Raw Intel

Ukrainian company Fulltime Robotics has presented a working prototype of its new anti-drone laser system, dubbed SlimBeam, designed specifically to engage and neutralize small FPV drones. The system was showcased during IRON DEMO 2025, where it drew attention for its compact size and directed-energy capabilities. According to an exclusive report by Oboronka, the SlimBeam laser […] The post Ukrainian startup develops lightweight drone-killer laser first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

British defense engineering firm Supacat has secured its first export contract with the Czech Ministry of Defense for 18 HMT Mk3 Extenda high-mobility vehicles, a system known in the UK as the Jackal 3 Extenda. The platforms will be delivered to the Czech Army’s 601st Special Forces Group, a premier rapid response and special reconnaissance […] The post Czech military buys Jackal 3 vehicles first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

As the war in Ukraine continues into its fourth year, one lesson stands out for militaries worldwide: even the simplest weapons can have a place on the modern battlefield. Among them is the shotgun — a smoothbore firearm long dismissed as outdated, yet now proving its worth against one of the most difficult threats facing […] The post Shotguns return to relevance in drone warfare first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The United States has intensified the use of its tethered aerostat radar system operating out of Lajas, Puerto Rico, expanding persistent airborne surveillance across the Caribbean amid growing regional security concerns. The long-standing system, equipped with the Lockheed Martin–built Tethered Aerostat Radar System (TARS), has been flying more frequently in recent weeks, according to defense […]View the full article

ImageSat International, a provider of space-based intelligence solutions, has introduced a new satellite platform named RUNNER, capable of real-time movement tracking from orbit—a capability the company says marks a new era for operational intelligence. According to ISI, RUNNER is the first satellite of its kind to provide dynamic, in-orbit surveillance enhanced by embedded artificial intelligence. […]View the full article

President Donald Trump approved U.S. military strikes in Venezuela days before the operation was carried out, according to two U.S. officials who spoke to CBS News under condition of anonymity to discuss national security matters. The officials said the president gave the U.S. military authorization to conduct land strikes in Venezuela several days ahead of […]View the full article

Raytheon has completed a ballistic test of the United States Army’s Next Generation Short Range Interceptor, a new man-portable air defense missile intended to replace the Stinger, the company announced on Feb. 2, 2026. According to Raytheon, the test demonstrated the interceptor’s ability to track drone targets and be launched from a shoulder-fired system. The […]View the full article

The United States Air Force has issued a Request for Information (RFI) to identify contractors capable of sustaining the life support systems of the U-2 high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft, one of the longest-serving intelligence platforms still in operational use. The notice, published February 26, 2026, by the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, launches market research […]View the full article

It has long been a dirty little secret that we made a decision to “accept risk” in defending our bases from attack. That momentary bet became a habit…and then part of the environment. The Army, especially during GWOT, didn’t just underfund air defense in general and treat it as a secondary career field—it never even considered what was needed to defend bases. The USAF? No better…and they relied on the Army for air defense. It was only 18 months or so ago they started to experiment with base defense. In the halls of the Pentagon, the military historians and Red Teams lost the argument to the accountants and the pet theories of The Smartest People in the Room™. When things …

Lithuania’s Ministry of National Defense announced Wednesday that it is acquiring the Merops AS-3 Surveyor counter-drone system from U.S. manufacturer Perennial Autonomy, including 48 interceptor drones, as part of an accelerated procurement process approved by the Lithuanian Government. The purchase marks another step in Vilnius’s push to field capable air defenses against the same drone […]View the full article

Lockheed Martin has secured a $991 million contract to produce electronic warfare upgrade kits for 432 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters across three U.S. military services and a substantial international customer base, in one of the largest single F-35 modernization awards in the program’s history. The Naval Air Systems Command at Patuxent River, Maryland, issued the […]View the full article

The U.S. Air Force awarded a $4 billion contract on June 8, to keep its training bases running for the next decade, selecting 19 companies to provide everything from aircraft maintenance and fire services to IT support, grounds keeping, and human resources across eleven Air Education and Training Command installations, including several of the Air […]View the full article

Albania has become the third country in the world to buy Turkey’s domestically built BORAN howitzer, signing a contract with Turkish state manufacturer MKE just days before NATO leaders gather in Ankara for this year’s summit, defense outlet Ulusavunma reported. The deal covers six BORAN 105mm towed howitzers along with an undisclosed quantity of ammunition, […]View the full article

I can think of few 18-month periods where shipbuilding, the merchant marine, and the importance of a strong maritime sector in the U.S. has been a more active topic. Near the center of this conversation—or at least a few paragraphs in—is a long-time friend of the show, Dr. Sal Mercogliano. He joins the Midrats Podcast today from 5-6 PM Eastern. Join us live at this link if you can, but if you miss it, refresh this page later Sunday night and the podcast links will be up. Sal is the Chair of the Department of History, Criminal Justice and Political Science at Campbell University; a former merchant mariner; and a contributor to USNI Proceedings, Sea History, Naval History, …

A fire broke out overnight Sunday at a WB Electronics facility in Skarżysko-Kamienna, Poland, adding another name to a growing list of European defense manufacturers hit by fires, explosions and suspected sabotage in 2026. The blaze started shortly after midnight in the plant’s assembly department, according to Radio Kielce, which cited a spokeswoman for local […]View the full article

As we have covered here through the years, the USCG used to be the most equal opportunity and race neutral of the uniformed services. Then a decade ago, Congress removed the requirement at the USCG Academy that it could not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, or national origin – and once that firewall was gone, we were off to the identity politics Olympics. I would like to point your attention to two ALCOAST messages; 452/20 and 195/20. Both went out December 15th, 452/20 about five hours before 195/20. You can read the full messages at the hypertext links above. Before you do that, let’s establish a few assumptions. 1. The diversity commissariat used to …

While the Royal Navy's new aircraft carrier and her battlegroup heading east of Suez for a bit of showing the flag, with her Dutch and American friends along for comic relief, the Arabian sea the last week seemed to wake up. The chief of Israel’s armed forces spoke with his British counterpart on Sunday, the Israeli military said, after London accused Iran of carrying out an attack on an Israeli-managed ship off Oman last week that killed a Briton and a Romanian. Lieutenant-General Aviv Kohavi and Britain’s Staff General Nick Carter “discussed recent events in the region and common challenges faced by both countries,” said an Israeli military statement... In case…

This is kind of strange and different ... so of course, it is kind of growing on me. Via Megan Eckstein at Defense News; The U.S. Navy has promised a first deployment for its new aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford by this fall — but that deployment won’t be a typical one, the head of Naval Air Force Atlantic told Defense News. Ford won’t fall under the operational command of a regional combatant commander. Rather, it will conduct a “service-retained early employment” period where the Navy keeps full control over the ship’s activities and schedule, Rear Adm. John Meier said. The Navy keeping COCOM hands off their ships for awhile ... good. Nice habit. We should do this more…

We talked about them a little bit on yesterday's Midrats, but I can't keep them out of mind - so, we'll start out the week looking at one hell of a fleet the Japanese seem to be building; On the morning of September 1, the Japan Jiji News Agency suddenly reported news that the Japanese Ministry of Defense is preparing to build two new large warships. Its main features are: the standard displacement is about 20,000 tons, equipped with SPY-7 large radar originally used for land-based missile defense systems, equipped with American-made Standard-3 Block 2A anti-ballistic missiles, and Standard-6 long-range air defense missiles, made in Japan, Type 12 anti-ship missiles, and…

Americas Sikorsky won a $34 million modification, which exercises an option to provide validation and test tooling in support of achieving a production quantity at full rate of up to 24 CH-53K aircraft per year. Work will be performed in Salt Lake City, Utah (86%); and Stratford, Connecticut (14%), and is expected to be completed […]View the full article