HG S2 (Intel Bot)

U.S. Soldiers from V Corps’ 2nd Cavalry Regiment and allied forces from the United Kingdom are conducting joint counter-unmanned aerial system (C-UAS) training this week at the Bemowo Piskie Training Area near Elk, Poland. The multinational exercise, known as Project Flytrap 4.0, runs from July 27 to 31 and focuses on advancing low-cost, portable solutions […] The post U.S. and British forces train against drones in Poland first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The Ohio National Guard’s 1st Combined Arms Battalion, 145th Armor Regiment, has begun training with the U.S. Army’s newest generation of main battle tank—the M1A2 SEPv3 Abrams. The unit is the first within the 34th Infantry Division to field the upgraded platform. On July 28, tank crews conducted live-fire gunnery qualification with the SEPv3 variant […] The post Ohio Guard fields new Abrams tank variant first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The U.S. Air Force has showcased a new HQ-16 surrogate target vehicle, designed to support advanced pilot training against modern air defense threats. The mock system was displayed publicly for the first time during the Experimental Aircraft Association’s annual AirVenture event at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The HQ-16, known by its NATO designation […] The post U.S. trains pilots using HQ-16 SAM replica first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The U.S. Air Force, working with Northrop Grumman, successfully completed a full-scale qualification test of the stage-two solid rocket motor for the LGM-35A Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on July 20. The test was conducted by the 717th Test Squadron at Arnold Engineering Development Complex, a key site for high-fidelity propulsion and systems evaluation. The […] The post U.S. Air Force completes Sentinel rocket motor test first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The U.S. Air Force’s long-serving T-1A Jayhawk training aircraft completed its final operational flight on July 28, departing from Naval Air Station Pensacola and arriving at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona. The aircraft’s destination was the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG), where it will be used for parts reclamation to support other […] The post U.S. Air Force retires T-1A Jayhawk training aircraft first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The U.S. Navy, in collaboration with aerospace firm Skydweller Aero, has completed a continuous 73-hour unmanned flight using solar power alone. The test, conducted out of Stennis, Mississippi, represents a major step forward in applying solar-powered aircraft for maritime intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) operations. The demonstration was led by the Naval Air Warfare Center […] The post U.S. Navy tests long-endurance solar drone first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

AM General has received a $126.5 million contract modification from the U.S. Army for continued production of the M1165A1B3 High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV), or Humvee, according to a Department of Defense announcement. The modification increases the total contract value to just over $3.05 billion. The contract, identified as modification P00023 to contract W912CH-24-F-0229, […] The post U.S. Army buys more armored Humvees from AM General first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Owl Cyber Defense Solutions LLC, based in Columbia, Maryland, has been awarded a $150 million contract by the U.S. Air Force for advanced research and development in secure communications technologies. The award, issued under the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, supports a range of projects intended to improve multi-domain information sharing across classified and […] The post U.S. Air Force awards $150M for cross-domain communications tools first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Turkish defense company Uludoğan has completed development of a new nano-class unmanned aerial system, the NanoAlp, designed to deliver close-range reconnaissance in contested environments. With an overall length of just 25 centimeters, the helicopter-type micro drone is scheduled to enter serial production in the third quarter of 2025, the company confirmed. According to Uludoğan, the […] The post Turkish firm develops micro recon drone first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The Pakistan Army has begun taking delivery of new Chinese-made Z-10ME attack helicopters, according to imagery and video footage circulating on social media in recent days. The aircraft, seen bearing Pakistan Army Aviation Corps markings, signal the start of a long-anticipated transition away from the aging AH-1F Cobra fleet first introduced more than four decades […] The post Pakistan gets first Z-10ME attack helicopters from China first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The U.S. Air Force’s newest light attack and reconnaissance aircraft, the OA-1K Skyraider II, is undergoing developmental testing at Eglin Air Force Base as part of its path toward operational service within Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC). According to the Air Force, the aircraft is being evaluated by the 96th Test Wing in partnership […] The post U.S. Air Force tests new Skyraider II attack aircraft first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Lockheed Martin has received a $2.06 billion contract modification to produce additional Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptors for the U.S. government, the Department of Defense announced. The new award raises the total value of the current production contract from $8.35 billion to over $10.4 billion, with work set to continue through December 1, […] The post Lockheed secures $2B deal to rebuild THAAD stockpile first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Raytheon, an RTX business, has introduced a new variant of its Multispectral Targeting System (MTS), designed to enhance visual performance and targeting capability for U.S. Navy helicopters operating in maritime environments. According to a press release from the company, the new system—designated MTS-A HD—offers improved imaging clarity, targeting precision, and operational flexibility. The system is […] The post Raytheon develops new targeting system for Navy helicopters first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

During a recent visit to St. Petersburg, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s personal security team was spotted with what appears to be a newly developed FPV drone designed specifically for countering hostile unmanned aerial systems. The presence of the drone, visibly carried by a member of the presidential protection unit, has drawn attention due to its […] The post Putin’s guards seen with new anti-drone weapon first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

There has been a growing awareness over the last couple of years—and especially the last year—about the “rare earth element” challenge. It is more than a challenge, it is a problem. Why a problem? Global supply systems, etc... Those who know the industrial history of WWII will know that despite of their technological skills, the Germans could not produce the number and quality of the weapons they wanted to because they could not source sufficient critical “exotic” raw materials—not to mention just fuel. As a result, they could produce only a few and those they could produce, such as jet engines, had to use lesser materials and did not last as long. The Japanese, as an island nation with few raw materials but human capital, struggled with even the basics once the peacetime “global supply chain” became but a memory. Their problems weren’t that they didn’t know they had a problem accessing materials at the start of the war, as they had stockpiled cobalt, vanadium, titanium, tungsten, chromium, molybdenum, and other exotic metals. The Germans even had access to some usable deposits in some of the conquered lands such as France and the Balkans, the Japanese in China. However, they did not stockpile for a long war, and by 1943 allied interdiction of sea and ground lines of communication made getting materials to their increasingly bombed-out industrial areas exceptionally difficult and inefficient. In 2025, it is the USA and its allies that are Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan when it comes to critical supplies needed to fight any kind of protracted war. The People’s Republic of China (PRC) is the nation that is not just the industrial superpower, they have managed to corner both the supply and the supply chain of the world’s light and heavy rare earth elements—and in many critical cases the ability to process it into usable material. Regulars here know what the PRC has done in shipbuilding. While the USA and its allies focused on handling millions of uninvited, military-aged, unemployable young men from wherever after a couple of decades engaging in fruitless imperial policing actions and nation building for people uninterested and unable to be built, the PRC was focused on its strategic goal: to supplant The West as the leader of the world. They looked at history with a cold, old world eye, and set to work. One of those lines of operation was the raw material that anyone would need to seriously contest them in the military sphere once they were strong enough to stand. It isn’t just the mines and supply chains, it is how the CCP through controlling interest in many companies is prioritizing China. I had a bit of time on the road over the weekend and listened to the MWI Podcast: The US Military’s Critical Minerals Challenge, with Dr. Morgan Bazilian, director of the Payne Institute for Public Policy at the Colorado School of Mines. You can listen to the above link or via the Spotify link below. I thought I was doing a responsible job tracking the issue, but man was I wrong. I learned more in that 1-hr podcast than I have in my readings for the last few years. The bold-faced takeaway for me was that, for a moment, I was reassured to hear we do have a reserve based on expected requirements found from a series of wargames against the PRC, but it is only enough of a reserve to fight for one year. Excuse me? I’ve got news for everybody. The next great Pacific War that might evolve into a world war, it's gonna go for a long time. Expect at least World War II length. We are not ready. All indications show that China has been getting ready for years using the best mercantilist, capitalist, and good old fashioned communist bullying. We are a bit late to the game. Just one of the examples that kept coming up during the interview was MP Materials (MP). You know, the company that owns the only operational rare earth mine in the U.S. at Mountain Pass, California. The Defense Department will become the largest shareholder in rare earth miner MP Materials after agreeing to buy $400 million of its preferred stock, the company said Thursday. MP Materials owns the only operational rare earth mine in the U.S. at Mountain Pass, California, about 60 miles outside Las Vegas. Proceeds from the Pentagon investment will be used to expand MP’s rare earths processing capacity and magnet production, the company said. … Rare earths are used in magnets that are key components in a range of military weapons systems including the F-35 warplane, drones and submarines, according to the Defense Department. The U.S. was almost entirely dependent on foreign countries for rare earths in 2023, with China representing about 70% of imports, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. … U.S. miners are facing a unique threat from “Chinese mercantilism,” Litinsky said. The Pentagon investment in MP could serve as a model for similar deals with other U.S. companies, the CEO said. “It’s a new way forward to accelerate free markets, to get the supply chain on shore that we want and make sure that mercantilism is not going to hurt our ability to do so,” Litinsky said. Remember, MP Minerals owned the only U.S. rare earth mine. However, who was benefiting? As of December 2021, Shenghe Resources, a Chinese company partly owned by China's Ministry of Natural Resources, held approximately 7.7% of MP Materials' stock. MP Mining could produce all the rare earths it wanted, but in the U.S. at least, there wasn’t much they could do with it. They primarily sent their rare earth ore concentrate to the PRC for refining. The refining was done by, you guessed it. Shenghe Resources, owned by the PRC’s Ministry of Natural Resources, which is controlled by the Chinese Communist Party. Bravo Zulu to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum. The Pentagon is buying a newly created class of preferred shares convertible into MP Materials’ common stock, in addition to a warrant convertible at $30.03 a share for 10 years that allows the U.S. to buy additional common stock. Exercising the convertible preferred shares and the warrant would leave the Pentagon holding about a 15% stake in MP Materials as of July 9, nearly twice the 8.61% held by Litinsky and the 8.27% held by BlackRock Fund Advisors, according to FactSet data. MP Materials will build its second magnet manufacturing facility in the U.S. to serve defense and commercial customers with support from the Pentagon. The facility, whose location wasn’t disclosed, is expected to start commissioning in 2028 and will bring MP Materials rare earth magnet manufacturing capacity to 10,000 metric tons annually. This manufacturing capacity is enough to “meaningfully support U.S. defense and commercial needs,” Litinsky told investors on a call Thursday morning. The Pentagon has agreed to buy 100% of the magnets made at the new facility, called 10X, for 10 years after the plant is built to support defense needs and the commercial market. JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs are providing $1 billion to help finance the manufacturing facility. The Pentagon is also guaranteeing a minimum price of $110 per kilogram for 10 years for neodymium-praseodymium oxide, or NdPr, that is stockpiled or sold by MP Materials. NdPr is a rare earth compound used to make permanent magnets. If the market price is below $110 per kilogram, the U.S. will pay MP Materials the difference in a quarterly cash payment, Litinsky said. The Pentagon, in turn, will receive 30% of the upside above $110 per kilogram once MP Materials’ second magnet facility is operational, the CEO said. You can’t fight and win a war when you have to rely on your enemy for the raw material to build weapons. More. Faster. 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

LIG Nex1 has been selected to lead South Korea’s next-generation Cheongung-3 surface-to-air missile development project, edging out rival Hanwha in a competitive bid for what is being described as a cornerstone of the country’s future air defense strategy. According to information confirmed by the defense industry on July 28, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) […] The post LIG Nex1 to build South Korean next-gen air defense system first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

South Korea has completed a major upgrade of its Cheongung-I air defense system, transforming it into the more capable Cheongung-II platform, which can now intercept both aircraft and ballistic missiles, the country’s arms procurement agency announced Monday. According to a press release from the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), the enhanced system has entered initial […] The post South Korea upgrades air defenses to hit ballistic missiles first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Elbit Systems has secured a $260 million contract from Airbus Defence and Space to deliver its J-MUSIC Directed Infrared Counter Measures (DIRCM) system for the German Air Force’s A400M transport aircraft fleet. According to a press release from Elbit Systems, the six-year contract follows a procurement decision by Germany’s Federal Office for Equipment, Information Technology […] The post Germany taps Elbit for A400M missile defense deal first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Australia has test-fired its newest long-range missile for the first time, launching the U.S.-made Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) from the Mount Bundey Training Area in the Northern Territory. The missile traveled more than 300 kilometers in four minutes and three seconds, reaching speeds exceeding 4,000 kilometers per hour before striking its target with high accuracy. […] The post Australia tests long-range PrSM missile first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

We’re getting our first full look at Russia’s ‘Shturm’ robotic tank complex. The new combat system was first identified during recent field trials, where it appeared for the first time in its complete configuration—featuring both a remotely operated assault vehicle and a command-and-control vehicle based on a modified T-72 chassis. Developed by Uralvagonzavod for the […] The post Russia tests new robotic assault tank first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Ukrainian drone operators with the Security Service’s “A” Center for Special Operations (CSO “A”) have intercepted a Russian Orion unmanned aerial vehicle in what appears to be the most advanced drone-on-drone engagement recorded to date. The intercept, reported by the Ukrainian defense outlet Militarnyi, was confirmed through video footage published by the SBU. The Orion […] The post Ukrainian drone intercepts Russian Orion first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The Japanese Ministry of Defense is preparing to take disciplinary action against numerous members of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF), including Chief of Staff Admiral Akira Saito, over an illicit payment scheme involving submarine maintenance contracts. The decision follows revelations that Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) created slush funds through fictitious transactions and used the […] The post Japan to discipline Navy chief over bribery scandal first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The Japanese Ministry of Defense confirmed that the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) has, for the first time, identified a Chinese Navy submarine rescue vessel of the Type 926 Dakai-class operating near Japanese waters. According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Defense on July 25, the vessel was first spotted around noon on […] The post Chinese new sub rescue ship spotted near Japan first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Türkiye and Indonesia have formally concluded a defense agreement for the procurement and local production of KAAN fighter jets. The Defense Industry Agency of Türkiye (Savunma Sanayii Başkanlığı) announced the signing of the commercial contract with Indonesia’s Ministry of Defense during the IDEF 2025 defense exhibition in Istanbul. The agreement covers the delivery of 48 […] The post Indonesia to buy 48 KAAN fighter jets first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Friday that General Alexus Grynkewich, the newly appointed NATO commander in Europe, confirmed U.S. assessments that Russia could be ready for a confrontation with Europe as early as 2027. “There is no reason to frighten each other, but we must be truly vigilant and focused,” Tusk said in a […] The post Poland warned: Russian confrontation possible by 2027 first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article