HG S2 (Intel Bot)

The State Department has approved two major Foreign Military Sales (FMS) to Denmark, authorizing the transfer of advanced U.S. air-to-air missiles and a ground-based air defense system with an estimated combined value of $3.73 billion. According to a press release from the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), Denmark has been cleared to purchase 200 AIM-120C-8 […]View the full article

BAE Systems has secured a new $198.4 million contract modification from the U.S. Army to produce an additional 240 Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicles (AMPVs). The award is a fixed-price-incentive modification to contract W56HZV-23-C-0024, and brings the total value of the agreement to just under $2.48 billion. The Army Contracting Command at Detroit Arsenal, Michigan, is managing […]View the full article

The U.S. State Department has approved a possible $301 million Foreign Military Sale to Italy for advanced long-range cruise missiles and associated support, according to a release from the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA). Italy has requested to purchase 100 AGM-158B/B-2 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles with Extended Range (JASSM-ER), along with encryption equipment, software, spare […]View the full article

Lockheed Martin has received a $1.14 billion contract modification from the Department of the Navy to fund long lead components for future production of F-35 fighter jets under Lots 20 and 21, the Pentagon announced. According to a release, the modification (P00005) to contract N0001925C0070 covers procurement of parts, materials, and components in support of […]View the full article

The State Department has approved a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Republic of Korea for an additional batch of GBU-39/B Small Diameter Bombs (SDB-I) and associated equipment, with a total estimated cost of $111.8 million. According to a press release from the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), the Republic of Korea has requested to […]View the full article

Teledyne FLIR Defense, a division of Teledyne Technologies Incorporated, has received a $42.5 million contract from the U.S. Marine Corps Systems Command under Delivery Order 3 of the Organic Precision Fires-Light (OPF-L) program, the company announced this week. According to a press release from Teledyne FLIR, the contract covers the delivery of more than 600 […]View the full article

Shield AI, a California-based defense technology firm, has begun construction on a new unmanned aerial systems (UAS) production facility in Hyderabad, India, as part of a $90 million joint venture with JSW Group. The move aims to bring full-scale local manufacturing of the V-BAT drone to the Indian defense sector under a long-term technology transfer […]View the full article

As a kid, I grew up hearing about he exploits of the Wild Weasels from the Vietnam War. If you’re not familiar with their origin story, “First in, Last Out” is superb. From F-100s to F-105s to F-4s and now F-16s, they are still making the magic happen, giving the USA a capability unmatched by other nations. They’re still leading the way. In case you missed it, a great story from the strikes in Yemen. Parks, while commanding the 480th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, was serving as the mission commander for a force package consisting of 21 strike aircraft while simultaneously leading four F-16 Fighting Falcons conducting Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses. Parks intentionally placed himself in threat range of a complex air defense zone protecting the enemy’s capital. For 15 minutes, with enemy missiles detonating mere feet from his aircraft, Parks led his flight through a serious of high-G maneuvers and countermeasure employment. While his fuel was below minimum levels and still within enemy territory, Parks quickly coordinated for an emergency rendezvous with two separate tankers, ensuring his flight access to critical fuel and ultimately prevented the probable loss of two aircraft due to fuel starvation. … During his eight-month deployment supporting operations Prosperity Guardian, Inherent Resolve, Spartan Shield, and Rough Rider, Parks led 12 F-16s and 56 Airmen. As the 480th EFS commander, Parks led the squadron to a record 108 aerial victories against enemy Unmanned Aerial Systems and Land Attack Cruise Missiles. Additionally, Parks guided innovative employment standards by using air-to-ground AGR-20F rockets in an air-to-air role and prioritizing older AIM-9M missiles, saving more than $25 million dollars in munitions costs and leading to the first successful AIM-9M combat employment in 30 years. Parks has been credited with six aerial victories protecting the lives of more than 5,000 Sailors aboard the USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75), and he personally defended against five deadly surface-to-air missile engagements targeting his aircraft. Parks isn’t just meeting the highest standards of his community’s history, he’s part of the family business. One grandfather helped the Allies achieve victory in World War II, while the other flew C-47s in Vietnam. His father was an Air Force test pilot, and his uncle was an F-111 weapons system officer. In Parks’ generation, his cousin is a KC-135 and C-17 pilot, while his brother flies the C-146. Fullbore to the entire Parks family. 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

This is a very serious exchange, even discounting for the expected dramatic heavy breathing from the People’s Republic of China Ministry of Foreign Affairs. China’s Permanent Mission to the UN @Chinamission2un sent a second letter to the UN Secretary-General @antonioguterres to reiterate China’s position on Japanese PM Takaichi’s erroneous remarks on Taiwan. The letter once again expresses China’s strong opposition to the Japanese side’s wrongful moves, such as implying use of force against China, disrespect for UN Charter and international legal instruments and pushing military buildup—all of which signal the Japanese side’s desire to challenge the postwar international order and revive militarism. More specifically, the letter asks the Japanese side to fully articulate its “consistent position” on the Taiwan question—a simple request that Japan keeps shying away from—as laid down in the four political documents between China and Japan. We once again call on the Japanese side to rectify its wrongdoing, fulfill its obligations as a defeated country in World War II and truly honor its commitments to China and the international community. You cannot help but giggle a bit about the PRC’s concern with the “postwar international order”. LOLOL Via Gabriele Ninivaggi in The Japan Times, what were Prime Minister Takaichi’s (PBUH) remarks? During a heated exchange with the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan’s Katsuya Okada on Friday, Takaichi voiced her thoughts on the concrete ways in which Japan’s response could potentially unfold in the event of China attacking Taiwan by sea. “If battleships are used and a naval blockade involves the use of force, I believe that would, by any measure, constitute a situation that could be deemed a threat to Japan’s survival,” Takaichi said, implying the criteria would have been met for the Self-Defense Forces (SDF) to be mobilized. … A law approved in 2015 under the administration of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe stipulates that the use of military force is permitted for collective self-defense if three conditions are met. The first condition would be for Japan, or a foreign country in a close relationship with Tokyo, to be facing an armed attack that posed a threat to Japan’s survival and a danger to people’s right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. The second would require there to be no other appropriate means available to repel the attack, ensure the country’s survival and protect its people. Thirdly, the use of force would need to be kept to a minimum. All that being said, it is welcome. The more pressure on the PRC regarding its intentions against Taiwan, the higher the risk for any such action and as such…more deterrence. The ground is shifting slightly over the last few weeks, which makes it worth keeping an eye on. Via Ai Ke in The Diplomat: The latest phone call between Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump did more than reaffirm Beijing’s long-standing positions. It quietly introduced a linguistic shift in how China speaks about Taiwan … In the official Chinese-language version of the readout, Xi stated: “Taiwan’s return to China is an integral part of the post-war international order.” At first glance, the sentence appears to simply invoke historical memory. But to anyone familiar with Beijing’s established discourse on Taiwan, the phrasing represents a significant departure. Traditionally, Beijing has not framed Taiwan as part of a completed post-World War II territorial settlement. Instead, Taiwan has been positioned as the unresolved legacy of the Chinese civil war and the unfinished task of “national reunification.” In this narrative, Taiwan belongs to a domestic sphere of sovereignty – not to the international community’s management of the post-1945 order. … “China” is presented as a single, continuous political actor across time, retroactively merging the Republic of China (ROC)’s wartime role into the People’s Republic of China (PRC)’s present-day claim. Grammatically, the “return” is expressed as a present-tense fact within the international order, while WWII cooperation is depicted as a completed past. Taiwan’s status is simultaneously framed as finished and unfinished: finished in history, yet unfinished in sovereignty. It is worth reminding everyone that this is about a lot more than Taiwan. China is an ancient culture with centuries of issues to address, especially the last couple of hundred years, which in their historical reference, is recent history. Roy Ngerng’s graphic is a helpful reference. Share Leave a comment This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. View the full article

Poland has delivered the first batch of domestically produced Borsuk infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) to its military, with 15 units handed over to the 15th Mechanized Brigade. According to Defence24, the delivery is part of a contract signed in March 2025 for the production of 111 Borsuk IFVs. The agreement also includes training and logistics […]View the full article

Ukraine’s intelligence service has carried out another attack against Russian military aviation in occupied Crimea, targeting a MiG‑29 fighter jet and a radar installation during an overnight operation. According to the Ukrainian defense outlet Militarnyi, an armed Ukrainian drone struck a MiG‑29 stationed at the Kacha airfield near Sevastopol. The operation was conducted by the […]View the full article

South Korea has officially launched a 435.9 billion-won ($296 million) project to develop indigenous short-range air-to-air guided missiles for its domestically produced KF-21 fighter jets. According to a statement from the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), the missile development initiative is scheduled for completion by 2032. The effort aims to provide the KF-21 with domestically […]View the full article

South Korea has finalized its national defense budget for 2026 at KRW 65.8642 trillion (approximately $44.7 billion), representing a 7.5% increase over the 2025 allocation, the Ministry of National Defense said on December 3. Although the original budget proposal submitted to the National Assembly anticipated an 8.2% increase, lawmakers reduced the final figure by KRW […]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

The Australian Army has successfully conducted its first live-fire exercise of the AS9 Huntsman 155mm self-propelled howitzer, a next-generation artillery system based on South Korea’s K9 Thunder platform but customized for Australian battlefield needs. According to a release from the Australian Department of Defense on December 3, “This was the first time the new AS9 […]View the full article

Hanwha Aerospace has become the first South Korean defense company to officially own its own weapons systems, following a landmark change in national arms export regulations. According to a statement from the company, Hanwha held a rollout ceremony for a K9A1 self-propelled howitzer at its Changwon Plant 3 facility on December 2, intended for research, […]View the full article

SummaryIn this episode, Sal discusses various pressing topics including the ongoing drug war, military operations, the situation in Ukraine, and the recent controversy surrounding the Pentagon press pool. He expresses gratitude to his subscribers and reflects on the complexities of military decisions, the implications of the war in Ukraine, and the impo… Read more View the full article

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-eyeshade accountants over strategists and national-security-minded people, as we see a challenge on the other side of the Pacific not seen since Imperial Japan, the bay’s once potent military ecosystem is almost completely abandoned and derelict like some forgotten remains of a once great empire—which they might be. Either that, or like Hunters Point, a little aglow. In essence, not available for tasking. It is easy to point out all the problems. Goodness knows, from this seat is makes for easy content, but it is much more difficult to come up with solutions. Yes, to all the problems, but the requirement remains. If you can’t refurbish, claw back, restart, reclaim, or otherwise take back what the Jesus Jones Era took away—what do you do? Is all lost? No, not really. Head about 160T from Vacaville, and there you see a glimmer of hope, an option, an opportunity. There is California Forever: In July 2025, Congress appropriated $29 billion to strengthen shipbuilding in the United States. Soon after, Japan committed $550 billion in U.S. investments—including significant shipbuilding initiatives— while South Korea pledged an additional $150 billion dedicated specifically to shipbuilding. With the focus for shipbuilding concentrated on the West Coast, California is uniquely positioned to capture these multi‑billion‑dollar investments and generate tens of thousands of high‑wage jobs—provided California acts with urgency to create a clear pathway for groundbreaking. It’s time to build ships again. It isn’t just shipbuilding, but an entire city on what is now a forgotten corner of California. Not some modernist nightmare, but what looks like a very livable new urbanist project. California Forever’s Founder and CEO, Jan Sramek, has a solid vision that is new and refreshing. In essence, he is looking at a similar concept as business parks, but on a much more ambitious scale. Housing, infrastructure, zoning, regulatory approval, CF will prepare that ground for you. All it needs is for the businesses to show up and make it economically feasible. Is it doable? Perhaps, but a lot of work needs to be done. Spend some time bouncing around the website linked above. It is one of the more ambitious and imaginative answers to the West Coast problem of “where?” Still, we are talking about California here. Let’s look at how the locals view it. Did you notice part of the problem of sea blindness in the reporters’ script? Next up from the locals is the view from Sacramento. If you want to Make American Great Again, you need to do great things in great places. I’m keeping this project in my scan. 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

Germany has received its first Arrow 3 missile defense systems from Israel, making it the first country outside Israel to deploy the advanced anti-ballistic weapon. The delivery marks a major step in Germany’s missile defense posture as the country expands its role in European and NATO security. The Arrow 3, jointly developed by Israel Aerospace […]View the full article

The U.S. Southern Command has reported that U.S. Marine Corps forces recently conducted an air-to-air missile exercise in the Caribbean Sea, using an AH-1Z Viper helicopter armed with an AIM-9 Sidewinder. The live-fire training occurred on November 25, 2025, and was publicly announced by the command on December 3. According to the announcement, the helicopter […]View the full article

The Australian government is reviewing a Ukrainian request to transfer retired Tiger attack helicopters as it prepares a new round of defense aid to support Kyiv’s ongoing war with Russia. According to a report from ABC News Australia, the potential transfer of European-built Tiger Armed Reconnaissance Helicopters comes as Canberra finalizes an additional military support […]View the full article

Japan is moving forward with live trials of its new 100-kilowatt-class laser weapon system aboard a military test ship. The high-energy laser was recently installed on the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force’s (JMSDF) testbed vessel Asuka and is now being readied for sea-based testing at Japan Marine United’s shipyard. The newly fitted laser system—developed by the […]View the full article

The U.S. military has activated its first one-way-attack drone squadron under a new task force based in the Middle East, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on December 3. The move comes four months after Secretary of War Pete Hegseth ordered an accelerated push to field affordable unmanned systems capable of delivering decisive effects in contested […]View the full article

Electra announced on December 3 the creation of “Electra Defense,” a new business unit aimed at advancing the company’s work with the U.S. military through the development of the EL9, a hybrid-electric aircraft with ultra-short takeoff and landing (ultra-STOL) capabilities. The EL9 is a nine-passenger fixed-wing aircraft designed to operate from spaces as short as […]View the full article

U.S.-based defense technology firm CX2 has introduced Wraith, a lightweight airborne electronic warfare (EW) platform designed to detect, geolocate, and track jammers, radars, and other RF emitters in high-threat, GPS-denied environments. According to a statement from CX2, Wraith is “purpose-built to weaponize the RF spectrum for forward elements in contested environments.” The company describes the […]View the full article