Raw Intel

Americas The US Navy will establish its second CMV-22B unit and the first squadron for the East Coast, at NAS North Island this fall. The squadron will eventually relocate Naval Station Norfolk in 2023. So far, 18 C-2A pilots have completed their transition to the CMV-22B. The goal is to have 115 C-2A pilots eventually. A new effort at synchronizing US Air Force maintenance and fighter squadrons is paying dividends, according to the branch’s Air Combat Command. The Combat Oriented Maintenance Organization, attempted first at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., in 2020, reduces the maintenance organizational structure, among other benefits, it said in a press release. Middle East…

If not you, who? Duty. Duty to your crew. The nature of a man is often revealed in crisis when he has to run on instinct. Meet then Staff Sergeant Henry R. Erwin, USAAC, just a good 'ole boy from Alabama. On April 12, 1945, Erwin's B-29, called the "City of Los Angeles," was the lead bomber in a group attack on a chemical plant in Koriyama, about 125 miles north of Tokyo. Aside from operating the radio, Erwin was also in charge of launching phosphorescent smoke bombs to help assemble the bombers before they proceeded to their target. Erwin was positioned behind the forward gun turret toward the front of the plane. Once he got the order to light the bombs, he dro…

I've always wished we stayed aligned with our Commonwealth allies and stuck with 11 November as Remembrance Day. Yes, we have Memorial Day, but I always thought the vibe - which if you have served with our Anglosphere friends you can feel - of Remembrance Day was more powerful and useful. I didn't really know what to put up today until I ran across a picture of one of our greatest Americans, President Eisenhower, in a speech he gave to veterans the year he was elected to the Presidency. After the events around the national humiliation at the end of August that closed the door for us on the Afghanistan conflict - regulars here know we've invested time here and over on Midr…

Americas Boeing won a $106 million delivery order for the repair of flight control surfaces used on the F/A-18 E/F and EA-18G aircraft. The US Navy F/A-18 E and F Super Hornet maritime strike attack aircraft are twin-engine, carrier-capable multirole fighter. The Growler is a derivative of the combat-proven two-seat F/A-18 Hornet, the US Navy’s maritime strike aircraft. The primary missions of the aircraft are electronic attack (EA) and suppression of enemy air defences (SEAD), particularly at the start and ongoing early stages of hostilities. Work will take place in Florida and Missouri. Estimated completion will be by March 2024. Raytheon won a $66.2 million deal for p…

Americas Black Construction won an $83.7 million deal for design and construction of wharf improvements at Naval Base Guam. The work to be performed includes the renovation and modernization of Berth 2 to provide full capability to support two loaded T-AKE vessels with the proper depth of water, sufficient wharf length, and power and utilities. The Lewis and Clark Class T-AKE is a dry cargo/ammunition ship, totaling 14 ships. Designed to operate independently for extended periods at sea while providing underway replenishment services, the T-AKE directly contributes to the ability of the Navy to maintain a forward presence. Work will take place in Guam. Expected completion…

Why do I do this to myself and you almost every Thursday for the better part of two decades? Well, mostly because I was grounded since a small child that you have to judge people by the content of their character; that everyone - regardless of who they are, what they look like, or what they do for a living - is worthy of respect as an individual. When that is not happening, speak up. Silence is approval. What today's diversity industry is all about runs completely contrary to what I believe. So, I speak up. With each year more are seeing that it is being used as a socio-political weapon against people, intentionally dividing groups in to sectarian parties defined by char…

Americas Tech giant DZYNE has inked a $49-million contract with the US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to develop low-cost, military-grade capabilities to boost the US unmanned fleet’s endurance and propulsion. The contract will support research and development for DZYNE’s long endurance program to create technology allowing the Air Force’s unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) to perform […]View the full article

Americas The US Navy is evaluating the operability of the Expeditionary Medical Unit (EMU) aboard the USNS Cody (EPF 14) Spearhead-class fast transport vessel. The trial supports the service’s objective to improve medical care capabilities for combat and humanitarian missions from sea to shore. Being held at the Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story, the evaluation focuses on the EMU’s Role 2 (R2) level healthcare function, which covers patient decontamination, biomedical repair, sterile supply, information technology, and command and control tasks. China said Wednesday it had suspended negotiations with the United States on nuclear non-proliferation and arms c…

The U.S. Navy’s F/A-18 and EA-18G aircraft have surpassed 12 million cumulative flight hours, marking a milestone achievement for one of the most enduring and versatile aircraft families in American military aviation. The Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), based at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland, announced the achievement on August 1. The milestone underscores the operational […] The post U.S. Navy F/A-18 and Growler fleet hits 12 million flight hours first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Brazil’s defense minister said Friday the country is increasingly concerned that its northern border could become entangled in the growing confrontation between the United States and Venezuela, following recent U.S. military deployments in the Caribbean and mounting rhetoric from Washington. Defense Minister José Múcio told reporters after a high-level military luncheon with President Luiz Inácio […] The post Brazil braces as U.S.-Venezuela tensions rise first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

North Korea has publicly displayed a new mobile anti-tank missile system for the first time, showcasing it as part of its annual “Defence Development 2025” exhibition in Pyongyang — an event that leader Kim Jong Un described as a presentation of the country’s “results” in modernizing and expanding its military capabilities. The exhibition featured a […] The post North Korea develops new mobile tank hunter first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

United States President Donald Trump has issued a stark warning to Nigeria, saying the U.S. may launch military action against what he described as “Islamic Terrorists” responsible for the killing of Christians in the country. In a statement posted on Truth Social, Trump wrote, “If the Nigerian Government continues to allow the killing of Christians, […]View the full article

The Royal Thai Air Force has selected the BARAK MX air and missile defense system from Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) as part of its plan to upgrade national base protection under its Integrated Air Defense System (IADS) program. The procurement contract, valued at 3.44 billion baht (approx. $107 million), includes one full BARAK MX unit, […]View the full article

Thailand’s Army has confirmed a direct tank engagement with Cambodian armored forces during recent fighting along the Thai-Cambodian border, after videos circulated on social media showing a Thai M48A5 tank engaging multiple Cambodian T-55 tanks. The footage was first published by Thai sources on social media, showing a Thai Army M48A5 main battle tank firing […]View the full article

The United States has deployed six EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft to the Middle East as part of a new force movement linked to preparations for a possible strike on Iran, according to open-source flight tracking data and regional air activity observed this week. The U.S. Navy Growlers departed from Naval Air Station Oceana in […]View the full article

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that Israel and the United States had launched a joint military operation targeting Iran, announcing the action in a video address released shortly after the strikes began. Speaking directly to Israeli citizens, Netanyahu said the operation was aimed at removing what he described as an existential threat posed by […]View the full article

Yesterday’s mention of the USS Tennessee (BB 43) had me thinking of other survivors of the attack on Pearl Harbor. That was when I remembered a FbF from a long time ago whose photo I like so much. There she is above, USS Pennsylvania (BB 38). Well worth an encore FbF. This is more of a reading assignment than anything else - this “summary” describes a ship’s life in full. When most people think of her, they think of her at her lowest point. At 0755 on the morning of December 7, 1941, the USS PENNSYLVANIA was sitting in dry-dock in the Pearl Harbor Navy Yard. Her screws had been removed from their shafts and were resting on the bottom of the dock. She had been scheduled …

Ukrainian defense manufacturer UkrArmoTech has launched factory trials of a prototype tracked armored personnel carrier called the Skif, marking the company’s first venture into tracked armored vehicle development after establishing itself as one of Ukraine’s leading producers of wheeled armored platforms. The announcement was reported by Defense Express. For UkrArmoTech — known for wheeled armored […]View the full article

Edge Group, the Emirati state-owned defense conglomerate, has released footage of a test of its SHADOW 25 jet-powered loitering munition, a canister-launched one-way attack system. Edge Group published the test footage alongside a statement describing the system’s rapid deployment capability. “Canister-launched SHADOW 25 moves from standby to airborne in seconds, reducing the logistics footprint and […]View the full article

The same family of unmanned surface vessels that has been hunting Russian warships in the Black Sea made its Indo-Pacific debut at the largest annual U.S.-Philippines military exercise, sinking a decommissioned target ship in live-fire conditions off the northern tip of the Philippine archipelago. UFORCE, the exclusive manufacturer of the Magura maritime drone family, confirmed […]View the full article