Raw Intel

New satellite imagery appears to show a stealthy adaptation of China’s Z-20 medium-lift helicopter, a platform long regarded as a near-clone of the U.S. H-60 Black Hawk. Defense analyst Andreas Rupprecht shared the image on social media, writing: “And maybe another surprise… this is rumoured to be the stealthy Z-20.” The newly surfaced image, which […]View the full article

Echodyne, a radar technology company based in Washington state, announced today that California-based Zone 5 Technologies has selected its radar system for integration into the Paladin Low Collateral Effects Interceptor (LCEI), an autonomous counter-drone solution. The Paladin is the first drone of its kind to be added to the Department of War’s Blue UAS Cleared […]View the full article

If you’ve been looking for a more substantial reason for the latest news coming from Japan, you’re thinking right. The last month or so since the new Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi, took office, you’re hearing a lot of superficial symptoms of a larger issue. Hardline conservative Sanae Takaichi was voted in by parliament as Japan’s first female prime minister on Tuesday, emulating her hero, Britain’s late leader Margaret Thatcher, after a whirlwind few weeks of political wrangling. … She is a regular visitor to the Yasukuni shrine, which honours Japan’s war dead - including some executed war criminals - and is viewed by some Asian neighbours as a symbol of its past milita…

Russian combat aviation dropped a record 5,717 aerial bombs on Ukrainian territory in January 2026, marking the highest monthly figure since the start of the full-scale invasion, according to calculations published by Militarnyi. Data compiled by the OSINT experts show that Russian forces increased the use of aerial bombs by 26 percent compared with December […]View the full article

Singapore’s Ministry of Defence on Feb. 27 announced plans for the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) to acquire three Gulfstream G550 Maritime Surveillance Aircraft to enhance early warning capabilities against maritime threats, Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing said while presenting the ministry’s annual spending plans in parliament. The acquisition is intended to strengthen Singapore’s […]View the full article

Caracal USA said in March 2026 it had been awarded a government contract to supply CAR814 A2 Patrol rifles to various agencies in Belize. The Idaho-based manufacturer said the agreement covers delivery of 5.56x45mm NATO rifles designed for military and law enforcement use. According to a statement from Caracal USA, the CAR814 A2 Patrol rifle […]View the full article

EOS Defence Systems USA demonstrated its Sling Blade counter-drone system during the U.S. Army’s Summit Strike live fire exercise, conducted by the 10th Mountain Division. The combined arms exercise focused on the planning and integration of emerging technologies within a contested, large-scale combat environment, drawing together multinational forces and industry participants to coordinate effects across […]View the full article

Britain has signed a nearly £1 billion, approximately $1.33 billion, contract for 72 RCH 155 remote-controlled howitzers, the Ministry of Defence announced May 13, 2026. The contract was awarded by the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation, known as OCCAR, on behalf of the British Army to ARTEC GmbH, a joint venture between KNDS and Rheinmetall. […]View the full article

A Belgian military transport aircraft spent an entire day flying protective weapons systems from Canadian military stocks to Ukraine, in a priority delivery that Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken announced on Sunday with enough detail to confirm the mission happened but not enough to reveal what was actually delivered. The deliberate opacity around the cargo […]View the full article

Seven Russian warplanes sat inside hardened aircraft shelters on occupied Crimean soil this week, and Ukraine’s security service says it turned most of them into wreckage before dawn. Ukraine’s Security Service, known by its Ukrainian initials SBU, said its drones struck seven hangars at the Saky military airfield in western Crimea, destroying or damaging at […]View the full article

An Israeli defense company just shipped its 1,000th version of a gun system that has become one of the most common ways navies around the world shoot down small boats and drones without putting a sailor’s life on the line to do it. Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, an Israeli state-owned defense contractor, announced the delivery […]View the full article

The engine maker behind America’s most advanced fighter jet just got a quarter-billion-dollar boost to fix problems with that engine and make it more powerful. Pratt & Whitney, the company that builds the F135 engine powering every F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, received a contract modification worth up to $240.8 million from the Department of War. […]View the full article

The Netherlands plans to turn an Australian-designed laser into a working weapon against drones and build it on Dutch soil, the Dutch Ministry of Defense said Thursday. State Secretary for Defense Derk Boswijk signed a letter of intent this week with Electro Optic Systems (EOS), the Canberra-based maker of the Apollo high-energy laser. The ministry […]View the full article

North Korea test-fired two types of submarine-launched strategic cruise missiles in the sea east of the Korean Peninsula on Oct. 14, state media said, in what South Korean analysts believe was the first missile launch from the Hero Kim Kun Ok, the submarine Pyongyang unveiled three years ago as its first “tactical nuclear attack submarine.” […]View the full article

Did you catch Biden's speech where he introduced him nomination for Secretary of Defense? In it, if you look at a certain angle, you can see an outline of what you can expect from him - broadly - for national security priorities. I have quotes and details over at USNIBlog. Come by and give it a read and tell me what you think. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?d=yIl2AUoC8zA http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?d=qj6IDK7rITs http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=jU_INXPF9fs:1AVju-Le09Y:gIN9vFwOqvQ http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=jU_INXPF9fs:1AVju-Le09Y:-BTjWOF_DHI http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=jU_INXPF9f…

The last year has seen a growing bi-partisan consensus that the United States and the People's Republic of China are in competition to set the global order for the next century. After a year to firmly set in the minds of national security leaders on both sides of the aisle, we find ourselves at a moment when Congress and the Executive branch of government are both in the mood to strengthen our nation and expand job opportunities by opening the door for more spending. Why haven't we seen the logical connection between the two? To explain the importance of this moment in time is returning guest poster, Bryan McGrath. Bryan, over to you. In a speech in Pittsburgh Wed…

Americas Northrop Grumman won a $13 million contract modification for repair services for the RQ-4 Global Hawk and MQ-4C Triton. The Global Hawk and the Triton are both high-altitude surveillance aircraft. The Navy MQ-4C differs from the Air Force RQ-4 mainly in its wing. While the Global Hawk remains at high altitude to conduct surveillance, the Triton climbs to 50,000 ft to see a wide area and can drop to 10,000 ft to get further identification of a target. The Triton’s wings are specially designed to take the stresses of rapidly decreasing altitude. Work will take place in California, Utah, Virginia, New Mexico, Missouri, Ohio, New York, Kansas and Maryland. Estimated …

Americas The Israeli-made Iron Dome missile interception system has been deployed in Guam. The equipment first arrived on the island by ship on October 19. The deployment has been dubbed Operation Iron Island. Atlantic Diving Supply won a $25 million contract modification for temporary aircraft maintenance structures (TAMS). The modification provides for the purchase of Phase II of the TAMS project which was separately priced and competed under the basic deal. Work will take place at Hill Air Force Base in Utah. Estimated completion date is November 24, 2023. Middle East & Africa Turkey is preparing to start the mass production of lightweight, medium class and heavy…

Americas The US Navy deployed the MQ-8C Fire Scout next generation ship-based autonomous helicopter system operationally on December 14, 2021. Deployed with Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 22, Detachment 5 (HSC-22 DET 5) aboard USS Milwaukee (LCS-5), Fire Scout provides greater organic intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and targeting (ISR&T) capabilities for the US Navy, manufacturer of the UAV said in a statement. The US Federal Trade Commission has sued to block Lockheed Martin Corporation’s $4.4 billion proposed vertical acquisition of Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings Inc, the last independent US supplier of missile propulsion systems. The FTC will file a compla…

How long do you wait to see what you purchased with the lives of 17 Sailors? Back in 2015 I decided we needed a measure of time for things in the Navy, and settled on a measure of time called a WorldWar; I think "years" does not really tell the best story about how long it takes to get even the most simple ship to displace water after the "go" is given. Perhaps we need a new measurement - one that provides context. We need one defined in American terms, natch, and I have an idea. I've used it before; the time from the attack on Pearl Harbor to the signing ceremony on the Mighty Mo. That is 07DEC41 to 02SEP45. 3-years, 8-months, 26 days. Including the end date, that is 1,…