Raw Intel

I lived and worked with Germans for years. In their young years, my children's second language - mostly to help their father shop - was German. I have a great affection for Germany and Germans - but with great affection comes great expectations. I know that my expectations for Germany is not that out of alignment with many Germans, however those Germans and their view of Germany are not presently holding power. As one does with things one values yet does not meet their potential, honest affection requires one to speak up and if needed take action. The final part of the Merkle administration was problematic, but under the present SDP government led by Olaf Scholz - the Col…

Americas Sikorsky won $1.1 billion to build 12 CH-53K King Stallion helicopters. The contract with the Lockheed Martin subsidiary, issued by the Navy will include programmatic support, logistics support and peculiar support equipment. Under the terms of the contract, known as Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) Lot 2 and 3, Sikorsky will begin deliveries of 12 CH-53K […]View the full article

Australia has test-fired its newest long-range missile for the first time, launching the U.S.-made Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) from the Mount Bundey Training Area in the Northern Territory. The missile traveled more than 300 kilometers in four minutes and three seconds, reaching speeds exceeding 4,000 kilometers per hour before striking its target with high accuracy. […] The post Australia tests long-range PrSM missile first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

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…

A Philippine government ship carrying fuel to Filipino fishermen was struck by a Chinese Coast Guard vessel on Friday, the latest collision in a South China Sea dispute that has grown more dangerous and more frequent throughout 2026. The Philippine ship, BRP Datu Magat Salamat, belongs to the country’s Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources. […]View the full article

Airbus and Kratos have flown the Valkyrie uncrewed combat aircraft in Europe for the first time, a step toward offering Germany a drone wingman for its Eurofighters by 2029. The flight, announced on Oct. 12, took place at a test site in northern Europe that the companies did not name. Airbus Defence and Space CEO […]View the full article

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…