Raw Intel

The United States Air Force has awarded Liquid Robotics Inc., based in Herndon, Virginia, a $25 million contract to supply 20 unmanned surface vehicles under a Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program supporting Japan, according to a contract announcement released by the U.S. Department of War. The award covers work related to control software, mission payloads, […]View the full article

The United States Army has awarded Rolls-Royce Solutions America Inc. a $73.5 million contract to procure Merkava tank power pack kits and related engineering services under a Foreign Military Sales (FMS) agreement supporting Israel, according to a Feb. 17, 2026 contract announcement released by the U.S. Department of War. The contract covers the delivery of […]View the full article

This opening graphic from the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) report by Alexander Kolyandr from last week, Death Without Glory: Russia’s Message to the Frontline Soldier, tells a story. The numbers are staggering. A CSIS report in January estimated Russia has lost up to 325,000 men dead and close to 900,000 wounded, the greatest losses recorded by any major power in any war since World War II. For a country already suffering an acute demographic decline and which has seen perhaps a million emigrate since the war began, this cannot be sustainable, at least in the medium-term. The first thing that came to mind was the low numbers in the VERY ethnic Russian areas,…

China’s AVIC Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group has officially presented a new vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) unmanned aerial vehicle known as the Yunying (Cloud Shadow in Chinese), a tail-sitter drone featuring a ducted-fan design closely resembling the V-BAT system developed by U.S. company Shield AI. The Yunying-25V UAV was officially showcased during the 2026 CCTV […]View the full article

Elbit Systems announced on February 18, 2026, that it has secured contracts valued at approximately $277 million from an international customer for the supply of 30 mm turrets and associated munitions, marking a new export order for the company’s land combat systems portfolio. According to a company statement, the contracts will be executed over a […]View the full article

Sweden ranked third worldwide in military assistance to Ukraine in 2025, both in total contributions and as a share of national GDP, according to data cited by the Swedish Embassy in Ukraine based on a report from the Kiel Institute for the World Economy. The embassy said Sweden’s support reflects a clear political commitment despite […]View the full article

Bulgaria has received the first batch of Stryker armored vehicles, with five combat vehicles arriving at the port of Burgas on Feb. 14, 2026, marking the start of deliveries under the country’s military modernization program, the Bulgarian Ministry of Defense announced. The shipment represents the initial phase of a broader procurement effort conducted through international […]View the full article

The United States Air Force has announced a revised acquisition plan for the LGM-35A Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile program, confirming that a major restructuring effort will be completed by the end of 2026, with initial operational capability targeted for the early 2030s. The update was released by the Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs […]View the full article

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Pentagon’s research and technology arm, has designated its air-launched missile-carrying uncrewed aircraft developed under the LongShot program as the X-68A, moving the system toward flight testing expected by the end of 2026, the agency confirmed in an official update. According to DARPA, the milestone follows completion of multiple […]View the full article

Raytheon has been awarded a contract by the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory to establish a domestic production capability for thin film lithium niobate (TFLN) wafers, a material used in high-speed communications and advanced sensing systems critical to defense technology, the company announced. The effort aims to create a secure U.S.-based supply chain for TFLN, […]View the full article

Russia has warned of potential military action in the Baltic Sea, with senior Kremlin official Nikolai Patrushev stating that the Russian Navy could be used to break what Moscow describes as a possible maritime blockade, according to reporting by Militarnyi. Patrushev, an assistant to the Russian president and a central figure in Russia’s security establishment, […]View the full article

In the second half of the last Midrats Podcast, Mark and I discussed the recently released Maritime Action Plan. I still don’t understand why we release such documents on a Friday before a three-day weekend, but whoever makes that call should be left with the next bar tab. To their great credit however, the April 2025 Executive Order demanded a deliverable, and they got it done on time. If you are looking for a naval strategy or other “this type of system doing that” report, you won’t find it here, and nor should you. This is signed by Marco Rubio as National Security Advisor and Russ Vought as the Director of the Office of Management and Budget. It is best seen as an eco…

Ukraine’s Air Force on Tuesday rejected media reports claiming that a secret multinational F-16 fighter squadron composed of Ukrainian, American, and Dutch pilots had been established to defend Kyiv’s airspace, calling the information inaccurate and unsupported by evidence. The denial followed a report published by French outlet Intelligence Online, which alleged that a covert unit […]View the full article

Denmark’s Air Force on Monday formally established Squadron 729 to operate newly acquired MQ-9B long-range remotely piloted aircraft, marking a step in expanding surveillance capabilities across the Arctic, North Atlantic, and Baltic regions. The new unit will be based at Aalborg Air Base under the Air Transport Wing, according to an announcement from the Danish […]View the full article

Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) has purchased a Bombardier Global 6500 aircraft at its own expense to support the U.S. Army’s High Accuracy Detection and Exploitation System (HADES) program, marking a new step in the development of next-generation aerial intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities, the company announced. The acquisition, completed at the close of 2025, provides […]View the full article

L3Harris Technologies has received a contract valued at nearly $400 million to produce additional propulsion components for the U.S. military’s Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system, reinforcing production of one of the nation’s primary ballistic missile defense capabilities. The award covers the manufacture of solid rocket boost motors and Liquid Divert and Attitude Control […]View the full article

The Bangladesh Army has received a new batch of Chinese-made VT-5 light tanks, expanding its fleet after previously fielding one regiment equipped with 44 vehicles, according to reports from Bangladeshi media and regional defense observers. The delivery represents the latest confirmed reinforcement of Bangladesh’s armored forces and follows earlier sightings of VT-5 tanks photographed during […]View the full article

Israel’s defense company Elbit Systems reported record global demand in 2025 for its Laser Target Designator (LTD) systems across both land and airborne military platforms, reflecting growing reliance on precision targeting and networked battlefield operations, according to company statements and The Jerusalem Post. The company said its LTD portfolio, compliant with NATO laser-coding standards, is […]View the full article

United States Army soldiers conducted training with the TRV-150 unmanned aerial vehicle during an exercise at Fort Stewart, Georgia, on Feb. 12, 2026, marking the service’s evaluation of a heavy logistics drone already introduced within U.S. Marine Corps units. According to U.S. Army information released alongside the exercise, a TRV-150 drone operated by soldiers from […]View the full article

Dutch State Secretary for Defence Gijs Tuinman said the Netherlands could theoretically “jailbreak” the software of its F-35 fighter jets if U.S. support were halted, according to remarks made Feb. 15 during an interview with BNR Nieuwsradio and highlighted by Clash Report. Tuinman made the comment while discussing European dependence on U.S.-managed systems tied to […]View the full article