Raw Intel

First of all, as we do, let’s go to the chart room to look at one of the most geographically perfect places on this planet to have shipyards and naval bases: San Francisco Bay. As our nation faces again a challenge in the Pacific that necessitates an increased basing requirement on our West Coast, it is only natural we would look first at where nature provided us such a blessing. From top to bottom, San Francisco Bay used to be covered thickly with naval bases, shipyards and everything else you would expect from a world dominating naval power. However due to a political climate hostile to both the military and industry, grasping developers, and the domination of green-eye…

Newly released footage confirms that at least one Buk-M2E surface-to-air missile system was destroyed during an airstrike on the Generalissimo Francisco de Miranda Air Base in Caracas. The video shows a Buk-M2E launcher vehicle completely destroyed by a direct hit at the air base named after Generalissimo Francisco de Miranda, one of Venezuela’s key military […]View the full article

Hard to think of a better time to have a Midrats Podcast Free-for-All. 2026 continues to produce more content than we know what to do with, but we’ll give it our best. Join Mark and me this Sunday LIVE from 5-6pm Eastern at this link. As always, we’ll have the show chat going if you’d like to join the conversation or ask us a question. If you’re reading this after the show, refresh the Substack later tonight for the uploaded podcast. Leave a comment Share This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. View the full article

Taiwan’s Army is preparing to establish dedicated JUMP 20 unmanned aerial vehicle units within its aviation brigades as part of a force restructuring plan that would gradually replace the long-serving OH-58D Kiowa Warrior fleet, according to a report by United Daily News. The report states that the 601st, 602nd, and 603rd Aviation Brigades are each […]View the full article

Turkey-based ARCA Savunma plans to build a large ammunition production facility in Estonia’s Põhja-Kiviõli defense industry zone, with production expected to begin in 2028 under a program valued at about €300 million ($352 million). The project, named “ARCA Baltic,” will establish a fully integrated manufacturing site capable of producing several types of munitions in large […]View the full article

A two-seat variant of Russia’s Su-57 fifth-generation stealth fighter has been photographed conducting ground taxi trials, with Russian military aviation blogger Ilya Tumanov, who operates the widely followed Fighterbomber Telegram channel, confirming the aircraft’s existence on May 16 and describing it as a new two-seat modification of the Felon that completed ground runs as part […]View the full article

The U.S. Navy is moving to extend and expand its contract with Raytheon for engineering support on the ALQ-249 Next Generation Jammer, the electronic attack system being developed for the EA-18G Growler, the carrier-based aircraft the Navy relies on to blind and disrupt enemy radar and communications before and during strike operations. The Naval Air […]View the full article

A South Korean Marine unit sent a robot on four legs walking point ahead of its own troops during a live combat exercise last week, a small but telling sign of how the country’s military is trying to solve a problem that has nothing to do with technology and everything to do with demographics. The […]View the full article

An autonomous warship that didn’t exist a year ago is now running sea trials around the clock, seven days a week, and the company behind it says that grueling schedule is deliberate proof the vessel can survive conditions no engineer would choose. Saronic Technologies said its Marauder medium unmanned surface vessel has entered full on-water […]View the full article

Russia’s state defense conglomerate Rostec is marketing an export version of its Zubr short-range counter-drone system, called Bizon, to potential customers in Egypt, according to a statement from the company’s High Precision Systems holding. The system, designated TKB-1167 and developed by High Precision Systems, is armed with 7.62mm PKT machine guns and designed to engage […]View the full article

A U.S. Army program that builds realistic enemy threats for training flew Performance Drone Works’ C100X drone at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania, on Sept. 25, testing its thermal camera, its ability to drop inert practice munitions and whether it could be used in future training scenarios. The flights were carried out by members of the […]View the full article

Naval Group has rolled out Rubis, the fifth of six Barracuda nuclear-powered attack submarines it is building for the French Navy, moving the boat out of its construction hall at the company’s shipyard in Cherbourg on Oct. 16, 2026. The submarine was transferred onto the yard’s floating shiplift platform in the presence of Catherine Vautrin, […]View the full article

Cessna 208B: note ISR turret (click to view full) Iraq’s air force has been very slow in getting to its feet. A handful of Seeker light observation aircraft with their distinctive bubble-shaped fronts, a few Comp Air light propeller aircraft, a couple of old, refurbished C-130E transports, and a slowly growing fleet of helicopters. A few Hawker Beechcraft King Air 350s have been ordered for transport and surveillance duties, and an RFP for armed counterinsurgency aircraft has only given Iraq a set of unarmed T-6B trainers. Even subsequent orders for F-16C/D fighters and L-159 advanced trainer and attack jets leave the Iraqi air force a long way from being able to secur…

Americas Oshkosh Defense and BAE Systems will deliver prototypes of the US Army’s next Cold Weather All-Terrain Vehicle, the companies announced. The National Advanced Mobility Consortium, which is an alliance of defense contractors and research organizations involved in providing the US government access to technology developers, narrowed its choice down to the two companies. BAE Systems announced that its Beowulf vehicles were chosen. According to a statement, the vehicle has a modular design and can be reconfigured for multiple missions, such as logistical support, disaster and humanitarian relief, search and rescue, and other missions as required. Oshkosh Defense’s pr…

We've been making the point here for years that of all the institutions and groups in the United States, the Navy is one of the least racist places a person could find themselves in. It was for me. Especially when people make the the charge of "systemic racism" against our Navy, any well meaning person of experience will know the charge is just baseless. What if I was wrong? Maybe I was. Maybe things have changed. There was an amazing admission earlier this week from the Chief of Naval Personnel, Vice Adm. John Nowell Jr., that I am still trying to get my head around; “I think we should consider reinstating photos in selection boards,” Nowell said Tuesday at The Navy Le…

Americas DARPA Aircrew Labor In-Cockpit Automation System (ALIAS) program has completed the maiden flight of a UH-60A Black Hawk helicopter without anyone onboard. Sikorsky completed 30-minutes of unmanned flight with the optionally piloted vehicle (OPV) over the US Army installation at Fort Campbell, Kentucky on February 5th with another flight on February 7th. Saab has won a contract to deliver of the short-range air defense systems RBS 70 NG to the Argentine Armed Forces. The Argentine Navy has been a user of the RBS 70 since 1984 and is now upgrading to the latest RBS 70 NG. The contract entails a further expansion of the country’s usage of the RBS 70 NG system to th…

Americas Bell Boeing Joint Project Office won a $61.1 million contract modification, which adds scope to provide additional non-recurring engineering to support the production line incorporation of nacelle improvements for the CV-22 aircraft. Additionally, this modification exercises an option to procure 14 nacelle improvements kits in order to accelerate the CV-22 installation schedule, as well as procure an additional six brackets to support the kit installation. Work will take place in Texas and Pennsylvania. Estimated completion is in December 2025. L3Harris Technologies has been chosen by Tactical Air Support to upgrade the F-5AT. L3Harris will provide GH-4001 Elect…

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Americas Rolls-Royce won a $21.5 million modification, which exercises an option for the production and delivery of eight AE1107C engines in support of the V-22 Osprey for the Navy. Work will be performed in Indianapolis, Indiana, and is expected to be completed in November 2024. Fiscal 2023 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of […]View the full article

Harpoon in flight (click to view full) The sub-sonic, wave-skimming GM-84 Harpoon is the US Navy’s sole anti-shipping missile, with the minor exception of small helicopter-borne AGM-119B Penguin missiles. The Harpoon has been adapted into several variants, and exported to many navies around the world. At present, the Harpoon family includes AGM-84 air, RGM-84 sea/land, […]View the full article