Raw Intel

Our buddy Galrahn tweeted yesterday, For the fifth time in a week, a very serious defense person described Hagel to me in private as "an idiot" or "stupid." That is chilling. — Raymond Pritchett (@Galrahn) August 22, 2013 Not the first time I have heard that, but the guy was elected to quite a few offices. So, who am I to judge his IQ - though there are lots of brilliant idiots out there and very smart people who don't know squat about what they should - or know a lot of what is just wrong. SECDEF Hagel was hired for one reason; to preside over the more rapid decline of the US military so that the next President doesn't have enough to really do anything overseas - a…

Americas The US Navy announced the start of its first manned and unmanned capabilities exercise on April 19 at Naval Base San Diego. Executed by the Navy’s 3rd Fleet, “Unmanned Battle Problem 21” will “generate warfighting advantages in integrating multi-domain manned and unmanned capabilities into the most challenging operational scenarios,” ist says in a statement. Unmanned systems, including the MQ-9 Sea Guardian and MQ-8 Fire Scout unmanned aerial vehicles, Sea Hunter and Sea Hawk unmanned surface vessels and small and medium unmanned undersea vehicles with modular payloads will be involved in exercises. The USS Oakland, the Navy’s newest littoral combat ship, was fo…

Americas According to Jane’s, the US Navy is not keen to use the MQ-4C in an airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) role. The Hudson Institute’s senior fellow, Bryan Clark, had told Janes that the new sensors onboard IFC-4 variant of the MQ-4C have passive sensing capability to be used for AEW&C. Doug Shaffer, Northrop Grumman vice-president and program manager for Triton programs, also revealed that the company is thinking about having the E-2D and MQ-4C share each other’s pictures in demonstrations. But the mission set has been ruled out by Captain Dan Mackin, the maritime UAS manager. Mackin wants the unmanned air vehicle to focus on maritime surveillance. …

As winter arrives in Eastern Europe and the Russo-Ukrainian war approaches the end of its first year, a very serious war will become even more serious. Both nations are increasingly fully invested in to seeing this to the end. Though on paper stronger, cracks in national resolve in Russia are showing much more than in Ukraine. Wars of choice for conquest – which is what Russia is engaged in – has a much different impact on a nation’s people than an existential war for national survival, which is the war Ukraine is in. As Russia’s problems in trying to achieve something that looks like victory manifests itself in to the Russian people’s waning support for the war, the rule…

While it can be frustrating when "our friends" can be a tad difficult, but in adult friendships when people have independence you have to expect friends to have disagreements with you now and then, have other priorities, or are just one of those "challenging friends" that is a pain in the tail but when important things come up that count, they are there more often than not. Nations can be like people. While some nations are easy friends, there are nations who no one really likes. Sure, nations will do business with them and do their best to go along to get along. Even jerks have money and resources, so you do what you need to do, but as they seem more interested in takin…

Americas The US Air Force is integrating the Angry Kitten electronic warfare (EW) pod into larger aircraft, including the A-10 Thunderbolt II and C-130 Hercules. Developed by the Georgia Tech Research Institute, the pod has already been tested on the F-16 and is currently being tested on the MQ-9 Reaper. Initial tests on the C-130 combat search and rescue aircraft have shown promising results, particularly for aircraft with larger radar cross-sections lacking robust EW capabilities. Future testing is planned for the KC-46 and KC-135 tankers, further expanding the Air Force’s electronic warfare capabilities. GE Aerospace has been awarded a $5 billion contract by the US Air…

A video circulating on TikTok appears to show, for the first time, a modernized Zlin Z-137 Agro Turbo aircraft modified to carry and launch missiles. The clip was shared by the open-source intelligence community Tysk, which wrote: “Flight of a turboprop Moravan Z-137 Agro Turbo, converted to launch missiles, somewhere over Ukraine.” The footage has […] The post Missile-equipped farm plane spotted in Ukraine first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Japan’s Defense Minister Gen Nakatani announced on October 10 that the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) will dispatch two instructors to Lithuania to provide landmine clearance training for Ukrainian personnel. The move represents Japan’s first activity under the framework it joined in 2023 to support Ukraine. In a press conference, Nakatani said the initiative aims […] The post Japan sends military instructors to train Ukrainian soldiers first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

An open-source intelligence group says debris linked to a Chinese-made FK-2000 air defense missile system was found near the crash site of a Sudanese Air Force Il-76 transport aircraft downed near Babanusa. According to Mintel World, analysts reviewed images from the crash area and identified what they described as a possible launch or booster section […]View the full article

South Korea has finalized its national defense budget for 2026 at KRW 65.8642 trillion (approximately $44.7 billion), representing a 7.5% increase over the 2025 allocation, the Ministry of National Defense said on December 3. Although the original budget proposal submitted to the National Assembly anticipated an 8.2% increase, lawmakers reduced the final figure by KRW […]View the full article

Thai tank crews operating the VT-4 main battle tank have raised sharp criticism over the platform’s reliability during real-world operations, citing repeated mechanical failures and design shortcomings encountered during active use, according to multiple accounts from serving personnel. Soldiers and officers familiar with the tank’s operation report that the VT-4 has suffered from frequent malfunctions […]View the full article

Kuwait’s Ministry of Defense confirmed that several United States Air Force combat aircraft crashed during morning hours, stating that all aircrews survived and were safely recovered following emergency search and rescue operations, according to an official government statement identified as Statement No. 7. In its official announcement, the Kuwaiti Ministry of Defense spokesperson said: “This […]View the full article

Japan’s Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) on Tuesday confirmed the first operational deployment of domestically developed stand-off missiles, formally fielding the newly designated Type-25 surface-to-ship missile and Type-25 hyper velocity gliding projectile (HVGP) as part of the country’s evolving counterstrike capability. According to the JGSDF statement, the systems previously known as the upgraded Type-12 surface-to-ship guided […]View the full article

Just as you were struggling through your East Coast commute on Wednesday or finishing up your networking after Sea, Air, Space 2026, Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell rolled this out. John C. Phelan served as the 79th Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) for 393 days. Just under a month more than a year. Since the announcement of his departure Wednesday afternoon, there has been a lot of speculation as to why. Within the first couple of hours I heard at least a half dozen earnestly described reasons why that were, if anything, just guessing and speculation. Some were ham-handedly using this as an opportunity to promote a personal project, agenda, or worldview. This is neither the…

A Czech drone company with Ukrainian roots has signed a contract to supply reconnaissance unmanned aerial systems to U.S. Army units stationed in Europe, the company announced, marking what appears to be the first confirmed international defense export contract for U&C UAS and placing a European-manufactured ISR drone into American military service on the continent […]View the full article

The United States has awarded Northrop Grumman an additional $31 million to keep Poland’s advanced air and missile defense command system operational, deepening the American industrial commitment to one of NATO’s most strategically positioned frontline air defense networks. The contract modification, awarded by Army Contracting Command at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, adds $31 million to a […]View the full article

The modern battlefield no longer belongs solely to armor thickness and engine power. Drones circle overhead, electronic warfare degrades communications, and sensor networks feed commanders more data than any single operator can process in real time. Against that backdrop, two companies from opposite ends of the defense technology spectrum are betting that the next leap […]View the full article

The U.S. Navy will commission its newest guided-missile destroyer, the USS Ted Stevens (DDG 128), on October 3 in Whittier, Alaska, according to a release from Commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet. The ceremony will be the first Navy ship commissioning held in Alaska since 2013, when the USS Anchorage (LPD 23) was commissioned […]View the full article

Unlike Germany and Italy, Japan has been much slower to get back in to the military game outside its borders. Much of that derives from the constitutional restrictions we put in their new government after WWII. With that are the habits generations of Japanese leaders have developed when looking at this area and are comfortable with. Slowly, that is changing. Especially as memories fade of Japanese occupation, and a sober appreciation of the very real threat from China, each year brings more details. Here's the latest move; The government is considering exporting the Maritime Self-Defense Force’s destroyer to Indonesia, according to informed sources. Negotiations …

All you need to do is look at a map to tell that we are a maritime nation. A strong Navy is only part of being a maritime power. As everyone is starting to appreciate as they look at empty shelves, rising prices, and fleets of merchant ships waiting for their turn off overburdened ports - the other side of a maritime power can impact everyone's quality of life overnight. If most Americans knew the relative weakness - and in areas complete absence - of America in the maritime trade that keeps up employed, fed, and secure, they would probably have a mild panic attack. Is part of the problem simply that we lack a national focus? Could a solution be to establish a cabinet-lev…