Raw Intel

BAE Systems has publicly revealed its Multi-Domain Artillery Cannon System for the first time, offering the defense world its first look at a platform the defense giant is developing to give the U.S. Army a new way to shoot down drones, cruise missiles, and other aerial threats using artillery-style firepower. The images released by BAE […]View the full article

A Czech aircraft manufacturer that has been building military planes for a century just posted the best financial results in its modern history, with profit before tax jumping more than 400 percent in a single year as demand for affordable jet trainers accelerates across defense markets worldwide. AERO Vodochody AEROSPACE, the largest aircraft manufacturer in […]View the full article

Two of NASA’s most storied research jets have traded their usual gray paint for a full red, white, and blue makeover, and the aircraft getting the treatment have spent decades doing work most Americans have never heard of despite watching some of its results on the evening news for years. NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center […]View the full article

Investigators have found a second impact crater from a North Korean ballistic missile fired at Ukraine, and the distance between that crater and the ruins of a family home that killed six people tells its own story about how these weapons actually behave once they leave the launch pad. Vladyslav Vlasiuk, the Ukrainian president’s commissioner […]View the full article

This book is by a very interesting character whom I met (is whom right there?) when I joined the ad sales staff at madison.com, home of the two Madison papers. Not long before that there was a campaign to support the site that used some awesomely Soviet style, propaganda looking imagery including a red star (this is a very tame example, they had some much more Daily Worker ones). The funny thing was they denied it was at all based on that and claimed it was art deco or some BS. I wasn't buying it and hammered them on my blog on their own site. When I started working there, I went to see the marketing director, a guy named Jon Friesch, who(m?) I assumed was a left wing but…

Back in 2008's Zhuhai airshow, a mysterious SAM called FL-3000N was shown and looked a lot like RIM-116 (aka RAM). You can see my commentary on this system at the bottom of my blog entry on Zhuhai 2008. At the time, I thought it was more of an export project, since Zhuhai airshow tend to display those more prominently. I was also under the impression that PLAN was going the route of using new air defense guns as the next generation CIWS. It turned out with the recent Varyag photos, that they have decided to field both this new SAM (domestic designation is supposedly HQ-10) and what looks to be Type 730 (commonly found on most recent PLAN warships) on Varyag. You…

Here is a title that isn't shocking to anyone on the front porch; U.S. Navy Officials Suppressed Bad LCS-1 Test Results Mike Faybey's article at AviationLeak is worth a full read, so is POGO's say about it. Nothing really shocking in some respects, especially the testing information - but what is more interesting is what this tells us about the culture. There are two things that I think are the most important in the article. They are things that perhaps the general public does not fully get a grasp of, and sadly those inside the lifelines know so well that they are an accepted part of the atmosphere. First, like we discussed with Chris Cavas on Midrats last…

Americas A crew from the 40th Flight Test Squadron successfully carried out the first AIM-120D missile firing from an F-15EX on January 25. The test took place in the Gulf of Mexico and a BQM-167 target drone was engaged by the air-to-air weapon. Maj. Benjamin Naumann, who fired the missile, said: “I am humbled to have the opportunity to fire the first weapon, but the bigger success is the verification of the F-15EX capability to live-fire a missile.” The US Navy will mark the centennial of its first aircraft carrier, USS Langley (CV 1) this year. CV 1 entered service on March 20, 1922. The ship fought against the Japanese during the World War Two and was sunk off Java o…

Americas Lockheed Martin won a &632.1 million deal, which provides engineering, maintenance, logistics and material support to continue to develop, sustain and produce software builds, as well as carryout developmental flight tests in support of the F-35 Lightning II aircraft for the Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy, Foreign Military Sales customer, and non-US Department of Defense (DOD) participants’ funds. The deal also provides unique sea trials on aircraft carriers for the government of the United Kingdom. Work will take place in Texas, Florida, Maryland, New Hampshire, California, United Kingdom and Canada. Expected completion is in March 2024. A 50kW-class high en…

Navalists should be forgiven if they have, on occasion, the mindset and habits of an abused partner. Slightly flenching with memory, but always hoping that this time - this time - things will be different. There is good reason for scepticism and concern. Firstly, we know the mindset and process that begat LCS and DDG-1000. We know that there wasn't really any accountability to "the system" for this. A system that has remained unchanged. The only thing that was considered satisfactory from that era was LPD-17 - a program that had enough money thrown at it so this Tiffany amphib could be a functional class of warships. FORD is, well, you know that drill. So, we lost a gen…

Americas Northrop Grumman won a $60 million modification, which adds scope to procure long lead parts and associated support for two E-2D Advanced Hawkeye plus up aircraft for the Navy. Work will be performed in Syracuse, New York (25.06%); Rolling Meadows, Illinois (9.52%); Woodland Hill, California (5.87%); Menlo park, California (5.08%); Greenlawn, New York (3.33%); […]View the full article

Americas Boeing has expressed interest in converting its F-15EX Eagle II fighter jet into electronic attack aircraft similar to the EA-18G Growler. Company official Rob Novotny said to Breaking Defense that internal discussions are currently underway whether to proceed with the proposed conversion or not. The F-15EX already boasts an electronic warfare (EW) capability, thanks to its Eagle Passive Active Warning Survivability System. Kratos has unveiled a small affordable engine intended for the US Air Force’s futuristic Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA). Developed in partnership with GE Aerospace, the GEK800 can reportedly generate up to 3,000 pounds (1,360 kilograms) o…

Sadly, not everyone subscribes to the Midrats Podcast, I wanted to build off part of yesterday’s podcast on the latest developments in the US Navy’s drone programs. My big takeaway is that the surface force—and the subsurface drone programs as well—are not going to (or more likely be allowed to) repeat the same mistake for our Navy and the nation made when the pointy-nosed people at NAVAIR killed the promise that was the X-47B a dozen years ago. Though my desire is for ‘more faster’, when I take a deep breath and step back, on balance, this leaves me quite happy with the plan. Joseph Trevithick over at TWZ has a great summary of the state of play. The Naval Sea Systems Co…

The U.S. Army has initiated the deployment of counter-drone technologies on its armored platforms in response to the evolving threat posed by low-cost, first-person-view (FPV) unmanned aerial systems. The move reflects a growing recognition within the Army’s leadership that these small, improvised strike drones represent a credible challenge on the modern battlefield. According to the […] The post U.S. armored vehicles get anti-drone protection first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

China is advancing efforts to challenge one of the world’s most widely exported combat drones, the Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2, with a new domestically developed system undergoing flight testing. At the AVIC test range, engineers are putting the CH-3D combat drone through a series of evaluations. The aircraft, developed by China’s state-owned aviation giant AVIC, is […] The post China targets Bayraktar TB2’s market dominance with new armed drone first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Cambodia has begun withdrawing heavy weapons from its border areas with Thailand, marking the start of a joint disarmament plan aimed at reducing tensions following months of military standoff. Cambodian state media released footage showing the removal of rocket artillery and self-propelled guns from designated sites in Preah Vihear Province. According to Cambodian reports, the […]View the full article

Promotion and selection are zero-sum games. For every bad leader given the nod, a better leader is left on the cutting room floor. No system is perfect, there will always be bad selections and the correct selections. The key is if your system is very good at making the good selections, and minimizes the odds of bad selections. If you are unhappy with the results of the system you have, then you should change it. Systems in a rut generally trend towards increasing error, as they have lost the ability to self-correct as circumstances and requirements demand. A little positive disruption, if you have the right disruptive agent, will make a system better. A gentle way to dis…

Russia’s Ministry of Defense said on Thursday, January 1, that it handed over decrypted routing data and a flight controller from what it claims was a Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle involved in an alleged attack on President Vladimir Putin’s residence near Lake Valdai to a representative of the U.S. embassy’s military attache office. According to […]View the full article

Hanwha Aerospace confirmed on February 2, 2026, that it has signed a contract with the Norwegian Defence Material Agency to supply the Chunmoo Multiple Rocket Launcher System to the Norwegian Armed Forces. According to the company, the agreement is valued at approximately $922 million and covers the delivery of 16 Chunmoo launch vehicles, a package […]View the full article

The Israel Ministry of Defense confirmed that a cargo ship carrying military equipment, including dozens of Humvees, trucks, and additional military gear, arrived and was unloaded at the Port of Haifa over the weekend as part of ongoing logistical support for Israel Defense Forces operations under Operation Roaring Lion. According to a statement from the […]View the full article