Raw Intel

The Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) has taken delivery of its first F-35B short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) fighter at Nyutabaru Air Base. The aircraft arrived at the base earlier today following delays linked to software development. Originally scheduled for delivery by the end of the last fiscal year, the handover was postponed due […] The post Japan receives first F-35B jets amid delays first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Korean Air is developing KUS-FX collaborative combat aircraft, a compact unmanned system that effectively functions as a lightweight cruise missile. Designed for both air- and ground-based launch, the KUS-FX is intended to strike high-value targets at distances up to 600 kilometers, while also supporting reconnaissance and deception missions in contested airspace. The KUS-FX combines features […] The post Korean Air develops KUS-FX drone for deep strike first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Show LinksIan Ellis’s outline of Caribbean U.S. Navy deployment The Melting Point: High Command and War in the 21st Century, by Kenneth F. McKenzie SummaryIn this conversation, Sal discusses various geopolitical issues, including a potential peace deal in Israel and Gaza, the implications of Iran’s weakened position, reflections on General McKenzie’s book… Read more View the full article

China’s newest and most advanced amphibious assault ship, the Sichuan, has been spotted dockside ahead of its expected first sea trials. Known as the Type 076 landing helicopter dock (LHD) — and referred to by NATO as the Yulan-class landing helicopter assault ship — the Sichuan is the first amphibious ship in the world designed […]View the full article

Japan is moving forward with live trials of its new 100-kilowatt-class laser weapon system aboard a military test ship. The high-energy laser was recently installed on the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force’s (JMSDF) testbed vessel Asuka and is now being readied for sea-based testing at Japan Marine United’s shipyard. The newly fitted laser system—developed by the […]View the full article

Ukrainian military have found a Russian Shahed-type one-way attack drone equipped with a man-portable air-defense system, marking the first confirmed observation of such a configuration. Serhii Beskrestnov, known by the call sign “Flash,” said the modified drone was identified on January 4. He reported that Russian forces mounted the portable surface-to-air missile system on the […]View the full article

Leonardo announced at the Singapore Airshow that it has signed a Letter of Intent with PT ESystem Solutions Indonesia and the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Indonesia to cooperate on the supply and support of M-346F “Block 20” aircraft for the Indonesian Air Force. According to Leonardo, the Letter of Intent follows the […]View the full article

As we are at D+2 and spent a full hour yesterday discussing Operation Epic Fury on the Midrats Podcast, I’m not going to review what we know so far—if you’d like Mark and my take, give the episode a listen. What I would like to do is dive into a topic that I hinted at in the show: my historical support for the punitive expedition. The target is valid, and the method has been underused for way too long. I support the strikes on Iran because it firmly fits into a view I have held on the use of national military power for decades, based on thousands of years of military practice. If you are not up to speed with the thousands of Americans dead and maimed by the Islamic Repub…

The Lebanese Armed Forces received 39 VAB armored personnel carriers donated by France during a ceremony held Tuesday at the Port of Beirut, according to an official statement from the army. The handover took place on March 31 and was attended by French Minister Delegate for Veterans and Armed Forces Affairs Alice Rufo, Lebanese Chief […]View the full article

French defense-electronics firm Thales announced on April 21 that Denmark has signed a contract for the SAMP/T NG long-range air and missile defense system — the first export deal ever signed for the next-generation Franco-Italian platform. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2028, and the agreement makes Denmark the third country to operate the system, […]View the full article

A U.S. drone company has secured its first international defense contract, winning an order from the Royal Australian Navy to supply Transwing vertical takeoff and landing unmanned aircraft systems for maritime distributed logistics operations, with deliveries of the initial P4 variant scheduled for spring 2026. PteroDynamics Inc., a California-based developer of autonomous VTOL aircraft, announced […]View the full article

A U.S. defense startup has been selected by the Defense Innovation Unit, a Department of War organization focused on accelerating commercial technology into military use, to advance an autonomous close-in weapon system designed to reduce aiming latency in close-in counter-drone engagements, moving into Phase II testing in front of Department of War evaluators this month. […]View the full article

Is it a good idea to start the week with a nightmare? Of course it is. All the cool kids like to talk about the “cyber domain” and the “digital battlespace.” Heck, we try to be cool ourselves here now and then…but there is something we don’t appreciate as much as we should. We know that in 2026 we do not have enough strategic sealift nor enough strategic airlift to move what we need to move if we should find ourselves in a fight west of the International Date Line. Heck, we’re not that sure we can even do a much easier lift to Europe should things get sporty there for more than a punitive expedition. During the latest Iran conflict, we did kind of smoke check our airlift …

The Pentagon’s top policy official has spent a week meeting with defense leaders from Germany, Britain, Italy, and Romania, laying the groundwork for a review that could reshape how many American troops stay in Europe and who actually pays for the continent’s defense going forward. Under Secretary of War for Policy Elbridge Colby detailed that […]View the full article

A senior U.S. Army acquisition delegation toured Hanwha Aerospace’s production facilities in Changwon, South Korea, on August 26 to review the company’s manufacturing capabilities across artillery, rocket systems and other land defense platforms. The delegation was led by Brent G. Ingraham, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology. The visit included a […]View the full article

Russian air defense troops appear to be using Chinese-designed shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles, according to an analysis by Ukrainian defense outlet Militarnyi of footage aired on Russian state television. The launchers were shown during an exercise by a mobile fire group of Russia’s 51st Air Defense Division in the Rostov region, in a segment broadcast by […]View the full article

Footage released by Yemen’s Houthis appears to show a Saudi National Guard AH-6i helicopter being struck by a loitering munition over Saudi Arabia’s Najran province, after the Saudi-led coalition said the aircraft crashed because of a technical malfunction, killing its two crew members. Coalition spokesman Maj. Gen. Turki al-Maliki said on Oct. 18 that the […]View the full article

An F-35 Lightning II maneuvers overhead during its first flight at Eglin Air Force Base, April 23, 2009. The jet is a fifth generation, single engine, stealth capable strike fighter and can perform close air support, tactical bombing and air defense missions. If you've been paying attention to the battle for US air dominance, you might be, like me, a little wary of the comparisons and the rhetoric. Since there are numbers flying all over the place with regards to cost (mostly from PR firms), I thought we ought to take a look at what the REAL cost of an F-35 is...and we'll look at it in the same terms that the DoD/USAF use to evaluate the bids. First, we need to ta…

This has been a difficult year, and many of us are not where we want to be this Christmas, or with who we want to be with. This too will soon pass, but to my nation's enemies, in the Christmas spirit, I will offer you this reminder for this evening; 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=rWXnE8x9-i0:8_ConCv0yH8:gIN9vFwOqvQ http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=rWXnE8x9-i0:8_ConCv0yH8:-BTjWOF_DHI http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=rWXnE8x9-i0:8_ConCv0yH8:V_sGLiPBpWU http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/F…

Sometimes, Midrats is like a VLS cell; you don't know what you have until ... wait ... bad analogy... but you get the concept. Today for the full hour, come join us for a classic Midrats melee ... we take on all topics as they come in to range. I'm sure we'll cover the latest Black Sea happenings, interesting justifications for more DDG in Rota, and WESTPAC always makes and appearance. Join us live if you can and roll in with your preferred topic in the chat room or call the switchboard number right here on the showpage. This Sunday from 5-6pm Eastern come join us for a Midrats free for all. Open topic, open chat, open phones. If you use iTunes, you can add Midrats …