Raw Intel

Japan’s Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) has begun testing two foreign-made unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) as part of its effort to enhance unmanned defense capabilities under its ongoing initiative for the “Fundamental Reinforcement of Japan’s Defense Capabilities.” According to an official post published by the JGSDF on October 3, 2025, the service is currently evaluating the […] The post Japanese military evaluates foreign robotic vehicles first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

38 Sierra, a U.S.-based company specializing in Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-UAS) training resources, has introduced a new line of inert drone ordnance training aids designed to support military and public safety personnel facing an expanding threat from weaponized unmanned systems. The company says the products are intended to improve identification and safe handling of drone-delivered […]View the full article

Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense has confirmed it will acquire 36 Rui Yuan II drones under a newly authorized special defense budget totaling NT$12.6 billion (approx. USD $402 million). The procurement is scheduled to take place between 2026 and 2029, with the platforms intended to support long-range surveillance, electronic intelligence, and maritime reconnaissance missions. The […]View the full article

Turkey has completed the acceptance test firing for a SİPER-1 air defense battery, confirming readiness of the nationally developed long-range air and missile defense system, according to official information released after the test conducted at the Sinop Test Center in northern Türkiye. The battery-level acceptance firing was carried out under a demanding operational scenario that […]View the full article

Saudi Arabia’s state oil company Aramco shut down operations at its Ras Tanura refinery following a drone strike that triggered a fire at the major Gulf coast facility, an industry source said Monday, as verified video footage later confirmed flames at the site after the incident. According to an industry source cited in reporting, Aramco […]View the full article

Varjo has been selected as the extended reality technology provider for an immersive armored vehicle training program now being deployed for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, as part of a Nordic defense technology collaboration with Norway’s Fynd Reality. The system is already being fielded in Ukraine and is designed to support familiarization, procedural training, and maintenance […]View the full article

European defense company Destinus has completed a flight test of its Ruta Block 2 precision deep-strike system, validating a fundamentally redesigned launch architecture that allows the weapon to be stored, transported, and fired from sealed containerized modules. The test confirmed the performance of two critical enabling technologies: an in-line booster configuration and foldable wings and […]View the full article

Britain’s Ministry of Defence has relaunched its search for a precision strike loitering munition under a new program name, issuing a fresh request for information in May 2026 under the designation Project INSTIGATOR, a renamed and restructured version of the Medium Range Precision Strike program that the MOD has been developing since late 2024 with […]View the full article

The United States is building a new training facility for the nuclear missile that will replace the country’s aging intercontinental ballistic missile force, awarding a $114 million construction contract for a dedicated school at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California where airmen will train for Sentinel maintenance and operations. Korte Construction Co., based in St. […]View the full article

As the NATO Summit is ongoing, I think it is time for me and my American readers to have an adult conversation with each other, like adults. Calm, short, and to the point. If you have honored me with your visits for very long, you will know that for over two decades I have been pointing out the disgraceful level of free-riding our allies in NATO made a habit of. I saw it in person in its worst ways as a NATO staff officer in Europe and Afghanistan, as I wrote about it at the time. Since I returned home, I have returned to the subject on a regular basis. It would be an understatement to say that I have been exceptionally pleased to hear the argument brought to a wider aud…

A company that has spent nearly two decades building bulletproof pickup cars for warlords, mining companies, and armies across 60 countries has revealed its new robot, and it wants that robot doing everything from scouting minefields to hauling ammunition without a soldier ever climbing inside. United Arab Emirates-based TAG Dynamics, an armored vehicle manufacturer established […]View the full article

President Donald Trump said Wednesday the United States has “virtually unlimited amounts of Mid to High Grade Ammunition” and is manufacturing munitions “at levels never seen before,” pushing back against months of reporting that the war with Iran has strained U.S. weapons stockpiles. Trump made the claims in a Truth Social post published at 7:56 […]View the full article

Denmark’s armed forces have taken delivery of nine unmanned ground vehicles built by Dropla, a Danish company founded by Ukrainians, to train drone operators, including conscripts, at the country’s military drone center. Denmark’s defense procurement agency, known by its Danish initials FMI, bought the Dropla 4×4 vehicles for the Danish Defence Drone Center, the agency […]View the full article

Israel’s Elbit Systems has won a contract worth about $235 million to supply PULS rocket artillery launchers and EXTRA-MR precision-guided rockets to an unnamed European country, along with additional rocket artillery platforms and integrated logistics support, the company said. Elbit did not identify the customer or say how many launchers and rockets the deal covers, […]View the full article

Problems with accessing this content on facebook - mostly due to OPFOR action, has been longstanding and hard to fix. On NMCI and some other platforms, there are issues with the entire blogspot domain ... again, longstanding. As such, while I am not changing platforms as of yet, from here on out I am going to be crossposting to the CDR Salamander page on Substack. I've decided to let Bryan's post be the test run as FB now won't let anyone link to my stuff, and NMCI trolls have done there work there as well. Some of you may like that format, and through the years many of you have asked if I had a "tip jar." I have not moved to pay subscriptions, but may add that in the n…

What the Spanish Civil War was to WWII armor and air tactics, the extended conflict in Ukraine and to a lesser extent Syria is to electronic warfare. There isn't so much "new" that is being developed, but hard lessons forgotten since the fall of the Soviet Union. The closer you get to Ukraine, the more clear it becomes. Poland gets it.Polish firm WB Group harnesses low-power radios and quasi-satellites in a scalable and adaptive communication system.A Polish company has developed a tactical communication system called Cicha Sieć (Silent Network) with a low electromagnetic signature that leverages lessons learned from the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. WB Group launched Sile…

If you didn't already read Bryan's more cerebral challenge and reply review of The Indo-Pacific Strategy of the United States yesterday, please read it now. I've decided to take a slightly different take on the reading. Though there are some good points made and to reference in follow-on documents, my primary thought is one of frustration. Yes, this is not a military strategy document, but - as is correct - an all of government strategy where rightfully the military is in a supporting role. I went in hoping and expecting such an approach ... but I should be careful what I asked for. Too many good idea fairies had a role in promoting their petty agenda vice the nation's la…

C-5 Galaxy (click to view full) When it was introduced, back in 1970, the C-5 Galaxy was the largest plane in the world. It also has the highest operating cost of any US Air Force weapon system, owing to extremely high maintenance demands as well as poor fuel economy. Worse, availability rates routinely hover near 50%. To add insult to injury, the Russians not only built a bigger plane (the AN-124), they sold it off at the end of the Cold War to semi-private operators, turning it into a commercial success whose customer list now includes… NATO. Meanwhile, the USA still needs long-range, heavy load airlift. The AN-124’s commercial success may get its production line res…

If there was any concern that Russia might turn Germany as winter sets in cold and expensive, you can put that concern to the side;European leaders said Tuesday they believed dual explosions that damaged pipelines built to carry Russian natural gas to Europe were deliberate, and some officials blamed the Kremlin, suggesting the blasts were intended as a threat to the continent. The damage did not have an immediate impact on Europe’s energy supplies. Russia cut off flows earlier this month, and European countries had scrambled to build up stockpiles and secure alternative energy sources before that.With both Nordstream 1 and 2 now offline due to - well - "things," Russian …

Americas General Dynamics Mission Systems has been awarded a $5.5-million contract to sustain the US Army’s Prophet Enhanced sensor systems. The agreement, which could grow to $481.6 million, was awarded by the Army Contracting Command on behalf of the Integrated Logistics Support Center (ILSC). The company will provide spare parts and obsolescence risk management for […]View the full article