HG S2 (Intel Bot)

The KHAN ballistic missile system, developed by Türkiye’s Roketsan, was spotted at an Indonesian Army installation in East Kalimantan. The missile platform, identified as the ITBM-600, was seen at the Raipur A base of the 18th Field Artillery Battalion (Yonarmed 18/Buritkang Tenggarong) on August 1, 2025. This was first reported by the defense-focused platform Sahabat […] The post Indonesia receives first KHAN ballistic missile system first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

In the early hours of August 2, a wave of explosions rocked several Russian regions as Ukraine launched a retaliatory drone strike against military and strategic industrial targets deep inside Russian territory. The operation, reportedly in response to a deadly Russian missile barrage on Ukrainian cities on July 31, targeted oil refineries, electronics manufacturing sites, […] The post Massive Ukrainian strike hits deep inside Russia first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Russia’s Su-57 Felon stealth fighter has been armed with hypersonic weapons, according to a senior military official. Speaking to the state-owned Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper, Lieutenant General Alexander Maksimtsev, Chief of the Main Staff and First Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Aerospace Forces, said the fifth-generation Su-57 is now equipped with “modern aviation strike systems and […] The post Russia arms Su-57 fighter with hypersonic weapon first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

While following a series of posts on X by Dr. Phil Weir about the last couple of decades’ struggle in the Royal Navy’s frigate programs, I remembered a 2011 post of mine about the 2011 foolishness in Libya that, in a way, read like an OG FbF ... and figured, let's bring the story of HMS Liverpool (D92), a little more than a year before her decommissioning to the Front Porch so we can see the proper use of a main gun for all the new readers. Often here we have comments about how, "nAvAl GunZ uR oBSolEt3" ... well, of course they are not — as the recent events in the Red Sea against attack drones proved. Let's head off the coast of Libya ... and do so with a 2011 mindset; Commander Colin Williams said: ‘It was a good old fashioned ding-dong. The enemy fire was coming in pretty close. It was fairly close-range stuff but we’ve trained for this and we were ready to win the fight. Repeat after me: "There is no more important weapon on a warship than its main gun battery." Translate that into Latin and we'll put it in to Autotune for 'ya and make it a Gregorian Chant. Heck, we'll put it on t-shirts and sell them. The Portsmouth-based destroyer was just six miles off the coast of Gaddafi-held territory when she came under a barrage of rockets and heavy calibre machine gunfire yesterday. But the Libyan forces were no match for her 4.5in gun, which silenced the attack within half an hour with no casualties or damage to the ship. ... Cdr Williams said: ‘We had a couple of contacts moving down the coast. The other two ships went in to investigate and we sent up our helicopter in support. ‘Then they started getting fired on by the vessels and from the shore and it all got a bit hairy from there.’ As her helicopter dodged gunfire, Liverpool fired an opening salvo and manoeuvred into position to take on the shore battalion. The captain said: ‘It took us about 20 or 30 minutes to bring it to an end. ... He revealed he was actually asleep when the attack began at 2am yesterday. He said: ‘I was woken as we prepared and it was very humbling to see my ship’s company working so calmly and quietly. Exactly. Though the shore-duty theorists with their transformationalist fetish continue to ignore facts that interfere with their religion - history & reality - their worst enemy - continue to tell us what you need to get right in your warships. This time it is Libya - and again - it is the Royal Navy (what is left of her) that tells us what we need to know. Other things to go with our chant: 1. As Seaman Murphy gundecks PMS and his brother at the factory has quality control issues - it is best à la SPRUANCE & TICO to have two main batteries. 2. Larger isn't better, it is essential. Beancounters, men insecure with their manhood, and the non-battleminded like small caliber weapons. Those who need to kill or be killed know that if a 3" will do - a 5" is needed. If a 5" will fit, an 8" should be there instead. If you think I am nuts, just ask a Marine. If you think he is nuts - tell him to his face, please. You will close the shore - you will be shot at - you will need to shoot back. Make sure those who have a comfortable commute and a comfortable home build you the ships you need - not the ones they think are neat. 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

Poland has signed an executive agreement with South Korea to deliver 180 K2 main battle tanks to the Polish Armed Forces, marking a pivotal step in the reestablishment of tank manufacturing within the country after more than a decade. According to Poland’s Ministry of National Defense, the agreement includes the first batch of tanks in […] The post Poland signs K2 tank localization deal with South Korea first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

A new prototype aircraft spotted at Hongdu Aviation Industry Group’s facilities in Nanchang has fueled speculation that China is developing a naval variant of an advanced jet trainer modeled after the U.S.-built T-7A Red Hawk. Images and recently published design patents from China’s National Intellectual Property Administration indicate that the new jet, while externally resembling […] The post China develops new carrier-based jet trainer first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

MBDA, Europe’s largest missile maker, has completed delivery of the first batch of ASTER air defense missiles under a high-priority accelerated production program, fulfilling urgent operational needs for France, Italy, the United Kingdom, and Ukraine. According to OpexNews, this milestone comes just under 30 months after the initial order, well ahead of standard pre-war production […] The post Europe’s top missile maker ramps up production first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The French defense procurement agency, Direction générale de l’armement (DGA), has conducted a new series of trials aimed at validating software upgrades to the MURIN battlefield surveillance radar developed by Thales. According to a public release by DGA, the testing campaign took place at the DGA Maîtrise de l’information test center and utilized the mobile […] The post French military tests upgraded Murin radar first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The German government has announced plans to deliver two additional Patriot air defense batteries to Ukraine. The first components, including launchers, are set to arrive within days, with complete system elements to follow in the next two to three months. According to a press release from the German Ministry of Defense, the delivery is structured […] The post Ukraine to receive more Patriot systems from Germany first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The U.S. Air Force has launched the next phase of its Super Squadron Test by relocating the first wave of F-16 Fighting Falcons from Kunsan Air Base to Osan AB in South Korea. Starting July 28, the 36th Fighter Squadron at Osan began receiving F-16 aircraft as part of the broader initiative to evaluate whether […] The post U.S. Air Force tests super squadron model first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The U.S. Space Force is preparing to launch its eighth X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle mission on August 21, 2025. According to the service, the unmanned X-37B spacecraft, operating under the designation USSF-36, will be carried aloft by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The mission will be conducted in partnership with the Air Force Rapid Capabilities […] The post U.S. Space Force prepares next X-37B spaceplane launch first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

India has told U.S. officials that it is not interested in purchasing the F-35 stealth fighter, despite growing pressure from Washington to expand its defense imports, according to a recent report from Bloomberg. Officials familiar with the matter, cited anonymously due to the sensitivity of the discussions, said the Modi government is unlikely to proceed […] The post India rejects U.S. F-35 fighter offer, Report says first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Russian military analysts have publicly examined potential missile strike options against Japan, outlining a detailed multi-phase campaign aimed at neutralizing the country’s defense infrastructure. According to analysis, published by the pro-Kremlin outlet Voennaya Khronika (“Military Chronicle”), Russia views the positioning of the locally made Type 12 and U.S.-supplied MRC Typhon missile systems—with a range of […] The post Russian analysts map out missile strikes on Japan first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Taiwan’s top defense research institute, the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST), has signed a memorandum of understanding with U.S.-based Anduril Industries, marking a rare and direct collaboration with one of the Pentagon’s most aggressive AI defense startups. According to a source familiar with the matter, the agreement covers cooperation in areas including […] The post Taiwan expands AI defense cooperation with Anduril first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The U.S. Army has tested a modernized Stryker-mounted reconnaissance vehicle designed to detect chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) threats, featuring an integrated drone system equipped with Teledyne FLIR’s SkyRaider unmanned aerial system. According to a statement from the Joint Program Executive Office for CBRN Defense, the Joint Project Manager for CBRN Sensors team recently […] The post U.S. Army tests upgraded CBRN recon vehicle first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The U.S. Army is field-testing a fully autonomous tactical vehicle developed by Seattle-based Overland AI during Exercise Agile Spirit 25 in Georgia (Sakartvelo), just miles from Russian-occupied territory. The robotic vehicle, known as ULTRA, is being evaluated for its ability to perform combat resupply missions across rugged, contested terrain without direct human control. According to […] The post U.S. Army tests robotic vehicle near Russia first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The U.S. Army has awarded Dynetics Inc., based in Huntsville, Alabama, a new $264.6 million contract to advance its Indirect Fire Protection Capability (IFPC) weapon system, which is designed to counter a growing range of aerial threats including drones, cruise missiles, and rocket attacks on U.S. and allied infrastructure. According to a release from the […] The post US Army awards Dynetics new contract for IFPC air defense system first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Eycore, a Polish space defense startup specializing in Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) technologies, has announced an expanded strategic partnership with Norway’s Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace (KDA) aimed at delivering sovereign Earth observation capabilities for defense and governmental customers. According to a joint statement released on July 31, the two companies have signed a new Memorandum […] The post Poland’s Eycore teams with Kongsberg on sovereign ISR satellites first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

As Lockheed Martin faces growing scrutiny over its role in U.S. next-generation air dominance efforts, a defense industry source has issued a sharp rebuke of the company’s rumored strategy to develop a twin-engine derivative of the F-35, also known as F-55. The criticism comes amid fresh financial pressure on Lockheed, whose second-quarter 2025 earnings revealed […] The post Industry insider slams Lockheed’s F-55 as “repackaged failure” first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Russia has begun using a new jet-powered variant of the Iranian-designed Shahed drone in large-scale attacks against Ukraine, including a wave of strikes targeting the capital, Kyiv. According to the Ukrainian defense outlet Militarnyi, the drone—identified as the Shahed-238 and rebranded by Russia as the “Geran-3”—was employed during combined missile and UAV attacks on the […] The post Jet-powered kamikaze drones target Kyiv in overnight assault first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

International relations are just a subset of personal relations. That is why we have summits where national leaders meet face to face, etc. At the end of the day, all the policy papers, posturing, and talking heads are secondary and supporting operations. Leaders and how they interact with each other is what makes the difference. Even in 50/50 democratic systems with party politics, the balance of a nation’s people will watch closely how their leaders, and as a byproduct their nation, are treated by friend and foe alike…but especially friends. Are they ignored by other leaders? Mocked? Dismissed? Respected? In parallel, there is another dynamic in play. Like people, nations have friends, acquaintances, and even family members, and they also form client relationships where a senior partner may expect deference and appreciation for their sponsorship of junior partners. With that, the more senior partner has obligations to the junior partner. Especially when junior partners have agency on who will be their senior partner, the senior partner must properly tend to that relationship, going above and beyond for them than they would for non-partner nations. Especially if the senior partner wants to not just maintain its junior partners, but expand them to the detriment of their peer competitor, the actions must reflect a mature understanding of proper stewardship. This is how you develop a perfect circle of acquaintances and friends in your personal and national life. Because junior partners with agency have responsibilities and self-interest for themselves and their nations, they are watching and will move their allegiances elsewhere for perceived self-interest or even out of spite at some slight or poor stewardship of the relationship with the senior partner. This dynamic is what came to mind when I read about the sudden death of Saipan’s Governor, Arnold Palacios. No one has covered the issues in the small island nations and territories in the southwest Pacific better than our friend Cleo Paskal. Her summary over at LinkedIn last week will catch everyone up. Governor Arnold Palacios, Northern Mariana Islands, USA (Saipan) just died suddenly. He fiercely defended America's western's border from all enemies, foreign and domestic. CNMI urgently needs a major federal investigation into corruption and Chinese penetration. Gov. Palacios consistently and publicly requested investigations into corruption in CNMI, including into the Chinese casino that ran BILLIONS of dollars into the U.S. economy and the hundreds of millions of ARPA funding that was disbursed during the administration of the previous Governor, Ralph Torres. How many Governors say to the federal government: 'my books are open, come look at everything'? What was the response? Recently the FBI closed a years long investigation into previous Gov. Torres (who is now likely to run again). We covered this in the John Batchelor Show interview below, with Gordon Chang. Some other dubious things going on in CNMI which is, remember, part of the United States of America: - CNMI is the only place in the US where Chinese can arrive without a visa. This has raised serious security concerns. In the past couple of years, dozens of Senators and Representatives have written to Homeland expressing concerns. - The woman who ran the BMV and a Chinese citizen were convicted in 2023 of selling at least 50 fraudulent driver licenses to foreign nationals "who lacked lawful immigration status". The going rate was $1700 for a new license. - At least hundreds of Chinese have been illegally traveling the short distance by boat from CNMI to Guam, where some have been found on U.S. military bases. - At one point, the Chinese casino in Saipan ran over $2 BILLION a month on just a few tables, with almost exclusively Chinese high rollers. Former CIA director James Woolsey was on the board and advisors included former Louisiana Governor Haley Barbour, former FBI director Louis Freeh and former Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell according to Bloomberg. FBI took documents - so far nothing. There is more. Read Gov. Palacios' own words on "Rising influence of the CCP in Micronesia" Her timeline on X has been the place to keep up with the state of play, and her appearance on Bannon’s show is worth an investment of your time—especially being that it is only a bit more than 7 minutes. Saipan? Why yes, we have skin in that game. Relationships, honor. and ethnical concerns with the U.S. put to the side, why would the PRC be interested in Saipan? For the same clear and strategic reasons we invested there over eight decades ago. Geography. There it is, that little red dot right in the center. Besides that obvious reason, there is the reason that I started this post with—people. The death of Palacios may very well be from unfortunate natural causes, but the U.S. government needs to flood the zone. In a part of the world where the PRC is making/buying/earning new friends and partners at the expense of historical connections to the U.S., the people of Saipan and other Pacific nations are watching how we respond. We need to treat this as if the Governor of Florida or California died suddenly under questionable circumstances. Make a public and significant effort. Don’t send the B-team. Be respectful, but be overt. If his death was from natural causes, then we have shown the governor and people of Saipan that we respect them and honor their relationship. If it was from questionable causes, then there can be few higher priorities the U.S. government should have than investigating the murder of political leaders. As a final note, the funeral is August 2nd. I hope the highest possible representation attends to represent the U.S. government. It matters. This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Share Leave a comment View the full article

Fears of a potential Russian military campaign against NATO’s eastern flank by 2027 have gained renewed attention across Europe. But Lithuanian-based security expert Darius Antanaitis — a well-known and influential voice on Baltic defense matters — believes the threat is more likely to materialize around 2030, and only under certain geopolitical conditions. In comments to […] The post Expert: Baltic war would open multiple fronts for Russia first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Taiwan has announced an expansive new procurement initiative for over 50,000 additional unmanned aerial systems (UAS), marking one of the largest drone acquisitions in the country’s history. Combined with the Ministry of National Defense’s recent order for nearly 49,000 units, the total demand now exceeds 100,000 drones—effectively securing the domestic industry’s production capacity for at […] The post Taiwan to buy over 100,000 military drones first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

A new government audit has revealed that Taiwan’s military reserve units are experiencing serious shortfalls in equipment, with overall force-wide readiness standing at just 70 percent. The report, issued by the National Audit Office on July 29 as part of the 2024 central budget review, shows that four categories of gear—combat engineer tools, communications, surveillance, […] The post Taiwan’s reserve units missing 30% of equipment first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense has confirmed that 50 of its domestically produced Clouded Leopard 8×8 armored vehicles developed structural cracks due to poor welding and metal fatigue. The issue, first raised during a legislative committee hearing by lawmaker Wang Ting-yu, prompted an internal investigation and corrective measures. The announcement came during a National Defense […] The post Cracks found in dozens of Taiwanese-made armored vehicles first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article