Raw Intel

In the first week of this year, I made my feeling about the unfortunate Greenland kerfuffle clear, so no need to replow that field. I also have a love/frustration relationship with the Danes. As we tried to fill the CJSOR for ISAF in the 00s, the unending nightmare was having to say, “Well, that is nice…but what are the national caveats?” At least for the first decade of the war, if you saw GBR, AUS, NLD, CAN, EST, DNK on that CJSOR line, you could take a bit of a breath as you knew there would be very few national caveats that would make their utility much different than a U.S. unit. Other nations…not so much. Denmark and Estonia were, in essence, interchangeable with …

The United States Army demonstrated a long-range aviation combat operation exceeding 1,300 miles during the Talon Reach exercise on March 12, 2026, conducting a coordinated attack and air assault mission across the Korean Peninsula. According to the Army, the large-scale operation involved AH-64 Apache attack helicopters, UH-60 Black Hawk utility helicopters, and CH-47 Chinook heavy-lift […]View the full article

The United States Missile Defense Agency has awarded Raytheon an $8.41 billion contract ceiling increase to support the sustainment and engineering of Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) variants, expanding the total contract value to $11.74 billion. According to the U.S. Department of War, the modification applies to a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (HQ0851-21-D-0001). Under the updated agreement, […]View the full article

The Republic of Korea Air Force’s first Embraer C-390 Millennium military transport aircraft has completed its maiden flight from the manufacturer’s facility near Sao Paulo, Brazil. According to Embraer, the aircraft will now enter a phase of testing and integration of specific systems to meet the operational needs of its first Asian operator. The milestone […]View the full article

The United States Navy has awarded General Dynamics Electric Boat a $15.38 billion contract modification to support the Columbia-class ballistic missile submarine program, including design work, lead yard support, and industrial base development. According to the U.S. Department of War, the award covers additional Columbia-class submarine design activities, class lead yard support, sustainment, and integrated […]View the full article

The United States Air Force has successfully demonstrated a new capability to install and upgrade software on the F-22 Raptor in minutes, marking a shift in how mission systems can be updated directly on the aircraft. The effort was conducted by Defense Unicorns in partnership with the Air Force Sustainment Center Software Directorate. According to […]View the full article

The United States Army’s 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) was spotted using a sniper rifle equipped with a futuristic muzzle device during a validation exercise at the Muscatatuck Urban Training Center in Indiana. According to the official caption accompanying the image, “Green Berets with the 2nd Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) provide security from […]View the full article

Palantir Technologies announced a strategic partnership with Ondas and World View Enterprises to develop and deploy a new generation of AI-enabled intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities spanning stratospheric, aerial, and ground domains. According to the companies, the partnership combines Palantir’s Artificial Intelligence Platform with Ondas’ autonomous aerial and ground systems and World View’s Stratollite high-altitude […]View the full article

Ukrainian military pilots have again raised concerns that the service life of their flight equipment may expire before the operational lifespan of their aircraft, particularly across MiG-29, Su-27, and L-39 fleets. The issue was highlighted by the “Sonyashnyk” (Sunflower) community, a group closely linked to Ukrainian military aviators, which pointed to ongoing reliance on legacy […]View the full article

The United States Army has received its first AH-64E Apache helicopters for the 1st Armored Division’s Combat Aviation Brigade at Fort Bliss, Texas, with the aircraft arriving on February 12, 2026 as part of an initial delivery to modernize the unit. The deployment comes as the brigade transitions into a Heavy Combat Aviation Brigade, a […]View the full article

The United States Air Force has awarded BAE Systems a contract to support and modernize the AN/ALQ-221 Advanced Defensive System installed on the U-2 Dragon Lady reconnaissance aircraft. According to BAE Systems, the contract was issued by Robins Air Force Base in Georgia and includes ongoing field service support, system repairs, and software updates designed […]View the full article

A delegation from the United States Army recently visited the Czechoslovak Group (CSG) in the Czech Republic to examine potential cooperation and assess the group’s capabilities in ground systems and artillery ammunition. During the visit, the delegation toured production sites, assembly lines, and manufacturing processes, including a demonstration of the Morana 155 wheeled self-propelled howitzer […]View the full article

The Royal Netherlands Navy has acquired 12 V-BAT unmanned aerial systems following operational testing, including trials conducted during the Cold Response exercise off Norway. According to the Dutch Navy, the V-BAT drones are equipped with radar and camera systems designed to conduct reconnaissance and gather intelligence over extended periods. The platform can operate for several […]View the full article

It is always a great day when an alumnus of The Midrats Podcast assumes another position to advance our Navy. A decade after joining the faculty at the Naval War College, Captain Sam Tangredi, USN (Ret.), PhD, has a new line on his CV. From the Summer/Autumn Edition of the Naval War College Review, On a personal note, it is a tremendous honor for me to relieve the watch as editor in chief of the Naval War College Review from Dr. Jon Caverley. Over many years, the Review frequently published my research and analyses. My writing benefited from the assessments and recommendations of great Review editors—including Bob Laske, Frank Uhlig, and Tom Grassey—along with their succ…

Big Japanese defense manufacturer Kawasaki Heavy Industries has confirmed that it is studying the development of two types of collaborative unmanned aircraft, including a missile-like system and an aircraft-type platform. According to comments by Hiroyoshi Shimokawa, president of Kawasaki Heavy Industries’ Aerospace Systems Company, the firm is currently developing a concept known as the Collaborative […]View the full article

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries confirmed it has successfully conducted flight demonstrations of AI-powered mission autonomy for unmanned aerial vehicles, using the Hivemind Enterprise development environment from U.S.-based Shield AI. According to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, the full development cycle—from AI design and training to installation and flight—was completed in eight weeks. The company stated that the use […]View the full article

The Japan Air Self-Defense Force confirmed it supported the first flight of a new stand-off electronic warfare aircraft, known as the EC-2, developed in cooperation with the Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency. The development comes as Japan moves to strengthen its ability to operate in the electromagnetic domain and support air operations without entering contested […]View the full article

A Russian-affiliated analytical channel has published a cost comparison showing how many heavy FPV drones could be purchased for the price of key armored vehicles, highlighting the growing role of low-cost strike systems in modern combat. According to the published data, the analysis is based on an estimated unit cost of about $1,200 per heavy […]View the full article

German defense conglomerate Rheinmetall conducted a live-fire demonstration of its 120mm Ragnarok mortar system and a new Mortar Mission Module during a multinational event in Norway, the company said, showcasing the system under Arctic conditions. The demonstration comes as European militaries seek mobile, rapidly deployable indirect fire systems that can operate in harsh environments while […]View the full article

Russia’s Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu said during an off-site meeting in Yekaterinburg that Ukrainian long-range drones now pose a direct threat to regions deep inside Russia, including the Ural industrial area. The statement reflects growing concern within Russia over the expanding range and effectiveness of Ukrainian strike capabilities, which are increasingly targeting infrastructure far […]View the full article