Raw Intel

Seriously though, go read Ranger Up founder Nick's latest about Chris Hayes... MSNBC’s Chris Hayes proclaimed on Memorial Day that he was uncomfortable labeling fallen troops as heroes as he felt the term is used as an excuse to engage in “Unjust Warsâ€. Somewhere Michael Moore, Bill Maher, and the Westboro Baptist Church just had a Douchegasm... And it just gets better after that. Go check out ultimate in chops busting. View the full article

As outlined first and foremost by B.G. Burkett's book, Stolen Valor - we all know that the fakes and poseurs out there are not just harmless braggarts. They are harmful frauds that smear those who actually served, and through their false statements, absorb funds and benefits from those who deserve them.The Supreme Court - being without benefit of having served - just doesn't get it. They killed the Stolen Valor Act and there is nothing more to be done.What we can do is continue to do what we have done for years and the internet makes possible. Find the poseurs and publicly shame them. Partner with local news organizations to get the word out. If we no longer have the law…

F-35A (click to view full) In December 2011, Japan picked Lockheed Martin’s new F-35A stealth fighter as its next fighter aircraft, to replace its aging F-4 “Kai” Phantom fleet. The F-35 was actually their 2nd choice. Back in February 2006, Inside The Air Force (ITAF) reported that momentum was building within the USAF to sell the ultra-advanced F-22A Raptor abroad to trusted US allies, as a way of increasing numbers and production. Japan clearly wanted them, and the Raptor was a topic of diplomatic discussions in several venues, including a 2007 summit meeting. In the end, however, US politics denied export permission for downgraded export variants of the F-22, and it…

There was not a sea battle to be fought in that little war ... but there are lessons for our Navy all in it. I ponder my #1 lesson over at USNIBlog. Come by and ponder with me. 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=2ouXuomqzRQ:332CV29lP8w:gIN9vFwOqvQ http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=2ouXuomqzRQ:332CV29lP8w:-BTjWOF_DHI http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=2ouXuomqzRQ:332CV29lP8w:V_sGLiPBpWU http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=2ouXuomqzRQ:332CV29lP8w:F7zBnMyn0Lo http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/…

"The Long Game" series has been running here since 2004. 18-years. I'm starting to wonder if the title is all that accurate anymore. That which we have been warning about since the dawn of this blog is - if you are a believer that the PLAN is more than a job's program - here. Well, we're sticking with as it is what it is. If nothing else, you have to give a nod of respect to the People's Republic of China. They had a good plan and stuck with it. Sadly, we still have over 51% of the people who have access to levers of national power who don't get it. Things are getting better, but ... faster please. We are getting closer and closer to the critical mass needed to effecti…

AH-64 in Afghanistan (click to view full) The AH-64 Apache will remain the US Army’s primary armed helicopter for several more decades, thanks to the collapse of the RAH-66 Comanche program, and the retirement sans replacement of the US Army’s Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter (ARH). Apaches also serve with a number of American allies, some of whom have already expressed interest in upgrading or expanding their fleets. The AH-64E Guardian Block III (AB3) is the helicopter’s next big step forward. It incorporates 26 key new-technology insertions that cover flight performance, maintenance costs, sensors & electronics, and even the ability to control UAVs as part of man…

Civil wars are nasty and unpredictable things. The longer they go, the more the thin veneer of civilization starts to strip away for even the most advanced nations and their people. Less advanced nations devolve to Madmaxistan rather quickly. All governmental efforts, money, and attention goes towards weapons, food, and fuel. Industries, infrastructure, and parts of civil society that do not support that get left as if frozen in aspic. If you don't live in a nation suffering that civil war, it is easy not to pay attention to that which does not effect you. There is one aspect of the Yemen civil war that no one should ignore - and it is at sea. This isn't a disaster that a…

Americas General Dynamics won a $15.7 million deal for lead yard support and development studies and design efforts related to Virginia class submarines. Work will be performed in the continental US and is expected to be completed by June 2026. Fiscal 2023 research, development, test, and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $15,715,111 will […]View the full article

Americas Bell Boeing won a $21.3 million order, which provides for the production and delivery of 59 line clearance kits, 18 integrated aircraft survivability equipment (IASE) A-Kits, and installation of 16 IASE A-Kits, allowing increased infrared countermeasure and radar warning capability and aircraft survivability, in support of the MV-22 Osprey aircraft sustainment efforts for the […]View the full article

Americas Northrop Grumman has received a $1.5-billion contract to deliver E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft to the US Navy and Japan. A recent US Department of Defense announcement states that the company will produce nine new Hawkeyes – four for the navy and five for Tokyo. It will also provide associated support services to both customers. Most work for the contract will be performed in Florida, with an estimated completion date of March 2029. Bollinger Shipyards announced that its Pascagoula Mississippi shipyard now exceeds 1,000 employees, touting the milestone as it gears up to make the first heavy icebreaker in the US in more than 50 years – vessels Washington is keen …

Americas The US Navy Reserve’s KC-130T Hercules fleet, upgraded with the NP2000 propeller system, is now cleared to aerially refuel a significantly wider range of aircraft across the carrier airwing following envelope expansion testing at the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) which concluded in early 2025. Originally, the KC-130T aircraft were primarily used for cargo missions. However, recognising the increasing need to refuel more assets in the air, the Navy initiated a project to regain aerial refuelling capabilities across the fleet. Kira AAR Logistics Services JV LLC has been awarded a contract worth up to $98 million to provide in-flight training f…

A new image circulating on Chinese social media appears to show another next-generation combat aircraft undergoing flight testing—marking the third such design spotted in recent months, and underscoring China’s rapid expansion of its advanced airpower programs. The photo, which lacks a confirmed location or timestamp, shows a sharp-edged delta-wing aircraft with a distinct elongated nose […] The post New Chinese stealth aircraft spotted in test flight first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Australian-based Electro Optic Systems (EOS) has revealed the name and expanded capabilities of its next-generation high-energy laser weapon—Apollo—marking a critical step forward in directed-energy systems as global militaries race to counter the growing threat posed by drones. In a statement ahead of the DSEI defense exhibition in London, EOS confirmed that its 100-kilowatt-class High Energy […] The post EOS unveils Apollo laser weapon first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Russia’s state-owned United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) has delivered another batch of Su-34 fighter-bombers to the Russian Aerospace Forces. According to a statement from Rostec, the aircraft have successfully completed all required ground and flight tests and have now been handed over to their military operator. The company said production remains on schedule and emphasized the […] The post New wave of Su-34 bombers joins Russian strike fleet first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Ukraine’s defense sector is facing an escalating brain drain crisis as skilled engineers and technologists leave the country amid the ongoing war with Russia. Despite a surge in military contracts and state-backed production expansion, companies say they are struggling to replace experienced specialists lost to emigration, mobilization, and security threats. Several Ukrainian defense manufacturers told […]View the full article

Saudi airstrikes hit positions near the Saudi border in Yemen’s Hadramout province on Friday amid clashes between forces loyal to the Saudi-backed provincial governor and fighters aligned with the separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC), according to statements from local officials and the STC. The STC accused Saudi Arabia of carrying out seven airstrikes against its […]View the full article

Japan’s Ministry of Defense confirmed that a Russian Navy Steregushchiy III–class corvette, identified as Gremyashchiy (hull number 337), transited eastward through the Tsugaru Strait on Sunday and proceeded into the Pacific Ocean, according to an official release from the Joint Staff. The ministry said the vessel was first detected around 8:00 a.m. local time approximately […]View the full article

United States Secretary of War Pete Hegseth concluded the first phase of the Department’s nationwide “Arsenal of Freedom” tour on Feb. 27, 2026, with visits to defense industry facilities operated by General Dynamics and L3Harris in Camden, Arkansas, where he delivered remarks focused on expanding production capacity and accelerating weapons manufacturing. The tour, organized by […]View the full article

The United States Navy commissioned the Virginia-class fast-attack submarine USS Massachusetts (SSN 798) during a ceremony held on March 28 in Boston Harbor. According to the Navy, USS Massachusetts is the seventh Block IV Virginia-class submarine and was built under a teaming agreement between General Dynamics Electric Boat and HII-Newport News Shipbuilding. The submarine was […]View the full article

Raytheon Missiles and Defense has been awarded a $213.4 million contract modification to continue combat system work aboard the U.S. Navy’s Zumwalt-class destroyers, the Department of War announced on April 20, 2026. The award exercises options under a previously issued contract and covers installation, integration, development, testing, correction, maintenance, and modernization of Zumwalt-class mission systems […]View the full article