […]View the full article

Ukraine carried out a long-range strike overnight on February 21 targeting Russia’s Votkinsk Machine Building Plant in Udmurtia, a key facility tied to Moscow’s ballistic missile production program. Explosions were reported shortly before midnight local time, followed by a large fire inside the industrial complex located roughly 1,400 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. The attack […]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

It is curious what the U.S. military chooses to honor. There are five or so U.S. Army units that in one way or another refer to themselves as “Spartans.” Even the U.S. Navy and USAF have a unit or two in that game. It isn’t just ancient Greek history; it is all over the place. Heck, back in the day, the U.S. Navy had an attack squadron named the Clansmen, with a “C” not a “K”, VA-46, that served from 1955 to 1991. It was stationed in the very un-Scottish Cecil Field in the piney woods of northeast Florida. Yes, the U.S.A. is a young country, but we have plenty of martial legends of our own—well-documented with real people from real units. You don’t have to look far. As t…

The United States Navy has approved Raytheon’s StormBreaker smart weapon for operational use on the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet strike fighter, the company announced Feb. 20, 2026. The approval expands the Navy’s precision strike capability at a time when naval aviation forces are adapting to contested environments that demand engagement of mobile targets in poor visibility […]View the full article

The United States Marine Corps has decided to retain the M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle for its close combat formations rather than adopt the Army’s M7 Next Generation Squad Weapon rifle, a Marine Corps spokesperson confirmed to Task & Purpose. “The Marine Corps will retain the M27 for our close combat formations as it best aligns […]View the full article

The United States Air Force used the Skiron X hybrid unmanned aircraft as a simulated enemy drone during counter-UAS training at the Grafenwoehr Training Area in Germany on Feb. 19, 2026, according to a statement from the 7th Army Training Command. Instructors supporting the Air Force’s Joint Multi-Domain Counter Unmanned Aircraft Systems Operator Course flew […]View the full article

Residents in western Belarus have reported sudden reserve call-ups and rapid deployment orders near the country’s border with NATO member states, according to statements from opposition officials and local accounts published Feb. 2026, raising attention over what critics describe as an undeclared mobilization effort. Reports from the regions of Grodno, Slonim, and the village of […]View the full article

Florida-based Petrel Technologies announced new performance results for its AERO Sky hybrid vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft, confirming the unmanned system achieved six hours of flight endurance and extended reconnaissance reach during recent testing, the company said in a statement released in February 2026. According to the company, the hybrid-electric aircraft demonstrated sustained airborne […]View the full article

The United States Air Force has awarded DCS, based in Alexandria, Virginia, a nearly $100 million research and development contract to deliver advanced tools designed to model and predict mission-level operational effects across multiple warfighting domains, according to a contract announcement released Feb. 19, 2026. The $94,745,601 contract provides the Air Force with analytical capabilities […]View the full article

BAE Systems FalconWorks and SURVICE Engineering have signed a framework agreement to collaborate on the development of uncrewed air system (UAS) technologies, expanding cooperation tied to military logistics drones and future tactical unmanned aircraft, the companies announced in a joint statement. The agreement builds on an existing partnership dating back to 2015 involving Malloy Aeronautics, […]View the full article

I know it is just a little bit more than a week after my last post on the outstanding performance of the under-appreciated Expeditionary Mobile Base (ESB)—by the way, can we get this class of ships a proper classification? We have other options. However, they are doing the heavy lifting again in the post-Maduro takedown. Here we have U.S. forces capturing the tanker VERONICA III in the Indian Ocean. The tanker is linked to the illegal transportation of crude oil from Iran, Russia, and Venezuela. She could run, but could not hide from the yet-to-be named U.S. Navy Arleigh Burke destroyer. And as Sal Mercogliano let us know over the weekend, in the background of the pictur…

Swarm Aero announced the opening of its Advanced Manufacturing Center on Feb. 17, 2026, at Drake Field in Fayetteville, Arkansas, marking the launch of an 80,000-square-foot facility designed to produce large uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) swarms, the company said during a ribbon-cutting event attended by Congressman Steve Womack. According to the company, the Arkansas facility […]View the full article

BAE Systems announced successful trials of its Autonomous Tactical Light Armour System (ATLAS) uncrewed ground vehicle, confirming testing of a combat-capable autonomous platform designed to support main battle tank and combat reconnaissance operations. The trials evaluated the ATLAS Collaborative Combat Variant (CCV), a fully functional prototype demonstrator first introduced at the Land Forces exhibition in […]View the full article

Previously undisclosed details have emerged about Japan’s purchase of unmanned maritime systems from U.S.-based Liquid Robotics, confirming that the platforms acquired under a $25 million Foreign Military Sales program are Wave Glider SV6 unmanned surface vehicles, according to newly released U.S. Air Force procurement documents. The information comes from a Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) Justification […]View the full article

Airmen from the 102nd Security Forces Squadron conducted use-of-force training using a virtual reality system at Otis Air National Guard Base, Massachusetts, on Feb. 8, 2026, employing immersive simulations designed to replicate real-world security and law enforcement scenarios, according to an official unit release. The training used the Street Smarts Virtual Reality system, which places […]View the full article

The United States Army has awarded Lockheed Martin a $33.8 million contract to provide ground and flight test support for the Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor (LTAMDS) integrated with the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) system, according to a contract announcement released Feb. 18, 2026. The contract was issued by Army Contracting Command at […]View the full article

The United States Air Force has awarded Boeing a $13 million contract to upgrade infrared countermeasure systems on C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft operated by Canada and Australia under a Foreign Military Sales program, according to a contract announcement released Feb. 18, 2026. The award covers upgrades converting existing Block 10 defensive systems to the […]View the full article

Divergent Technologies and Mach Industries announced on Feb. 17, 2026, in Los Angeles that they have jointly launched Venom, an autonomous strike aircraft prototype developed and brought to flight readiness in 71 days, demonstrating rapid hardware development enabled by digital manufacturing and modular system design. According to a joint announcement from the companies, the Venom […]View the full article

Leonardo DRS announced on Feb. 17, 2026, that it has been awarded multiple contracts under the Missile Defense Agency’s Scalable Homeland Innovative Enterprise Layered Defense (SHIELD) program, an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity agreement with a ceiling value of $151 billion aimed at accelerating delivery of air and missile defense capabilities for U.S. forces. According to a company press […]View the full article