Raw Intel

"Finally caught up with Matt. It was like trying to find Santa on Christmas Eve." - Uncle Ben, good friend (and reader) of Blackfive, on St. Patrick's Day in Chicago 2004 I may try to live blog St. Patrick's Day with my Irish Smart Device (photo below - patent pending...). Of course, the quality of posts may go down to Jimbo standards by the late afternoon... View the full article

Americas Lockheed Martin Space won a $558.8 million contract modification for Trident II (D5) missile production and deployed systems support. The UGM-133A Trident II, or Trident D5 is a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), built by Lockheed Martin Space in Sunnyvale, California, and deployed with the American and British navies. Work is expected to be completed September 30, 2026. Fiscal 2021 weapons procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $477,091,291; United Kingdom funds in the amount of $73,747,000; and fiscal 2020 weapons procurement (Navy) in the amount of $8,003,070 are being obligated on this award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fi…

MH-60Rs fire Hellfire (click to view full) Australia’s AIR 9000, Phase 8 project aimed to buy 24 modern naval helicopters to 16 existing S-70B-2 Seahawks, along with the disastrous A$1.1 billion, 11-helicopter SH-2G “Super Seasprite” acquisition attempt. With a total sales and support value of over A$ 3 billion, it was a highly coveted award. The finalists were familiar, and both had roots in Australia. Sikorsky’s MH-60R is a modernized descendant of the RAN’s existing S-70B anti-submarine helicopters, and Australia’s army operates the S-70A utility helicopter. On the other hand, a multi-billion dollar 2006 order made the European NH90-TTH (“MRH-90”) the Army’s future …

Five presidents from both political parties oversaw the two decade debacle in Afghanistan that ended in the national humiliation at the end of August 2021 at the airport in Kabul where we retreated under fire following a negotiated surrender - leaving up to a thousand Americans behind and untold thousands of Afghan nationals who fought with us to their fate as the Taliban returned to the power we took from them in 2001. People in the executive branch, Department of Defense, Department of State, Congress, media, and the well credentialed chatterati said they were "shocked," "surprised," and otherwise unprepared for what unfolded. Should they have been, or was this the inev…

Americas Raytheon won a $30 million deal for the procurement of Patriot post deployment build hardware updates and Multifunctional Distribution System Block Upgrade 2. Patriot is a combat-proven air defense system operated by the US and a number of its allies. The Patriot missile is equipped with a track-via-missile (TVM) guidance system. Midcourse correction commands are transmitted to the guidance system from the mobile engagement control centre. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will take place in Massachusetts. Estimated completion date is March 31. The US Navy demonstrated unmanned cargo delivery to a moving ship for the first time recentl…

F-35B: off probation (click to view full) The $382 billion F-35 Joint Strike fighter program may well be the largest single global defense program in history. This major multinational program is intended to produce an “affordably stealthy” multi-role fighter that will have 3 variants: the F-35A conventional version for the US Air Force et. al.; […]View the full article

Americas L3Harris Technologies has secured a $34-million contract to upgrade the US Air Force B-52H bomber cockpit. It is part of the air force’s Global Strike Command B-52 Quad Crew Program to consolidate the functions of the electronic warfare officer and navigator. The aircraft’s five-person crew comprises two pilots, two navigators, and an electronic warfare officer. The US Army has begun awarding contracts to AM General to build its Joint Light Tactical Vehicles (JLTV) previously manufactured by Oshkosh Defense. The firm recently received $11.6 million to manufacture and deliver an undisclosed number of JLTVs. According to a Pentagon announcement, the work will be pe…

AM General has received a $126.5 million contract modification from the U.S. Army for continued production of the M1165A1B3 High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV), or Humvee, according to a Department of Defense announcement. The modification increases the total contract value to just over $3.05 billion. The contract, identified as modification P00023 to contract W912CH-24-F-0229, […] The post U.S. Army buys more armored Humvees from AM General first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The open-source intelligence community DeepState has released new data on Russian offensive operations in Ukraine, showing a decline in the intensity of attacks during August compared with previous months. According to the group, Russian forces conducted approximately 5,027 assault actions in August, a reduction from July, June, and May. The decrease was attributed primarily to […] The post OSINT report: Russian offensive activity declines in August first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The U.S. Coast Guard is preparing to issue a new procurement contract to Sikorsky for the production of advanced helicopters based on its Jayhawk and Seahawk platforms, potentially reshaping the service’s rotary-wing fleet over the next decade. As reported by CT Insider, the Coast Guard intends to replace its aging Eurocopter HH-65 Dolphin helicopters, originally […]View the full article

A Ukrainian Mirage 2000 Pilot described the aircraft’s performance and the growing need for additional Western support during a rare on-camera interview from an operational airfield. With only a small number of Mirage 2000 fighters now serving in the Air Force, the appearance of the French-built jet during an active combat sortie provided a direct […]View the full article

With everyone all excited about the pics of the People’s Republic of China’s new auxiliary cruiser, I figured that it was time for a return to a classic two-part FbF series on the war performance of auxiliary cruisers. I’ll cover the latest news on the topic early next week. So, for regulars it would be worth another read, but for the thousands of new followers who were not with us when we ran this last three years ago…ENJOY (and ponder where the modern need for these “something beats nothing” warships fit today). You go to war with what you have or what you can quickly patch together, the end result of the decision of others who will not have to fight, not have to comma…

The United States Air Force’s 92nd Air Refueling Wing announced that Fairchild Air Force Base in Washington will conduct an active threat response exercise on January 29, 2026, as part of routine emergency readiness training for personnel across the installation. According to the 92nd Air Refueling Wing, the exercise will involve base-wide participation and is […]View the full article

The Royal Canadian Air Force announced that fuselage integration and production have begun on Canada’s first CP-8A Poseidon aircraft, marking a new phase in the country’s maritime patrol modernization program. The update was confirmed in an official service statement, while Boeing Defense said the aircraft with serial number 9627 is now taking shape as production […]View the full article

From the “Strongly Worded Letter” department of the Rules Based International Order school, there are more nations signing up to so something to keep the free flow of goods at market price through the global Sea Lines of Communication (SLOC), of which the Strait of Hormuz is one of the most important. Several more countries on Friday joined leading European nations, Japan ​and Canada in signing a joint statement, opens new tab saying they were ready to join appropriate efforts to ‌ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz and would take steps to stabilise energy markets. This is the full text of the statement from Britain, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, J…

One of the original member of our front porch passed away a few days ago, Byron Audler. A yard bird and great supporter of our Navy. Good friend to the blog through the years. I had no idea he was so sick. I should have checked in more often. Thank you Byron. You left a great legacy. Leave a comment Share This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. View the full article

Russia commissioned its eighth Project 22800 Karakurt-class missile corvette into the Baltic Fleet on May 8, 2026, in a ceremony at Baltiysk — one day after Ukraine struck a vessel of the same class at a naval base on the Caspian Sea some 2,000 kilometers away. The new ship, named Burya with hull number 257, […]View the full article

Russia’s defense industry is claiming a milestone on one of its most closely watched aviation programs, and this time the claim carries slightly more weight than usual. The United Aircraft Corporation, Russia’s state-owned aircraft manufacturing conglomerate, confirmed this week that physical construction of the first flying prototype of the Su-75 Checkmate, a single-engine fifth-generation stealth […]View the full article

Britain has abandoned plans to build a conventional successor to its Type 45 destroyers, instead ordering at least six new warships designed to command networks of autonomous drones across the air, surface, and subsurface, as reported by UK Defence Journal. The new class, called the Common Combat Vessel, will be the Royal Navy’s first hybrid […]View the full article

A landmark nuclear deal between the United States and Saudi Arabia is already unraveling into confusion, less than 24 hours after it was signed with fanfare in Washington. The agreement, laying the groundwork for American companies to help Saudi Arabia build a civilian nuclear power industry, immediately sparked concerns about a Saudi path to enrichment […]View the full article