Raw Intel

If you want to get past the press releases, spin, and general garbage takes about who is doing what to help Ukraine, the Kiel Institute should be one of your first stops. Their Ukraine Support Tracker is heavy on facts and light on what you don't need. If like me you like to see the dataset, they've posted it in the raw or a smoother form. They are doing this right. I especially like how they break out aid as a percentage of GDP, the Salamander Approved™ way that smaller nations show they are giving a fair-share effort. Dig in to the data. Talk is talk; action is action; money speaks. Remember. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?d=yIl2AUoC8zA http://feeds…

Americas Bath Iron Works won a $35.4 million contract modification for lead yard support effort for the DDG-51 Class Guided Missile Destroyer program. Work will take place in Maine. Estimated completion will be in June 2023. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, DC, is the contracting activity. General Dynamics won a $59.8 million modification for multiple items used in the Abrams Main Battle Tank, Stryker Family of Vehicles, Light Armored Vehicle Family of Vehicles, Cougar, Buffalo and RG-31. The M1 Abrams is a third-generation American main battle tank designed by Chrysler Defense and named for General Creighton Abrams. Work will take place in Florida. Estimated c…

We started doing the "Long Game" series about the rise of the People's Republic of China to challenge American's place in the world. At the end of that first post in the series in July of 2004, I wrote; Say what you want about the Chinese, they are very focused on their long term strategic needs. They will continue to study the way we do business at sea, and they will make sure they are ready when the call comes. Are we? A lot of folks hear rustling in the woods behind us. There were a lot of us, but few were listening. 18.4 years later, they are now. That is part of the reason it has been since May of this year since I did a Long Game post. I've written a fair bit abou…

RIM-162: sections (click to view full) The RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM) is used to protect ships from attacking missiles and aircraft, and is designed to counter supersonic maneuvering anti-ship missiles. Compared to the RIM-7 Sea Sparrow, ESSM is effectively a new missile with a larger, more powerful rocket motor for increased range, a […]View the full article

Elbit Systems has secured a $260 million contract from Airbus Defence and Space to deliver its J-MUSIC Directed Infrared Counter Measures (DIRCM) system for the German Air Force’s A400M transport aircraft fleet. According to a press release from Elbit Systems, the six-year contract follows a procurement decision by Germany’s Federal Office for Equipment, Information Technology […] The post Germany taps Elbit for A400M missile defense deal first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on August 31 inspected a newly built missile production complex and signed three new plans to expand the country’s missile manufacturing capacity, according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). During the visit, Kim toured an automated assembly line, which state media described as capable of dramatically increasing […] The post North Korea ramps up ballistic missile production first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Ukrainian troops have carried out an unconventional special operation on the Kharkiv front — evacuating a cat from near the line of contact using a ground robotic vehicle. The unusual mission, conducted by the “Khartia” Brigade, highlights the growing use of unmanned ground systems (UGVs) in Ukraine not only for combat tasks but also for […] The post Ukrainian troops use ground robot to rescue cat from frontline first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

South Korea and Malaysia have signed a new defense cooperation agreement aimed at expanding their collaboration in arms development, procurement, and joint production, according to South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA). The memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed on Monday in Kuala Lumpur by DAPA Minister Seok Jong-gun and Malaysian Defense Minister Mohamed Khaled […] The post South Korea, Malaysia expand military industry cooperation first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

A U.S. Navy vessel operating as part of a coalition task force in the Caribbean issued multiple radio warnings on November 24 to an unidentified aircraft approaching its position in international waters south of Puerto Rico. The aircraft, flying at 18,300 feet and traveling at approximately 278 knots, was tracked on a course of 085º—moving […]View the full article

President Donald Trump has unveiled a sweeping naval construction plan centered on a new class of nuclear-armed battleships, a move that would revive a ship type absent from the U.S. Navy for more than three decades and reshape future surface warfare. Speaking at Mar-a-Lago in Florida alongside Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco […]View the full article

The United States is preparing Misawa Air Base in northern Japan to support the future deployment of F-35A stealth fighter aircraft, as part of a broader effort to modernize U.S. air power in the western Pacific. According to the report by Newsweek journalist Ryan Chan, the Pentagon plans to deploy 48 F-35A Lightning II jets […]View the full article

The United States Navy’s Virginia-class attack submarine USS New Mexico (SSN 779) arrived at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard on February 21, 2026, beginning a scheduled major overhaul intended to extend the submarine’s operational life and upgrade its combat capabilities. The nuclear-powered submarine, crewed by more than 120 Sailors, will undergo extensive modernization work designed to prepare […]View the full article

Ukrainian forces said they repelled a mass Russian assault near Lyman on March 19, breaking up what the Third Army Corps described as the enemy’s largest breakthrough attempt on the Lyman-Borova axis as Russian troops intensify offensive action and continue to suffer heavy battlefield losses. According to the corps, Russian forces attacked simultaneously on seven […]View the full article

In this episode, Sal discusses recent naval activities, U.S. Iran tensions, and the strategic importance of maritime power. The conversation emphasizes the significance of maritime and aerospace capabilities in national security and offers insights into geopolitical choke points, regional alliances, and the future of U.S. military readiness. Key topics:T… Read more View the full article

Turkey unveiled its first domestically built mini-submarine at SAHA Expo 2026, a milestone that Istanbul Technical University-based defense company Datum Submarine Technologies announced after completing the vessel’s first dive tests off the coast of Karamürsel on April 14, 2026. The Multi-Purpose Mini Submarine, developed with support from Turkey’s Presidency of Defense Industries, completed assembly at […]View the full article

Show LinksUkrainian FP-1/2 drone attacks Russian frigate Admiral Essen at the Novorossiysk Naval Base Ukrainian attack on the Kronstadt Naval Base Attack on Kuwait International Airport Saronic commentary by John Konrad on gCaptain AV-8B closes its story MQ-25A opens its story AUKUS update SummarySal discusses the ongoing Ukraine conflict, its historical cont… Read more View the full article

A drone climbed into 40 km/h (25 mph) gusts above a high desert training range in Oregon on June 22, 2026, carrying a live Bangalore torpedo, a metal tube packed with Composition B4 explosive, and dropped it directly onto a wire obstacle before soldiers detonated the charge from cover. Army doctrine normally assumes half the […]View the full article

An artillery rocket costs a fraction of what it takes to shoot one down, and that math has quietly become one of the grinding problems of the current wars and conflicts. European defense company Destinus previewed a possible answer at the Farnborough International Airshow, unveiling Vorexon, a concept-stage ground-based interceptor built to protect specific high-value […]View the full article

The Royal Navy’s Dreadnought-class submarines share a missile compartment design, a nuclear propulsion technology exchange, and the same missile as the U.S. Navy’s Columbia class, according to a Congressional Research Service assessment cited by the UK Defence Journal. Both submarine programs are now past the point of no return. All four British boats, HMS Dreadnought, […]View the full article

The U.S. Air Force has awarded Leidos an $85 million ceiling contract for digital design tools meant to help engineer future aircraft, the second company in as many days to win a spot under the same research program that Anduril Industries joined a day earlier. The Air Force Research Laboratory made the award to Leidos, […]View the full article