Raw Intel

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

The Department of War and U.S. Space Force conducted an operational test launch of an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, in the early hours of November 5. The launch took place at 1:35 a.m. Pacific Time and was designated GT 254, according to the announcement. The Department of […]View the full article

The United States Army is seeking potential U.S.-based producers for a next-generation 155mm artillery projectile designed to replace aging stockpiles of Dual-Purpose Improved Conventional Munitions (DPICM). A sources sought notice, released by the Army Contracting Command-New Jersey on December 5, outlines the service’s effort to identify qualified manufacturers for the XM1208 Advanced Submunitions projectile. According […]View the full article

India publicly showcased its new Suryastra multiple launch rocket system during rehearsals for the Army Day parade in Jaipur, marking the first public appearance of the indigenous long-range rocket artillery platform. The system was displayed on a wheeled launcher carrying two 370mm Predator Hawk missiles and four 306mm extended-range rockets, highlighting its ability to fire […]View the full article

Ukraine’s Defense Forces confirmed that they carried out a series of long-range strikes in January 2026 against infrastructure linked to Russia’s Oreshnik missile complex at the Kapustin Yar test range in Russia’s Astrakhan region, according to an official statement from Ukraine’s General Staff. In a statement released on 5 February, the General Staff said Ukrainian […]View the full article

Daimler Truck AG announced on March 3, 2026, that its Mercedes-Benz Zetros defense vehicles successfully completed intensive winter testing in the Finnish Arctic Circle, where temperatures dropped to minus 20 degrees Celsius and road conditions were largely icy and snow-covered. The testing campaign was conducted to verify that the Zetros defense vehicle series can maintain […]View the full article

The United States Navy has awarded Lockheed Martin Space a $1.36 billion contract modification to support missile and launch platform production for the Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) hypersonic weapon program. The March 31 award covers engineering development, systems integration, long-lead materials, testing, and specialized tooling required for continued production of the missile and its launch […]View the full article

The U.S. Army is sending prototype versions of its next-generation Abrams tank and a brand-new infantry combat vehicle to Fort Hood, Texas, this fall — putting cutting-edge armor into the hands of soldiers for the first time. Troops from the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, part of the 1st Cavalry Division, will be the first […]View the full article

The U.S. Air Force has handed a $40 million contract to World Wide Technology, a St. Louis-based technology firm, to build an artificial intelligence-powered Security Operations Center — essentially a high-tech nerve center that will monitor the service’s networks around the clock for cyber intrusions, attacks, and threats. The award, announced May 18 and running […]View the full article

This is such a great video, and we have thousands of new followers and subscribers now than we did seven years ago…time to bring this FbF back. As I have often mentioned, I have a soft spot for the name "Shangri-La" for aircraft carriers. It has a great story to it, and just sounds cool as hell. Bill Schultz reminded me that there is a simply awesome video available of a unique and under-appreciated time in naval aviation; the early 1960s. What an incredible time of change and advancement ... and a time yet warped by the war that would dominate the rest of the decade. So, let's take a moment to give tribute to those Sailors of the early-60s ... in glorious technicolor,…

Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Defense confirmed on July 6 that the country’s air force has begun operating JF-17 Thunder fighter jets, releasing a video showing two of the Chinese-Pakistani aircraft taking off and landing on training sorties, the first official acknowledgment that the long-promised fighters have actually entered service. OSINT analyst Guy Plopsky examined still images […]View the full article

The drones buzzing over U.S. military bases today are often too small, too cheap, and too fast for existing radar systems to reliably catch, and the Army just placed a multimillion-dollar bet on artificial intelligence closing that gap. The U.S. Army awarded Xtremis Inc., a technology company headquartered in Washington, D.C., a contract to research […]View the full article

First of all, let’s head to the chartroom. That’s right kiddies…we’re heading to the Battle of the Barents Sea, at the top of the world, in winter. There are a whole host of stories here, but let’s focus on one ship and her Captain: HMS Onslow (G17) and then-Captain and eventually, Rear-Admiral Robert St Vincent ‘Rupert’ Sherbrooke, VC, CB, DSO, DL—41 years of age at the time of the battle. In December 1942, Onslow took part in Arctic Convoy JW 51B, joining the convoy on 25 December, with Captain Robert Sherbrooke taking charge of the convoy's close escort of six destroyers, two corvettes, one minesweeper and two trawlers. Five merchant ships, together with the destroy…

The U.S. Air Force has awarded balloon maker Aerostar a $64.4 million contract to quickly build a prototype for an urgent high-altitude balloon requirement under a project called Swamp Gas. The contract covers development of a “minimum viable product” prototype, meaning an early working version with just enough capability to be tested and used, to […]View the full article

Russian forces have released video of an FPV drone striking one of Ukraine’s largest uncrewed ground vehicles, a Protector, while it was hauling logs near Orikhiv in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region. The footage, shared by Russian channels, shows the drone hitting the vehicle’s cargo bed. The front of the Protector, where its control and communications equipment […]View the full article

h/t Hot Air The official White House photo of the day for Memorial Day was A. a tasteful shot of Arlington Cemetery B. A pic of a Gold Star Mom at her son's grave C. An image of an inverted rifle and empty boots signifying the death of a soldier. NOPE! The answer and an F- for the Campaigner in Chief was: A picture of the Campaigner in Chief reflected in the Vietnam Memorial with a halo around his noble warrior, gutsy-call-making head. In addition to the F-, he gets a D for Disgrace. The entire purpose of Memorial day is to honor those who laid down their lives in defense of our freedom. Obama didn't serve and since his coronation has used the military as nothing m…

When people think of the freed slaves and freemen who fought for the Union in the formations then known as United States Colored Troops (USCT), they often think of July 18, 1863, when the 54th Massachusetts stormed Fort Wagner. Sadly, that more well known event - a Union defeat - overshadows an event six weeks earlier - a Union victory - that, at the time, probably had a greater impact on the growing support in the very racist by modern standards Northern Army to arming large formations of African-Americans than anything else. The attack on Ft. Wagner and the 54th Massachusetts were both in the Eastern theater of operations. As such, they naturally get more attention. T…

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-v8lmDX5bgFc/UuHSen27fhI/AAAAAAAAH04/WUIUmhEfNQw/s1600/McGinty_JJ.jpg Paul Vitello has a nicely done obit in NYT of a quiet hero from the Vietnam War. Mr. McGinty, who joined the service in 1958 directly after high school, was a drill instructor at the Marine boot camp in Parris Island, S.C., and a brig officer at the Norfolk, Va., naval base before volunteering for duty in Vietnam in 1966. “I didn’t want to be earning my pay guarding a bunch of AWOL sailors,” he told Edwin F. Murphy, author of the 1987 book “Vietnam Medal of Honor Heroes.” Mr. McGinty led one of four platoons in Company K of the Third Battalion, Third Marine Division, during a…

Lessons - yep there are lessons. When you go to war - you step in to a dark room. You hopefully have prepared yourself with the best equipment, training, operational concepts possible. The wise commander steps in to that dark room knowing that he will not know what will happen when he enters. At first, he won't see what works and does not - but he looks for it. He adjusts, he modifies - he tries to find advantage. Remember the FbF the other day about the Australian Light Horse and the assault on Beersheba? The Germans then did not think that mounted infantry would fight as cavalry - though the Commonwealth leadership saw the need to improvise, adapt, and overcome. Victo…

I almost passed on this story because it is all derived from digging into someone's twitter history. This has a spotty track record, as most of it is when people intentionally take things out of context, have no sense of humor, or just plain assign motives and meanings to things that only had the malfunction of being less than 240 characters. However, after reading it a few times and letting the draft post sit for a few days I decided that, no, this is pretty straight forward. If at least two members of Congress are willing to call it out, the least thing we can do it bring it out here ... because it is about made to order on the type of people we've been discussing here …