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Ukrainian troops have carried out an unconventional special operation on the Kharkiv front — evacuating a cat from near the line of contact using a ground robotic vehicle. The unusual mission, conducted by the “Khartia” Brigade, highlights the growing use of unmanned ground systems (UGVs) in Ukraine not only for combat tasks but also for […] The post Ukrainian troops use ground robot to rescue cat from frontline first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Ukraine expects to receive additional fighter jets from its Western partners in the near future, including Swedish Gripens, French Mirages, and American F-16s, a senior defense official has confirmed. The deliveries, once completed, will mark a new stage in Kyiv’s efforts to modernize its air force and strengthen its ability to counter Russian air superiority. […] The post Ukraine to receive Gripen fighter jets first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Ukraine launched a precision missile strike on a key defense enterprise in Russia’s Bryansk region, targeting a facility that plays a critical role in supplying components for the Kremlin’s missile and drone programs. According to Ukrainian naval officials, the strike was carried out using the domestically produced Neptune missile, marking another attack on the infrastructure […] The post Ukraine launches missile strike on key Russian defense plant first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Ukrainian forces have shot down a Russian Mi-8 transport helicopter with a kamikaze drone, marking only the second time such a strike has been successfully carried out since the start of the full-scale invasion. According to Militarnyi, the shootdown occurred on the morning of September 29, 2025, when an FPV drone from the 1st Battalion […] The post Ukrainian FPV drone shoots down Russian Mi-8 helicopter first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

One topic I didn’t expect us to dive into on yesterday’s Midrats with Dean Cheng was the growing nuclear capability of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Once the show was over, I figured I needed to pull Rebeccah Heinrichs’s article from Friday up from my ‘read later’ tab. She gives a solid review of the state of play and offers three suggestions, two of which I generally endorse, and the third a firm non-concur. First, let’s review the table she sets. Just three years ago, China denied it was rapidly building up its nuclear arsenal. In 2022, Fu Cong, then the director-general of the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s arms control department (now China’s permanent representative to the United Nations), told reporters that China was maintaining only a minimum deterrent necessary to defend itself. …China will probably use its new fast breeder reactors and reprocessing facilities to produce plutonium for its nuclear weapons. Just like when China said it was keeping a minimum deterrent and a no-first-use policy, it was lying about this. Chinese officials claimed that these technologies are for peaceful purposes. The least shocking news on the planet: China lies. Next we will be assured that none of the 123,000 graduate students at our top research institutions out of the 277,398 Chinese students in the U.S. are connected to the CCP’s security services. At least the professionals knew what was going on. Four years ago, then Stratcom Commander Adm. Charles Richard publicly warned that it is more useful to watch what the Chinese are doing than what they were claiming. China was amid what he called a “strategic breakout.” … Because of this, Adm. Richard concluded that, while it was impossible to know exactly how Xi Jinping might think about the purpose of the nuclear force, “what matters is they are building the capability to execute any plausible nuclear employment strategy – the last brick in the wall of a military capable of coercion.” Any successful act of coercion relies on a nation’s adversary believing that it has the capability and willingness to attack. And Beijing is working on a force to convince Washington of that. Not only is China building a large and diverse nuclear arsenal that can reach U.S. ships, bases and allies, it is mixing its nuclear and conventional weapons on dual-capable systems. And China’s strategic nuclear breakout is leading up to the time when U.S. officials have assessed China may try to take Taiwan by force (2027). Like many parts of the U.S. military, our nuclear forces have been living off the fumes of the solid work of previous generations. As we engaged ourselves in fruitless imperial policing actions in Central and Southwest Asia, the parts of our military that would be needed for the China that was rising to greet the U.S. (remember, I started the Long Game series 21 years ago on the OG Blog and continued it here. The ‘Long Game” is now.) So, what should we do? Rebeccah has three suggestions. One, fully modernize the program of record by replacing its nuclear delivery systems; modernizing its warheads as well as U.S. nuclear command, control, and communications; and recapitalizing the nuclear enterprise infrastructure. I could not agree more, but as I outlined back in July, I’m not a fan of zombie-like, trading in a 1967 Dodge Dart Swinger for a 2023 model. It is nostalgic, I understand…but it isn’t 1967 again. I would much rather accept risk there and redirect funds from the ICBMs and gravity bombs toward more flexible and modern options with our heavy bombers and SSBN, but read the July post for details. No need to repeat it here. What I will do is nod to the only defense of retaining them that I will agree is worth the argument: their existence forces other nuclear powers to direct a significant portion of their nuclear weapons towards destroying them. Keep them as the ‘sacrificial anode’ of nuclear war. OK, perhaps. Her second. Two, formally terminate the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) with Russia, which expires in February 2026. Russia announced during its invasion of Ukraine that it would no longer abide by the treaty’s accounting requirements. 100%. We live in a drastically different world. Coasting with a comfortably foolish regards to the Cold War Era Intermediate Nuclear Forces treaty until President Trump finally exited it years ago, put us on the back foot in the Western Pacific. Anyone advising keeping START is simply living in the past. Third is where a firm non-concur comes in. Three, bolster theater nuclear deterrence in the Pacific by speeding up the delivery of the Sea-Launched Cruise Missile (SLCM-N), a program President Trump initiated during his first term. The first Trump administration explained that it was adding this “prudent” option to enhance “the flexibility and diversity of U.S. nuclear capabilities… by signaling to potential adversaries that their limited nuclear escalation offers no exploitable advantage.” No. Just plain no. I explain in detail at my post from almost a year ago. Read it here. Heck, I wrote about it first two years ago. You can read that too if you wish. For the last few years, I have had people tell me, “I know people who will tell you how wrong you are. There are a few scenarios where…”— and, no. I know the arguments, and I dismiss them out of hand, especially because they drift into the ‘limited nuclear exchange’ theories. I outlined my thoughts on that back in February. Since when have The Smartest People in the Room™ correctly predicted the opening moves of any conflict in the last seventy years? They can’t get the big moves right, why expect they’ll get the ‘vignette’ right? They appear to have sold Rebeccah and perhaps I’m wrong, but I don’t think so. Not that it is a bad weapon, to the contrary I’d love to wargame it in ‘end of the world’ games for a week, but is it a smart weapon to invest limited resources in over other requirements? We are not going to spend 10% of our GDP on defense. We will be lucky if we can maintain 3%. We cannot afford nice-to-haves that fit a limited number of exquisite vignettes when we have exceptionally limited numbers of conventional weapons to fight the actual wars right in front of us. Listening to the nuclear theorists and being hypnotized by their over-engineered theories is what had the U.S. unready for the conventional wars in Korea and Vietnam. Rebeccah does offer something towards the end that I would like to substitute for her third recommendation. …the next generation bomber, the B-21, will be instrumental for deterring China and assuring allies. And as its older cousin, the B-2, showed off against the illicit Iranian nuclear program in Operation Midnight Hammer, stealth bombers are a threat to the most deeply buried targets inside enemy territory. The Air Force plans to produce 100 B-21s, but adding a second production line and doubling the production output would be wise. This would also bring down the cost per item while delivering a powerful deterrent that the president can use across geographic theaters. I have called for a minimum of 200 B-21. I have heard others argue for 400. I can make that argument too. These are dual-use weapons systems that we can use for what is by orders of magnitude more likely to call on the U.S. military—conventional war. I don’t think we can afford to fully modernize the Cold War Triad, but we could, and must, build a credible nuclear deterrence force to more than address the challenge from China, Russia, and the tertiary powers. We could do even more by running the last of the China doves out of DC. Rebeccah’s is not one, but she known where the last ones are hiding. Her last point should be plastered on every DC Metro station. China claims that it has a minimum deterrent, follows a no-first-use policy and uses nuclear technology for peaceful purposes. None of that is true. For the sake of peace, the United States should boost the credibility of its nuclear deterrence accordingly – and fast. Hey…we can just do things. 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

For decades, while the rest of the world’s powers have distracted and tangled themselves with wars of choice and blunder, the People’s Republic of China has been watching, learning, and building. To what end? Returning to Midrats to discuss this and more will be Dean Cheng. You can listen live here, today from 5-6 pm Eastern. If you are reading this after the show, refresh the Substack page later Sunday evening for all the podcast links. Dean Cheng, Senior Advisor, United States Institute of Peace; Non-resident Senior Fellow, Potomac Institute for Policy Studies; Non-resident Fellow, George Washington University Space Policy Institute. He recently retired after 13 years with the Heritage Foundation, where he was a senior research fellow on Chinese political and security affairs, and wrote on various aspects of Chinese foreign and defense policy. Prior to joining the Heritage Foundation, he was a senior analyst with the China Studies Division (previously, Project Asia) at CNA from 2001-2009. Before joining CNA, he was a senior analyst with Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) from 1996-2001. From 1993-1995, he was an analyst with the US Congress’ Office of Technology Assessment in the International Security and Space Division, where he studied the Chinese defense industrial complex. He is the author of the book Cyber Dragon: Inside China’s Information Warfare and Cyber Operations (NY: Praeger Publishing, 2016), as well as a number of papers and book chapters examining various aspects of Chinese security affairs. 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

Italian firearms manufacturer Fabarm S.p.A. has introduced a new variant of its widely used STF/12 shotgun specifically configured for counter-drone missions. The STF/12 Compact XL Range 22″, presented as a specialized upgrade of the platform already fielded by the German Bundeswehr as the Mehrzweckflinte 5 (MZF 5), is engineered to engage fast, low-flying aerial targets […] The post Italy’s Fabarm launches extended-range shotgun for drone defense first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Japan’s Ground Self-Defense Force (GSDF) is planning a major organizational restructuring, with two new large-scale formations expected to be established in fiscal year 2026. According to media reports, the plans include elevating the existing 15th Brigade on Okinawa to a division and consolidating the JGSDF’s elite special operations units into a dedicated brigade. The restructuring […] The post Japan to reorganize army structure with new large-scale formations first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

One of Britain’s leading defense analysts has called for a sweeping reform of the Army Reserve and a substantial increase in the size of the British Army, warning that the current structure leaves the country unprepared for future conflicts. Writing on his X page, defense commentator Nicholas Drummond argued that the Reserve is being used […] The post U.K. needs 90,000 regular personnel and 30,000 reservists, analyst warns first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

U.S. Central Command is launching a new task force designed to fast-track the deployment of drones and emerging technologies to American forces operating across the Middle East. The Rapid Employment Joint Task Force (REJTF), announced Tuesday, will focus on delivering advanced capabilities to troops in as little as two months — a major shift in […] The post Pentagon launches rapid deployment unit for drones first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Russia is forming mobile counter-drone units to defend its energy infrastructure amid an escalating wave of Ukrainian drone attacks that have crippled the country’s refining capacity and caused its worst gasoline shortage in three decades. The move comes as strikes on oil refineries continue to degrade Russian fuel production, with some estimates suggesting that 20–25% […] The post Russia deploys mobile anti-drone units amid fuel crisis first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Russia has introduced a new light armored vehicle known as the “Legioner”, developed by the company Russkiye Boyevyye Mashiny (RBM). The 4×4 platform is intended to bridge the gap between unarmored military vehicles and heavier armored personnel carriers such as the BTR-82A, combining improved mobility, basic protection, and versatility in a compact design. The Legioner’s […] The post Russia develops new Legioner armored vehicle first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that a Patriot air defense system previously stationed in Israel has been operating in Ukraine for the past month, strengthening the country’s ability to counter Russian missile and drone attacks. He also announced that Kyiv will receive two additional Patriot systems this fall as part of ongoing efforts to expand […] The post Israeli Patriot now active in Ukraine, Zelensky says first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Japan’s Ministry of Defense is considering an unprecedented move to use armored civilian vehicles as replacements for the Ground Self-Defense Force’s (GSDF) aging light armored fleet. Officials say the plan involves testing modified commercial models, including vehicles produced by major Japanese automakers, to determine their suitability for future military use. According to officials cited by […] The post Japan plans to use civilian SUVs to replace aging military vehicles first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The U.S. Army has awarded Northrop Grumman Systems Corp. a $19 million contract for the production of M136 Vehicle Launched Anti-Tank Scatterable ammunition canisters, a key component of the service’s mobile mine-laying capability. The contract, funded through fiscal 2024 Building Partner Capacity accounts, will support production of the widely used Volcano system, with completion expected […] The post Northrop Grumman wins new deal for rapid minefield system first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The U.S. Air Force has awarded Minco Technologies of Cookeville, Tennessee, a contract valued at up to $13.6 million to develop a next-generation unmanned aircraft engine designed to dramatically reduce fuel consumption and improve operational flexibility. The project aims to create a modular, fuel-flexible propulsion system that could cut the logistical fuel supply chain by […] The post Pentagon funds $13.6M project to make drones twice as fuel-efficient first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Raytheon Co. has been awarded a not-to-exceed $161 million deal to an existing contract to support expanded production and modernization of the AIM-9X air-to-air missile, a weapon central to U.S. and allied air defense capabilities. The modification to an existing contract, which includes support for Ukraine, calls for development and qualification of a new warhead, […] The post New AIM-9X missile upgrade deal includes weapons support for Ukraine first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, has received a $10.8 billion contract from the U.S. Navy to produce up to 99 CH-53K King Stallion heavy-lift helicopters for the U.S. Marine Corps over the next five years. The agreement, the largest-quantity order for the platform to date, will support deliveries between 2029 and 2034 and sustain thousands […] The post U.S. Navy awards $10.8B contract for heavy-lift helicopters first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

What, pray tell, does one have to have to have a lead role in a FbF? Character. Today, we have the character of a strong, smart women who lived in a period of time when most women were little more than property. Another great woman who we just have a hint of what she was; I give you .Ela, Countess of Salisbury. Ela, only child of Eleanor de Vitre and William, 2nd Earl of Salisbury, from whom she inherited large estates in Wiltshire, was born (date unknown) at Amesbury. The estates, including Chitterne, had been held by Ela’s great- great-grandfather, Edward, after William the Conqueror defeated King Harold. Ela’s grandfather, Patrick, constable of Salisbury, was created Earl of Salisbury in 1149 by Empress Matilda whose steward of the household he was. Ela’s father, William, succeeded to the title and estates in 1168 upon the death of Patrick, who died whilst returning from a crusade. William was a captain in the King’s army in Normandy in 1195 and keeper of the charter for licensing tournaments. At her father’s death in 1196, Ela succeeded to the title and estates, but here her story becomes blurred. According to Canner, she was: “secretly taken to Normandy by her relations and there brought up in close and secret custody.....An english knight, named William Talbot, undertook to discover the place of the youthful heiress’s concealment.... Talbot dressed as a pilgrim, went to Normandy, and after wandering to and fro for two years, at length found the Lady Ela of Salisbury. He then exchanged his pilgrim’s dress for that of a Harper or travelling Troubadour, and in this disguise entered the Court in which the maid was detained. As he acted his part well he was kindly received and treated as one of the household. At last after two years of search his undertaking was fully accomplished and having found a convenient opportunity for returning to England brought the young heiress with him and presented her to King Richard..... Ela, countess of Salisbury in her own right, then became the wife of William Longespee, son of Henry II”. However, CFJ Hankinson (editor of Debrett’s Peerage) writes thus: “...he (Ela’s father) died in 1196. His only child, Ela, (third holder), married at the age of eight William de Longespee (illegitimate son of Henry II by Rosamund Clifford**) who thereupon became earl of Salisbury in her right.” Clearly Ela could not have spent several years in Normandy after her father’s death and still have married William de Longespee at the age of eight, unless her year of birth (only provided by Canner) is wrong. All agree that Ela was a woman of strong character. She and William each laid a foundation stone of the new Salisbury Cathedral. During one of his long journeys abroad (the Crusades), when others feared he had been lost, she refused to marry any of the suitors who had their eye on her fortune and steadfastly believed in her vision of his return. She was proved correct. On his death, William was the first to be buried in the new Salisbury Cathedral and his fine tomb, pictured left, stands in the nave. Ela founded two religious houses in his memory, one for men at Hinton Charterhouse and the other for women at Lacock. It is said that she laid the foundation stones for both on the same day, 16 April 1232, requiring a journey of 16 miles. She bore her husband eight children, four girls and four boys. Her eldest son, William, who donated his lands at Chitterne to the Abbey, was later killed on a crusade and also has a tomb in Salisbury Cathedral. Her youngest son, Nicholas, became Bishop of Salisbury (1292 - 1297) and his heart was buried at Lacock, his body at Salisbury. The photo right shows Nicholas’ marble heartstone, inscribed with ecclesiastical regalia, which is on display at Lacock Abbey. One of Ela’s daughters visited the convent in 1287 and two of her granddaughters became nuns there. Ela joined Lacock Abbey as a nun in 1238, and in 1241 became it’s first abbess, it had started with fifteen nuns under a prioress. She was abbess for fifteen years and died at seventy-five in 1261. She was buried in the choir of the Abbey church before the High Altar. Upon the demolition of the church her tombstone was moved to the centre of the Cloister Court, and from there in 1895 to it’s present position in the cloister walk. It’s inscription, which may date from the eighteenth century reads (latin translation): Below lie buried the bones of the venerable Ela, who gave this sacred house as a home for the nuns. She also lived here as holy abbess and countess of Salisbury, full of good works. During her time Ela had obtained many rights for the Abbey and the village of Lacock. She was also Sheriff of Wiltshire for two years following her husband’s death, the only woman sheriff Wiltshire had until Lady Hawley in 1998. Here is the part of this write up that is missing. Her husband William (whose tomb I have seen) most likely did not die of natural causes. He died not long after his return to England at Salisbury Castle. Roger of Wendover alleged that he was poisoned by Hubert de Burgh. He was buried at Salisbury Cathedral in Salisbury, Wiltshire, England. William de Longespee’s tomb was opened in 1791. Bizarrely, the well-preserved corpse of a rat which carried traces of arsenic [5], was found inside his skull. The rat is now on display in a case at the Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum. The long story; de Burgh wanted to marry Ela before William showed after given up for dead - and then after his actual death, started to pursue Ela again. The convent was her way of foiling his acts in an age where women had almost no power. Sheriff Ela though .... sigh ... what a woman. There is a movie in there somewhere. 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

Ukraine is ramping up its use of helicopters as part of its air defense network, after frontline units proved their effectiveness in intercepting Russian long-range drones, according to Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi. As Militarnyi reported, Syrskyi highlighted that helicopter crews have become a critical element of Ukraine’s layered air defense strategy, often outperforming expectations in drone […] The post Ukraine deploys more helicopters to hunt Russian drones first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Russia has agreed to supply and train China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in airborne assault tactics — including the airdrop of armored vehicles and special forces — as part of a covert military cooperation deal aimed at preparing for a possible invasion of Taiwan, according to leaked contracts and internal correspondence reviewed by security analysts […] The post Leaked files show Russia aiding China’s Taiwan invasion plans first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Poland’s defense industry has taken a bold step into the future of land warfare with the development of GNOM, an innovative wheeled loitering munition designed to deliver precision strikes against armored targets. Developed by MACRO-SYSTEM and tested during the recent “Iron Gate 25” exercise with the 18th Mechanized Division, GNOM is emerging as one of […] The post Poland trials GNOM drone built to break armored assaults first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Boeing announced it will relocate its F/A-18 Super Hornet Service Life Modification (SLM) operations from the St. Louis region by 2027 as part of a broader strategic realignment to support future aircraft programs. The move, revealed on September 24, comes as the company continues to expand its defense manufacturing operations in St. Louis — including […] The post Super Hornet upgrade program heads to new sites first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The United States has awarded Textron Systems Corporation a $163.3 million contract to deliver a new batch of armored vehicles to Ukraine. According to a contract announcement from the Department of War, the award covers the procurement of Mobile Strike Force Vehicles (MSFV), along with spare parts, specialized tools, and testing equipment. Work will be […] The post Textron secures $163M deal to supply armored vehicles to Ukraine first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The U.S. Army has awarded Knight’s Armament Company of Titusville, Florida, a $21 million contract for the production and delivery of M110 Semi-Automatic Sniper Systems (SASS), with deliveries expected to be completed by January 30, 2027. The contract, issued under the Ukraine Security Initiative and Building Partner Capacity funds, will support ongoing U.S. efforts to […] The post U.S. Army orders M110 sniper rifles for Ukraine first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article