Raw Intel

German analyst Julian Röpcke renewed his criticism of European defense procurement systems after Ukrainian forces destroyed a Russian Buk-M1 surface-to-air missile system at a distance of more than 100 kilometers in the Zaporizhzhia region. In a post on X, he cited the combat performance and cost of a Ukrainian-made kamikaze drone used in the strike. […]View the full article

We’ve returned to this topic often over the last two decades. A recent example was this back in 2022. In 2023/24, as we saw expenditures in the Red Sea grow, we discussed the inventory of SM-3, SM-6, and missiles in general. Things were worrisome then. As we approach the one month anniversary of Operation Epic Fury, the numbers must be…well…mind-numbing. Production of these exquisite missiles cannot be accelerated on a dime. This takes time and it takes money. The decades of rule by the cult of efficiency and the despotism of the accountancy and consulting class has left us—and most of our allies—with an almost criminally underarmed Navy. I have not seen updated Standard …

Ukraine’s Tencore and France’s Shark Robotics have signed a memorandum of understanding and announced the creation of a joint venture, the companies disclosed at the Ukraine-EU Business Forum in Brussels, according to Oboronka. The agreement was announced under the Build with Ukraine initiative — a framework pushing Ukrainian defense companies to establish co-production partnerships with […]View the full article

We need to talk about an unpleasant subject. I briefly mentioned it last week, and talked about it a little on the latest Midrats Podcast, but that is enough fiddling around the topic. Time to man up and address the topic head-on. I think the DDG(X) program is a dead program walking. There could be an error, as there was with BBG-1 vs. BBGN-1 in the chart, but let’s look again at the latest Shipbuilding Plan. There is no DDG(X) in the plan…just Arleigh Burke DDGs being built, as the Salamander says, until the crack of doom. In the Shipbuilding Plan, it is mentioned only once in this paragraph. The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer (DDG 51) is the most capable s…

A factory in Louisiana is producing armored vehicles for Ukraine for the first time, as Textron Systems announced that full vehicle builds of the Mobile Strike Force Vehicle have begun at its Slidell manufacturing facility. The $163.4 million contract is funded through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative via the Foreign Military Sales mechanism, covering 65 […]View the full article

For nearly seven decades, American presidents tried and failed to get European allies to spend anywhere close to what the United States spends on its own defense, and NATO’s Secretary General says that changed on Donald Trump’s watch. Speaking to reporters ahead of the alliance’s summit in Ankara, Türkiye, Mark Rutte gave Trump direct credit […]View the full article

A North Korean missile unit has begun moving into western Russia and could eventually field 120 ballistic missiles and six launchers aimed at Ukraine, Reuters reported, citing an official at Ukraine’s Main Directorate of Intelligence, the country’s military spy agency also known as GUR. Andrii Cherniak, a spokesman for the agency, told Reuters that Russia […]View the full article

XTEND has deployed its first XOS-powered AtlasROVER ground robot to a customer in the Asia-Pacific region, the company’s public parent, JFB Construction Holdings. It’s the first such deployment since XTEND completed its acquisition of Latvia-based robotics company Atlas earlier this year. The deployment extends XTEND’s software platform, called XOS, beyond the aerial drones it was […]View the full article

President Donald Trump on Monday denied discussing U.S. weapons sales to China with Chinese President Xi Jinping, a day after his ambassador to Beijing said Trump had floated the idea, though Trump added that China would “probably like to buy” American arms. Trump was asked by reporters about comments by David Perdue, the U.S. ambassador […]View the full article

This is a Monday where those of us on the Front Porch will just nod our heads a bit and grin in that way that only the confidently smug can smile. You know one of my regular statements, and it does not matter if we are talking aircraft, surface ships, or ground forces (I give a pass to submarines): When war comes, you will quickly realize that not only do you not have enough guns, but the ones you do have are too small in caliber. Let’s go back 18 years or so for a couple of quotes from, well, me. First, from April 09, 2008’s post, It always comes back to the gun..., People always try to get rid of the gun - but the cold hard facts of the reality of thousands of years of…

Just a little note that at least for the first half of this week, I will have limited access to internet to properly blog on what I’d like to, so things will be thin for a bit ... all is well ... thanks for you patience. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?d=yIl2AUoC8zA http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?d=qj6IDK7rITs http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=6aAsZbf8uYk:cbrvbY2VASg:gIN9vFwOqvQ http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=6aAsZbf8uYk:cbrvbY2VASg:-BTjWOF_DHI http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=6aAsZbf8uYk:cbrvbY2VASg:V_sGLiPBpWU http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=6aAsZbf8uYk:cbrvbY2VASg:F7zBnMyn0Lo …

Americas Bell Boeing won a $72 million contract modification, which exercises options to procure 15 Nacelle improvements kits, rotatable pool components and interim spares. The modification also provides for the installation of eight kits in conjunction with conversion area harness, electrical wiring interconnect system assessments, sustaining engineering, and over and above requirements for the CV-22 fleet aircraft. Work will take place in Texas and Pennsylvania. Estimated completion is in June 2025. A successful Rapid Dragon test flight was concluded on November 6, according the US Air Force Research Laboratory. Conducted at White Sands Missile Range, a MC-130J airdrop…

Americas The US Air Force Awarded Rockwell Collins a $99.6 million deal for avionics sustaining engineering services. The deal provides for propitiatory engineering services and support for recurring and non-recurring requirements relating to the E-3 Airborne Warning and Control System. The E-3 Sentry aircraft allows the Joint Air Operations Center to obtain battlespace awareness in real time with the system’s command, control, surveillance, detection and tracking features. Work will take place in Iowa. Estimated completion date is February 11, 2032. Bell Textron announced its advancement to the next phase of the AFWERX High-Speed Vertical Take-Off and Landing (HSVTOL) C…

This D-day anniversary I want to bring out a FbF I've run a few times over the years as it points out one of the hidden parts of the campaign that I want new readers to have a chance to read about. Most attention, rightfully, is paid to the beach and the move inland, but to enable that success, a lot of work was done at sea to keep the beach and seas open ... As the D-Day invasion was ongoing, the German Navy sortied what they could to try to drive the allies back across the channel. The most feared were the U-boats based in France. Please read the whole thing, but here is a nice summary of one of the under-told stories of WWII, Coastal Command. On night. One crew. Two…

On paper and in theory, one would think that a nation who love-hates NATO only slightly less than she love-hates the USA, and is always looking for an opportunity to - now that the UK yeet'd itself out of the EU - nudge Germany out of the way so she can be seen as THE leader of Europe, would take the lead in supporting Ukraine in the Russo-Ukrainian War. Of course, I'm talking about France; If France wants to lead Europe to a new era of military self-reliance, how come its contribution to the war effort in Ukraine is so small? That is the awkward question being posed by some of the country's top strategic thinkers, who are pushing President Emmanuel Macron to make an urg…

Americas General Dynamics won an $8.3 million modification for lead yard support and development studies and design efforts related to Virginia Class submarines. Work will be performed in the continental US and is expected to be completed by December 2024. The Virginia-Class new attack submarine is an advanced stealth multimission nuclear-powered submarine for deep ocean […]View the full article

RAAF C-130J-30, flares (click to view full) The C-130 Hercules remains one of the longest-running aerospace manufacturing programs of all time. Since 1956, over 40 models and variants have served as the tactical airlift backbone for over 50 nations. The C-130J looks similar, but the number of changes almost makes it a new aircraft. Those […]View the full article

Americas The Mayor of Iwakuni, Yoshihiko Fukuda, has agreed to the US Navy’s deployment of CMV-22 Osprey aircraft at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, marking the first stationing of this tilt-rotor variant in his city. The decision aligns with a broader realignment of U.S. military assets in the region, which includes the rotation of aircraft carriers and the introduction of F-35C stealth fighter jets. This deployment will add to the existing Osprey presence in Japan, complementing the Marine Corps’ MV-22s at Futenma air base in Okinawa and the Air Force’s CV-22s operating from Yokota base near Tokyo. Mayor Fukuda’s acceptance comes amid lingering safety concerns surroun…

Asia-Pacific The US Navy has awarded Boeing Co., based in St. Louis, Missouri, a $12,943,999 firm-fixed-price delivery order (N00383-25-F-YY1F) for the repair of the leading edge flap antenna used on F/A-18 aircraft. This sole-source contract was issued under 10 U.S. Code 3204(a)(1), with Boeing as the only offeror. Work will be conducted at three locations: Mesa, Arizona (60%); Lansdale, Pennsylvania (31%); and St. Louis, Missouri (9%). The project is expected to be completed by March 2030. Funding from Navy working capital funds was fully obligated at the time of award and will remain available beyond the current fiscal year. The Naval Supply Systems Command Weapon Syst…

A British Royal Air Force F-35B Lightning II fighter jet made an emergency landing at Kagoshima Airport in southern Japan on Saturday morning after the pilot reported a potential technical issue. No injuries were reported, and the airport has since resumed normal operations. According to Kagoshima Airport officials, the incident occurred shortly after 11:30 a.m. […] The post British F-35B makes emergency landing in Japan first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article