Raw Intel

The whole World Economic Forum/Davos experience is one part Bond villain parody, one part clout seeking billionaires, one part megalomania, a heaping cup of greed, and a dash of rent seeking. In 2023 things have reached the point where any association with Davos should put an individual or organization under notice of suspicion. Amazing to see people who claim to be American conservatives or lovers of liberty attending in an non-ironic, non-protesting capacity. This wannabee gaggle of quasi-oligarchs and autocrat throne sniffers represents everything that is wrong with the human desire for control, power, and to crush the individual for fun and profit. They pretend to be…

Americas AeroVironment won a $12 million deal by the US Army for RQ-20B Puma AE3 UAS systems. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in Simi Valley, California, with an estimated completion date of September 30, 2024. According to Defense News, the US Navy leveraged air and surface drones […]View the full article

Americas Sikorsky won a $2 billion modification by the US Navy, which adds scope for Lots 7 and 8 block buy contract for a combined quantity of 35 CH-53K full-rate production aircraft, 27 for the Marine Corps and eight for the government of Israel, as well as provides associated aircraft and programmatic support, logistical support […]View the full article

Americas General Atomics Aeronautical Systems won a $389 million deal by the US Army for the purchase of MQ-1C-25M Gray Eagle Modernized Extended Range systems. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of November 29, 2024. HII Ingalls […]View the full article

CH-47Fs take off (click to view full) DII FOCUS articles offer in-depth, updated looks at significant military programs of record; this FOCUS Article covers the CH-47F/MH-47G Chinook helicopter programs, in the USA and abroad. These helicopters’ distinctive “flying banana” twin-rotor design stems from the brilliant work of aviation pioneer Frank Piasecki. It gives Chinooks the […]View the full article

Americas Canada has put off a project to replace its five-decade-old Twin Otter military aircraft used in Arctic operations. The move comes despite the government’s earlier assurance that it is committed to improving its defense capabilities in the north. Instead of procuring new aircraft, Ottawa will extend the service life of its aging Arctic planes. […]View the full article

The United Arab Emirates is reportedly supplying Chinese-made FK-2000 short-range air defense systems to Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) via Chad, according to a report published Sunday by Clash Report. The FK-2000, developed by China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC), is designed to counter a variety of aerial threats, including fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, cruise […] The post UAE sends Chinese air defense systems to Sudan’s RSF first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Americas The US Senate approved $60 billion in funding for Ukraine on Tuesday, but the Republican-led House Speaker indicated his chamber will reject the bill. The $95 billion package includes funding for Israel’s military and key strategic ally Taiwan, but the lion’s share would help Ukraine restock depleted ammunition supplies, weapons and other crucial needs […]View the full article

Americas Continental Maritime of San Diego won an $88 million deal for the execution of the USS Chafee (DDG 90) fiscal 2023 depot modernization period and the USS Momsen (DDG 92) fiscal 2024 depot modernization period. These availabilities will include a combination of maintenance, modernization, and repair for both the USS Chafee and USS Momsen. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $204,493,154. Work will be performed in the San Diego, California, and is expected to be completed by June 2025. Two aerial porters from the 87th Aerial Port Squadron were impressed when they were allowed to use a pneumatical…

All together now… (click to view full) Britain’s practice of “contracting for availability” for key equipment, rather than paying for spare parts and maintenance hours, may be its most significant defense procurement reform. In a world where older air, sea, and ground vehicle fleets are growing maintenance demands beyond countries’ available budgets, it’s an approach […]View the full article

The Russo-Ukrainian War of the last six months is reminding everyone - I hope - that war in a large measure does not change. Yes, some new technologies and ideas comes in that no one appreciates the value of until proven on the field of battle, some established technologies and ideas no longer work, and that process of integrating battlefield lessons often determines who gets better results over time. At the end of the day, it is taking ground, keeping ground, and positioning yourself for more. Thinking of that reminded me of a FbF from 4.5yrs ago that I thought I would bring back this week. One of the enduring characteristics of WWI was the amount of blood that was shed …

Americas Bell Boeing won a $23.3 million modification, which exercises an option to provide continued flight test support for the V-22 Osprey aircraft for the Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and the government of Japan. Work will take place in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Texas and Florida. Expected completion date is in January 2025. Boeing won a […]View the full article

Americas General Atomics won a $34.4 million deal, which procures eight mobile ground control stations and six ground data terminals in support of successful operational capability of the Marine Air Ground Task Force Unmanned Aircraft System Expeditionary Medium Altitude Long Endurance MQ-9A Block 5 Reaper air vehicles and ground control stations for the Navy. Work […]View the full article

As Russia continues to expand its family of loitering munitions, defense firm Roboavia has introduced a new one-way attack drone known as KLIN. Smaller than the Shahed series and designed for short-range missions, the KLIN is engineered for specific tactical-level tasks and resembles existing systems such as the Lancet and KUB in both role and […] The post Russia unveils new kamikaze drone for tactical strikes first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Americas Northrop Grumman has submitted a bid for the US Navy’s E-6B Mercury command, control, and communications aircraft replacement program. The US defense giant is offering its “weapons system integration and battle management leadership” for the E-6 recapitalization aircraft (E-XX) Take Charge And Move Out (TACAMO) program. The aircraft will be based on the C-130J platform. […]View the full article

The next questions is, who will throw their hat in the ring with them? From De Telegraph; The Netherlands has offered mine hunters to clear the way for grain ships from Ukraine. "If we can play a role, we are happy to do so," Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren said at the NATO summit in Madrid. The Netherlands has offered Turkey, which mediates in the matter, help to clear the sea mines on the shipping routes. Then Russia and Ukraine will have to agree on a so-called maritime corridor, emphasizes Ollongren. Neighboring NATO member states such as Romania and Bulgaria are also in principle more eligible to supply minehunters, insiders say. The Koninklijke Marine has a half-d…

Americas The US decision to step up military support for Israel after the surprise assault by Hamas will not harm Washington’s ability to keep arming Ukraine, its NATO envoy said on Tuesday. “On the question of whether or not US support for Israel could possibly come at the expense of US support for Ukraine — […]View the full article

Americas General Atomics’ EagleEye multi-mode radar is being upgraded with the addition of an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) antenna and associated software. The drop-in antenna will more than double the radar’s range of 80 kilometers. “The increased range and optimized multi-mode performance of the radar are perfectly tailored to provide deep sensing capability in […]View the full article

Your commander matters. The best commanders know when to take the advice of their staff and when to brush it off. The worst commanders are those who lack the knowledge or personality to know when to do one of the other. As told by Douglas Sterling; “Great Army of the Sea” On May 16, the English royal council met and pushed back the deadline for gathering the ships until June 12, which would mean a sailing date around the 20th. When Edward met with his council again on June 4, it was clear that earlier delays had not been resolved. The only way to even attempt to keep up with the timetable previously set, which was being relied upon by the allies, was to send at least …

Remember my oft used phrase "otherwise unemployable people?" Remember how we've discussed here many Thursdays over the last two decades how the worst of academia was being invited in to our service academies and war colleges - and it would manifest itself throughout the fleet? Remember how - still to this day - the Diversity Industry's nomenklatura grows and shapes all to serve itself and its interests? We tried to warn folks back to when it started getting real bad in the Bush43 Presidency. We were - and still are - called all sorts of nasty names by people who cannot defend their secular religion. A solid confessional by Professor Russell Jacoby who, while the fetid wa…