Raw Intel

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

Way back even before the X-47B took off and landed on a carrier—and then was killed by the Fighter-Attack-Guy Mafia™—people would ask me what I wanted in a tactical drone. My feelings have not changed that much since—I want something designed to be stacked up like so many Pringles—or for you science fiction fans, how the Cylons in the Battlestar Galactica reboot kept their Raiders on their Basestars—ready for use in number. Sailor-proof and combat-ready. You hear the subject of “Drone Carriers” come up on a regular basis. You have to have the right drones to make it worthwhile, and if I were in charge of ship designations, they would be classified as CVQ. I’m willing to c…

One week prior to the July 4th holiday, and it's time to catch up on the latest events in the maritime security arena ... and an arena it is. We have a new SECNAV nom ... but no one is talking about it. We have the CNO expending T-AKE amounts of personal, professional, and institutional capital defending quaint academic social theory, FORD enjoys a banging time at sea, and the Royal Navy enjoys a Russian air and sea spectacular! ...and that is just the first few things. As always with our free for alls, we have an open chat room and open phone line to the studio for those who join us live ... so don't be shy. Join us live if you can and roll in with your preferred t…

Both the Freedom and Independence Class LCS have been - if we are to be polite - suboptimal in both utility and performance. We've documented that for the better part of 17-years and that record is all available at the LCS tag, so no need to rehash the whole sordid thing again. Well ... maybe just a little bit. Of course we should have adopted Plan Salamander as outlined over 11-yrs ago, but we have what we have. Smart people with hard jobs given enough Sailor sweat and seabags of cash have managed to get the Independence Class to contribute to the presence mission in WESTPAC, but as outlined in Megan Eckstein's latest at Defense News, Freedom remains the more troublesome…

To build the Navy we need, the one thing we have to get right is - and this seems obvious - to successfully build ships. A lot of them. Easy to type, hard to do. While we have had many well-documented troubles this century, we also have some notable successes that give hope we can do it right when we want to. Returning today with another top-shelf guest post, Bryan McGrath picks up the conversation with a reminder of what we did get right, and what we need to do with that institutional capital. Bryan, over to you. When a “Murderers Row” of Navalists (Hendrix, Salamander, Work) all take to the interwebs within the same week to opine on the recent pathologies of American n…

Peace is the ultimate goal and is a wonderful thing – but what makes it so special is that peace is not the natural state of things for our species. If you are lucky, you might get a couple of decades of peace before the next conflict of significance. More than that is a blessing few get to enjoy. That is the human benefit of peace, but peace also has a heavy price. As eventually wars come, nations have to be ready for them. From the time the first band of men walked in to your valley, you heard the horses of the steppe archers in the distance, or the tank rumbled through your local gas station – war comes and demands you join it immediately. You go to war with the peopl…

AEGIS-BMD: CG-70 launches SM-3 (click to view full) The AEGIS Ballistic Missile Defense System seamlessly integrates the SPY-1 radar, the MK 41 Vertical Launching System for missiles, the SM-3 Standard missile, and the ship’s command and control system, in order to give ships the ability to defend against enemy ballistic missiles. Like its less-capable AEGIS […]View the full article

Americas All Clear Repair Services won a $15 million firm-fixed-price contract for UH-60 Black Hawk maintenance and overhaul. Bids were solicited via the internet with two received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of May 30, 2029. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting […]View the full article

Americas After years of testing and refinement, the US Air Force’s microvane program is nearing full implementation across it’s C-17 fleet. These small, strategically placed devices are set to reduce aerodynamic drag and increase fuel efficiency by redirecting airflow around the aircraft’s fuselage, proving that even the most mature aircraft designs can be enhanced. Air Force Operational Energy and Air Mobility Command are now in the final stages of evaluating the microvane technology. The microvanes themselves are deceptively simple: small, 3D-printed devices, measuring approximately 4 x 16 inches, and shaped like a thin blade. These are attached to the rear of the C-17’…

Israeli-based Skana Robotics, a defense technology firm founded by naval special operations veterans and robotics experts, announced September 1 the launch of its first two autonomous maritime platforms: the Bull Shark, an autonomous surface vessel (ASV), and the Stingray, an autonomous underwater vessel (AUV). The company said the systems mark a shift toward scalable, software-defined […] The post Skana introduces scalable autonomous maritime platforms first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Ukraine expects to receive additional fighter jets from its Western partners in the near future, including Swedish Gripens, French Mirages, and American F-16s, a senior defense official has confirmed. The deliveries, once completed, will mark a new stage in Kyiv’s efforts to modernize its air force and strengthen its ability to counter Russian air superiority. […] The post Ukraine to receive Gripen fighter jets first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

U.S.-based Kratos Defense & Security Solutions has announced a new strategic partnership with Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) aimed at accelerating the development of manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) technologies for U.S. and allied forces. According to a press release, the collaboration will combine the company’s experience in autonomous tactical aircraft—including the XQ-58A Valkyrie, Mako, and Tactical Firejet—with […] The post Kratos taps Korean expertise for next-gen MUM-T aircraft first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

U.S. Soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 66th Armored Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division are conducting intensive armored training in Poland under late-autumn conditions that mirror the challenges of Eastern Europe. On November 18, 2025, crews maneuvered an M1A2 Abrams tank through a water obstacle and mud fields at the Bemowo Piskie Training […]View the full article