Raw Intel

With the growing tensions on the Russian-Ukrainian border (and Belorussian while we are at it) when Midrats regular Dr. Dmitry Gorenburg writes something, you need to pay attention. He recently co-authored an article with Michael Kofman at the Washington Post titled, "Here’s what we know about Russia’s military buildup near Ukraine." What is the nature of Russia’s military buildup? And how long can Russia keep its forces in these forward positions? Our research on Russia’s military capabilities offers some clues. This is a solid snapshot and quick read of what the Ukrainians are facing. Russian forces near Ukraine total at most 60 battalion tactical groups (BTGs), alon…

In war, it often is not what you were designed to do. It is not what in theory what you were primarily trained, manned, and equipped to do. No. More often than not it is what you must do. What you are needed to do. What you may be the only unit in place to do. There is also, like we saw in the below - what must be done now with what is at hand. With the right leadership, a lot is possible. The dogmatic, rigid, and blinkered - things that are often rewarded in peace - are not what gets the job done in war. One hopes that in peace we accept the above truth and only have our minds dogmatic, rigid, and blinkered. Hopefully we have enough intellectual and material flexibility …

I know everyone is busy and all ... but you need to keep an eye on the usual problem areas. You would think one war in Europe at a time would be enough, but you should never underestimate the Serbs. As with most of us who were on active duty in the 1990s, I have more than a passing interest in the former Yugoslavia - and invested my quota of effort in its wars. Later in my career I later served in NATO with Slovenes, Croatians, and N. Macedonians. I've vacationed a few times in Slovenia and Croatia. One of my daughters has studied, twice, in Serbia. I keep an eye on it ... and thankfully so are some smart people in The Pentagon. The Balkans is always on the edge and has b…

Americas Boeing won a $38.7 million modification for B-1 and B-52 bomber engineering services. This modification is for recurring and non-recurring engineering services to B-1 and B-52 aircraft. Work will be performed at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma; Edwards AFB, California; Barksdale AFB, Louisiana; and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and is expected to be completed December 31, 2023. Sikorsky has filed a protest with the US government regarding the US Army’s decision to award a contract for its next-generation helicopter to Textron’s Bell. The Lockheed Martin subsiadary seeks a review of the $1.3 billion deal awarded in early December, in which Bell’s V-280 Valor tiltrotor…

ER/MP, armed (click to view full) Its initial battles were fought within the Pentagon, but the US Army’s high-end UAV has made its transition to the battlefield. The ER/MP program was part of the US Army’s reinvestment of dollars from the canceled RAH-66 Comanche helicopter program, and directly supports the Army’s Aviation Modernization Plan. The […]View the full article

Americas The US Department of Defense (DoD) has awarded a $982 million contract to 49 defense and technology firms to develop systems for its current and future unmanned surface vehicles (USV). Saab, Anduril Industries, Bollinger Shipyards, Teledyne FLIR, and General Atomics headline the list of chosen contractors. Marinette Marine Corp., Honeywell International, Leonardo Electronics, and Microsoft Corp. are also contract recipients. California Air National Guard’s 144th Fighter Wing (144 FW) recently hosted Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 211 (VMFA-211) for a joint training exercise focused on fighter integration. The F-35B Lightning IIs from Arizona arrived at Fresno Air…

Americas Moog Military Aircraft won a $13 million contract for B-2 flight control actuators. This deal provides for the remanufacturing of the B-2 flight control actuators. The B-2 Spirit, also known as the Stealth Bomber, is a US military aircraft designed for long-range strategic missions. It’s a revolutionary bomber with several key characteristics:Work will be performed at Elma, New York, and is expected to be completed by November 27, 2027. The Air Force Sustainment Center, Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, is the contracting activity. Kay and Associates, a company from Illinois, has been awarded $79.3 million to continue their work in Kuwait. They will keep helping w…

International relations are just a subset of personal relations. That is why we have summits where national leaders meet face to face, etc. At the end of the day, all the policy papers, posturing, and talking heads are secondary and supporting operations. Leaders and how they interact with each other is what makes the difference. Even in 50/50 democratic systems with party politics, the balance of a nation’s people will watch closely how their leaders, and as a byproduct their nation, are treated by friend and foe alike…but especially friends. Are they ignored by other leaders? Mocked? Dismissed? Respected? In parallel, there is another dynamic in play. Like people, nati…

Stormwatch Defense has announced the start of serial production for its jet turbine interceptor, following nearly three years of development and flight testing. The company described the system as a versatile airframe designed to integrate a wide array of weapons and payloads. In a statement, Rory Berger, director of Stormwatch Defense, said: “After nearly three […] The post Stormwatch launches jet interceptor production first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The U.S. State Department has approved a potential $705 million foreign military sale to Australia for M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS). According to a notification delivered by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) to Congress, the Australian government has requested 48 M142 HIMARS launchers, along with resupply vehicles, trailers, training rockets, communication systems, […] The post Australia to buy 48 HIMARS launchers in $705 million deal first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Japan’s Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi has suggested that Tokyo may move toward easing restrictions on the export of defense equipment to nations involved in armed conflicts, signaling a potential policy shift in the country’s long-standing arms transfer framework. Speaking on October 27 during a YouTube program titled “Sokomade Kikitai!!” hosted by Osamu Sorimachi, Koizumi said, […]View the full article

The United States Air Force has awarded Boeing a Lot 12 contract for 15 additional KC-46A Pegasus aerial refueling aircraft, the company confirmed on Tuesday. The agreement, valued at $2.47 billion, continues the service’s long-term effort to expand and modernize its tanker fleet. In a statement, Jake Kwasnik, vice president and KC-46 program manager, said, […]View the full article

Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it has formally protested South Korea’s military training near the disputed Takeshima islets, following reports that South Korean forces conducted exercises in the area earlier this week. According to a statement released on December 24, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan responded to reports that the South Korean […]View the full article

The United States Navy completed a major transition by fully integrating additive manufacturing, also known as 3D printing, into frontline fleet operations, cutting part lead times by up to 70 percent and placing printed components aboard aircraft carriers, submarines, and surface combatants, the service confirmed. According to Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA), the shift moved […]View the full article

Global Military Products has received a firm-fixed-price contract valued at up to $4.9 million to deliver its Scorpion Light mobile mortar system to the United States Marine Corps for testing and evaluation, the company announced on Feb. 24, 2026. The systems will be supplied through the Naval Surface Technology & Innovation Consortium and will undergo […]View the full article

The United States Air Force has still not completed initial operational test and evaluation for the KC-46A Pegasus tanker, with the program’s test cycle stretching on from 2019 as key technical fixes remain unfinished, according to the Pentagon’s Director, Operational Test and Evaluation annual report. The report states that DOT&E approved the KC-46A IOT&E test […]View the full article

The U.S. Air Force and Anduril Industries completed the first experimental testing of the YFQ-44A Collaborative Combat Aircraft with the Air Force’s newly stood-up Experimental Operations Unit last week, conducting a series of daily flight operations at Edwards Air Force Base in California. The exercise marked the first time Air Force personnel — not Anduril […]View the full article

Russian military aviation influencer Ilya Tumanov, who administers the widely followed Fighterbomber Telegram channel, has released the first photograph of Tu-160 serial number 8-04, named Deynekin, following its upgrade to the “M” standard. Previous imagery had shown the Deynekin undergoing modernization at the Kazan Aircraft Production Association plant as far back as 2020, making the […]View the full article

A Ukrainian naval drone lost control after Russian electronic warfare jammed its guidance system during a Black Sea mission, drifted into Romanian territorial waters, and detonated inside the civilian port of Constanța on Friday morning, the Ukrainian Navy confirmed. The explosion, which shook windows across the city and triggered a mass evacuation of the coastline, […]View the full article

Sweden and Ukraine signed an agreement covering the procurement of fighter jets for Ukraine’s Air Force, with deliveries set to begin in early 2029, Militarnyi reported. The signing ceremony took place in the presence of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, with Ukraine set to receive not only the aircraft but […]View the full article