HG S2 (Intel Bot)

The U.S. Navy has completed a two-week experiment in Alpena, Michigan, testing uncrewed aerial systems and unmanned surface vessels during Silent Swarm 25, an exercise that focused on swarming electronic warfare tactics and the use of autonomous platforms in future conflicts. According to the Navy, last month, participants used Silent Swarm to “experiment with emerging […] The post U.S. Navy tests fiber-optic drones first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

American and South Korean troops carried out counter-drone training at Camp Humphreys, South Korea, on August 20, 2025, as part of the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise. The training, conducted by the ROK-U.S. Combined Division’s 652nd Air Defense unit in coordination with the U.S. Army’s 5-17 Air Cavalry Squadron, focused on detecting and suppressing hostile […] The post U.S. and South Korean forces train to counter drone threats first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The U.S. Department of Defense has deployed advanced optic and surveillance systems along the rugged U.S.–Mexico border to improve detection and monitoring in support of U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The Ground-Based Operational Surveillance System–Expeditionary (GBOSS-E), the Long Range Advanced Scout Surveillance System (LRAS3), and the Common Remotely Operated Weapon Station (CROWS) are now being […] The post Pentagon deploys high-tech optics to U.S.-Mexico border first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The U.S. Navy has concluded an experimental port damage repair exercise in Gulfport, Mississippi, reflecting growing attention to the vulnerability of maritime infrastructure in large-scale conflicts. The limited objective experiment, held August 15, 2025, brought together multiple expeditionary combat units to simulate restoring a pier under hostile conditions. The Navy Expeditionary Warfighting Development Center (NEXWDC) […] The post U.S. Navy simulates combat port repairs after Ukraine lessons first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The U.S. State Department has approved a potential $97.3 million Foreign Military Sale to Australia for Javelin Lightweight Command Launch Units (LwCLU) and related equipment. According to the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), which delivered the required certification notifying Congress, the Australian government has requested to purchase 161 LwCLUs. These systems will be added to […] The post U.S. approves $97M Javelin launcher sale to Australia first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The Israeli Ministry of Defense has approved a $1.5 billion program to increase the production of armored personnel carriers and tanks over the next five years, a move aimed at reinforcing the country’s ground forces after months of intense combat. According to a statement from the ministry, the plan “will increase the armored vehicle inventory […] The post Israel approves $1.5B plan to expand Merkava tank production first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Roshel Smart Armored Vehicles and Swedish steel producer Swebor have announced a new partnership to manufacture ballistic-grade steel in Canada, marking the first facility of its kind in the country. Maria Tkacheva, Chief Operating Officer at Roshel Smart Armored Vehicles, said in a statement: “Roshel and Sweden’s Swebor have signed a strategic partnership to establish […] The post Roshel, Swebor to build Canada’s first ballistic steel plant first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Italy has been a laggard in defense spending for a while. Although Italy claims, through some accounting tricks, to reach 2% of GDP, in reality, she is at ~1.5%, which still amounts to about $34 billion—right between Poland and Australia. Italy is not a 3rd-tier economy. So, let’s accept that Italy will be Italy. She won’t get to 5% of GDP on defense like some will (Poland for instance). We should give her some credit, and she decides to match the USA at ~3% of GDP. With the numbers we have on our cocktail napkin that would get us another …. $34 billion? A doubling? No, that is too optimistic. We can’t realistically expect that. We are talking about Italy here. We can’t expect her to match three-fifths of Poland’s effort, even with better food. If we can’t get that full $34 billion doubling of defense spending, but perhaps can get a third of that to get between 2% and 2.5%, that would still get you ~$11 billion more. What would they best spend that money on? Well, let’s start with fundamentals…which means we need to look at a map. Italy, my friends, is not a land power. That lady right there is a maritime and aerospace power whose primary defense responsibilities, for herself and the NATO alliance, should be the Mediterranean Sea from Gibraltar to the Suez Canal, with the area from Sardinia to Crete as an uncontested Italian lake. Unlike her Roman predecessors, she has no concerns north of the Alps, only friends. Perhaps in the Balkans she might be needed, but again, she has mostly friends there. Due to her mild grasping in WWI and luck switching sides in WWII, she has no claim on others’ lands (residual grumpiness from the Plombières Agreement aside). She has no colonial concerns. Like the USA, she should have an army, but one that is expeditionary and when possible, in reserve. The present and future threat to Italian land and stability comes from the south, across the Mediterranean. She must control her sea approaches. With the Royal Navy but a sad shadow of herself and no longer capable of performing her duties in the Med as she once did and the French being…well…French, NATO needs a strong Italian navy and air force to secure NATO’s southern flank with other powers. She needs to be the center all power in the Med revolves around. Location and economic power make this a no-brainer. She has a superb, if not small, defense industry. What could she do with an extra $11 billion a year or so? Let’s play nice and let the Italian army have a quarter and change of that, $3 billion. That leaves $8 billion for Italian air and sea power. What should Italy spend that on? Well, it appears that they’ve already set the foundation for it…all they need is to know the number on the funding line. Luca Peruzzi over at Naval News has a superb summary of the Italian Defence Multi-Year Planning document (DPP, Documento Programmatico Pluriennale) for 2024-26. It is very much worth a full read. Where would I put the naval portion of the $8 billion I carved out above? Having already acquired and putting into service 15 F-35Bs each for the Italian Navy and Air Force, with the new DPP, the Italian MoD has allocated new funding for the planned procurement of an additional 10 aircraft (5 for each service), taking the total to 40 STOVL aircraft. … Another key programme announced by the new DPP is the long waited procurement of new long-range platforms under the joint Navy/Air Force Maritime Multi-Mission Aircraft (M3A) effort, as a replacement for the Atlantic Breguet 1, which last platform was retired in 2017. … The new DPP also confirmed the 2 billion funding for the procurement and in-service and logistic support of the two FREMM EVO… … Additional funding are also allocated to the new generation OPV & MMPC (Offshore Patrol Vessel & Multi-Modular Patrol Corvette) and MCMV programmes. The first regards both the OPV (PPX), of which the first four (out of six) are funded and steel cutting was celebrated in September 2024 for the first vessel… … With all four U212 NFS (Near Future Submarine) platforms under contract and the first two under construction under OCCAR management, the programme also surpassed another key milestone last June with the activation of the Engineering Change Proposal for the integration of a Lithium Battery System developed and built in Italy. As anticipated, NAVARM will launch the risk reduction studies for the U212A MLU and Fourth Batch Sauro-class boats in order to maintain an eight submarines fleet before expanding it with a larger platform, funding permitting. In addition to the LHD Trieste, which is expected to be delivered this month (November 2024) is becoming the largest vessel to enter into service with Italian Navy, the DPP also highlights continue support for the new three LPDs to be designed and built under the LXD programme. There you go. No need to appreciate the problem or take half a decade to think about where to spend the money. Fold the first bit of the pull-quote above with the last bit: buy more F-35B (a not insignificant percentage is built by Italian industry) and build carriers/large deck amphibs to fly them off of. Few things are more flexible in the Med. Get your long range maritime patrol and reconnaissance force back to where it needs to be. The P-8 line is hot. Buy in. Yes, the Airbus A321 MPA if you must, but get them. You have some of the best designed surface ships on the planet. Just build more. Submarines? Yes. Hard problems can be easy if the only hard part is finding the money and the political will to get it. The Italian defense industry produces on a per-capita basis, some of the world’s best product. Italy does not have to import much in kit or ideas. It is all right there. Just fund it. Italy will benefit. NATO will benefit. The West will benefit. 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’s Defense Ministry has outlined procurement plans worth more than €350 billion ($409 billion) through 2041, reflecting Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s pledge to make the Bundeswehr Europe’s strongest conventional military force. According to the draft of the 2026 federal budget submitted to parliament on Monday, defense planners have mapped out a multi-decade framework for new weapons, […] The post Germany unveils $409B defense procurement plan first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Iran on Monday warned that a new war with Israel could erupt at any moment, raising concerns of a fresh escalation after a deadly 12-day confrontation in June. Yahya Rahim Safavi, a senior military adviser to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, stressed the need for full preparedness. “A new war with Israel may break out at […] The post Iran restructures forces after June defeat first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Raytheon, an RTX business, has signed a memorandum of understanding with Germany’s Diehl Defence to co-produce key elements of the Stinger missile in Europe. The agreement, announced by the companies, sets the stage for extending Stinger production at Diehl Defence facilities as part of the firm’s expansion plan. “Stinger is the surface-to-air missile of choice […] The post Raytheon and Diehl to build Stinger missiles in Europe first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Hypersonic missiles are forcing a rethink of global air defense, and Israel is urging South Korea to join the next phase of technological development. Yuval Baseski, Vice President of Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, told the South Korean outlet Maeil Business Newspaper that both North Korea and Iran are investing heavily in hypersonic missile programs. […] The post Israel pushes Korea to join hypersonic defense development first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Japan’s Defense Minister Gen Nakatani is in Turkey today, where he met with Defense Minister Yaşar Güler to discuss expanding cooperation in the defense sector. The Ministry of Defense said the talks on August 19 included the possible procurement of Turkish-made drones for the Self-Defense Forces. Japan is assessing Turkey’s well-established expertise in unmanned aerial […] The post Japan weighs Turkish drones after Ukraine combat success first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Gabon unveiled newly acquired Chinese armored vehicles during its Independence Day military parade on August 17, underscoring Beijing’s growing defense presence in Africa. The display featured the eight-wheeled VN-1 infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) and the WMA-301, a 105mm wheeled assault gun widely exported across the continent. The VN-1 IFV, manufactured by China North Industries Corporation […] The post Gabon receives Chinese-made VN-1 fighting vehicles first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

North Macedonia has expanded its fleet of U.S.-built armored vehicles with the delivery of 29 Joint Light Tactical Vehicles (JLTVs), formally presented on August 15 at the “Jane Sandanski” Barracks in Shtip. The ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski, Minister of Defence Vlado Misajlovski, Chief of the General Staff Major General Sashko Lafchiski, […] The post North Macedonia receives 29 new JLTVs from U.S. first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Preparations are underway in Beijing for what is expected to be one of China’s most expansive military parades in years. While ground forces equipment has already impressed observers, analysts say the aviation segment may become the parade’s defining moment. Andreas Rupprecht, a leading expert on Chinese military aviation, told Defence Blog that the scale of […] The post Analyst: China’s air power display exceeds expectations first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Russian forces launched an assault on Ukrainian positions in Zaporizhzhia under the cover of both Russian and American flags, according to a report from the defense news outlet Militarnyi. The incident took place near Mala Tokmachka in the Zaporizhzhia region, where Russian troops attempted to storm defensive positions held by Ukrainian forces. Open-source intelligence specialists […] The post Russian troops use American flag in Ukraine attack first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Russia has resumed large-scale efforts to restore its aging fleet of T-62 tanks, sending the decades-old vehicles back into combat in Ukraine. Recent photos and videos circulating online show Russian military trains transporting T-62s from storage depots to industrial plants, where the tanks are being repaired and upgraded before deployment. The tanks, which first entered […] The post Russia revives more T-62 tanks amid battlefield losses first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Four years ago to the day, I posted the below, and did last year. As a matter of fact, I just changed “Three” to “Four” and adjusted the title from 3rd to 4th. Everything else is the same because I am still have not worked this out. There are a lot more subscribers to CDRSalamander now than then, so I want to bring it back in part for them, but on the main because, to use my dear readers as therapy, I’m not over it. As many have asked, where is the accountability? Do the people responsible have no shame? Is there nothing demanded by honor for failure, or has our system of incentives and disincentives promoted to the highest positions of people who have a value system and lack of self-reflection that such concepts are as foreign to them as Attic Greek? Are they the problem, or is the American people who have just become numb to failure after failure in the national security arena and demand nothing for meeting their low expectations? Perhaps that is why I cannot let go; there has been no closure - at least for me. For me, the personal bookends of the Afghan operation was at day-1 in the CENTCOM AOR and the first few months of operation, to seven and a half years just a few months before I left active duty in 2009, I returned from my last deployment - this time to Afghanistan. For new readers, I’ve been at this for over 20 years and have written often of my experience in Afghanistan. You can find it by searching here and over at the OG Blog on blogspot. I won’t repeat that here as I’m rambling too much anyway. Maybe I’ll do this every 17 August, but I’m not sure that is all that healthy for me or of value to the reader, but indulge me a bit this Saturday. So, let’s go back to what I wrote on 17AUG2021: The Afghan army and government the Soviet Union left behind lasted over 3 years. The Afghan army and government the USA left behind lasted barely 1 month. This is a nugget everyone needs to hoist onboard. It is bolded and underlined for a reason. For those in the elder GenX cohort and older, we remember vividly all the comments made, especially after its fall, of the failures of the Soviet Union. We liked to talk about its stifling bureaucracy, oppressive government nomenklatura, busy body rules, crumbling infrastructure, military infested with political officers pushing ideology, corruption, and almost comical government officials - all so assured of their power, such believers in their own press releases, so confident they were the future. Even those younger, they’ve seen the videos, movies, documentaries - read the books, articles and snarky posts. And yet, the tottering Soviet Empire in its last death rattles was able in less time to build in Afghanistan a military and civil society based on a philosophy with one foot in the grave that lasted … hell, let’s do the math here. - Colonel General Boris Gromov, Red Army and with him the Soviet Union leaves Afghanistan over the Friendship Bridge: 15 FEB 89. The Soviets were in Afghanistan 9-years and 2-months. - The President of Afghanistan Najibullah ousted from power & hides in UN compound after fall of Kabul: 15 APR 92 3 years and 2 months; 38 months. That is how long the Soviet trained Afghan Army and government lasted after the withdraw of the Red Army. (NB: The Soviet Union died on 26DEC91, a little under three years after the Friendship Bridge crossing. Najibullah was dragged out of his UN safe-haven - as one does - in SEP of 1996 and hung from a lamp post in Kabul, a bit over four years after the fall of Kabul. Use those benchmarks as you see fit.) - General Scott Miller, US Army lands in DC: 14JUL21. That would be 19-years and 11-months, but as we all know, American forces are still in Afghanistan at the pleasure of the Taliban trying to hold down half of the Kabul airport so we can get our people out. - President Ghani abandons Kabul: 15AUG21. 1-month. There is your benchmark. The Soviets were 38-times more successful in Afghanistan than we were, and they did it in half the time. Let that soak in. Let the humiliation flow over you like a healing balm. Fear and shame - regardless of what modern minds try to tell you otherwise - are great motivators. Let this motivate you. Almost exactly two decades after the attacks of 11SEP01, as a nation we are covered in disgrace. A global humiliation on a national scale. Accept that. Hold it close to you. Feel it. Smell it. Know it, because it will be attached to us for at least the rest of the decade - most likely longer. Good people can agree or disagree about staying or going from Afghanistan, but no one can defend how we did it. Everyone here who given responsibility by the American people failed. The President failed. Comfortably Smug @ComfortablySmugJoe Biden: "There's gonna be no circumstance where you see people being lifted off the roof of a embassy of the United States from Afghanistan. It is not at all comparable." Ruffini @EenaRuffiniBREAKING: @CBSNews David Martin reports: A U.S. official tells CBS News the Pentagon is sending in troops to Karzai International to help with the evacuation of the embassy.6:15 PM ∙ Aug 12, 20211,987Likes918RetweetsThe State Department failed. Alex Salvi @alexsalvinewsSecretary of State Blinken (July 7th): “We are not withdrawing, we are staying, the embassy is staying, our programs are staying … If there is a significant deterioration in security … I don’t think it’s going to be something that happens from a Friday to a Monday.” 12:25 PM ∙ Aug 15, 20213,193Likes1,876RetweetsThe Pentagon failed. Reuters @ReutersPentagon spokesperson John Kirby said there is ‘no question’ about the Taliban's advances in Afghanistan but downplayed an intelligence assessment that Kabul could fall to the militants within 90 days, saying ‘no potential outcome has to be inevitable’ 10:30 PM ∙ Aug 11, 202150Likes38RetweetsAll our intelligence agencies failed their government and the people. Our think tanks, the legions of foreign policy and diplomacy PhDs from all the right schools who populate the National Security State who like to tell everyone how smart they are - they all failed. So, what do we do from here? "If you withdraw 2,500 troops, and then you have to send 6,000 back, that's not planned. That's on its face an example of failure." - Jake Tapper Accountability. Even the most die hard Biden partisan should be demanding the resignation of the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense, and the National Security Advisor. In another age, they would have all resigned already - but we don’t live in that age. All the Joint Chiefs of Staff need to resign as one. Either they own their collective failure because they offered this plan as a good one, or they don’t have the confidence of the President and their recommendations not to do this were ignored. Either are sufficient for resignation as honor demands. They are imminently replaceable. We are bloated and thick with excessively credentialed General and Flag Officers who can take their place. We can do nothing about the past, it is done. The present is already written. What we can do is set the condition for the future. We can try to contain the compounding damage to our national credibility. A first step is to tell our remaining friends that the United States knows failure and rot when it sees it, and is confident enough to excise it and move forward. We need accountability. The honorable thing to do is to resign. If not, the proper thing is for the President to fire those who advised him so horribly. If not the President, then Congress should have hearings with a pair of pliers in one hand and a blow torch in another and humiliate people in to resigning. If neither happens, then bad on the American people for allowing a political system to function in such a way that people such as these are the ones who rise to the top of both parties. Look again at that migraine-inducing chart above. Failures such as this take more than one part of government to fail. Let me end with what I know best, the US military. We like to tell ourselves that we are in some way apart, perhaps a bit more honorable, than the politicians we serve. We served the Constitution and the nation, not individuals. We can make that point...unless we were just telling each other another of those little white lies that we do now and then. Leave a comment Share Subscribe now View the full article

China appears set to debut a massive unmanned underwater vehicle during upcoming military parade rehearsals, with photos showing a large black torpedo-like drone being transported on a flatbed platform. The system, which has not been named or publicly described by Chinese authorities, has sparked speculation over its potential role and design. Observers noted that the […] The post China to showcase giant sea drone for first time first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Writing in The Strategist, defense analyst Ross Babbage argues that Australia must urgently develop independent, long-range strike capabilities to prepare for an era of heightened strategic uncertainty. He contends that the Australian Defence Force (ADF) cannot rely solely on U.S. guarantees and should pursue “very strong independent deterrence,” even against a major power adversary. Babbage […] The post Expert says Australia needs intermediate-range ballistic missile first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

South Korea’s standing military has fallen to about 450,000 personnel, a sharp drop of more than 110,000 troops compared with 2019, according to newly disclosed government data. The figures, obtained from the Ministry of National Defense and the Military Manpower Administration by Rep. Choo Mi-ae of the National Assembly’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee, highlight both […] The post Low birthrate shrinks South Korea’s Army first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

China is preparing to unveil a new generation of airborne combat vehicles during its upcoming September 3 military parade in Beijing. The event, marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, is expected to feature the first public display of modern armored platforms designed specifically for the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) paratrooper […] The post China to unveil new airborne vehicles at military parade first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Photographs circulating on Chinese social media appear to show what analysts believe may be a new missile defense system known as the HQ-29. The images, posted on local platforms, captured a six-axle transporter carrying two large missile containers during a rail transfer, prompting speculation about Beijing’s next step in developing long-range air and missile defense. […] The post China’s HQ-29 missile defense system seen in new imagery first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

A new family of armored vehicles, including a modular platform that serves as the basis for both a light tank and an infantry fighting vehicle (IFV), was spotted in China. The images, published on the Chinese social media platform Weibo, show the modern vehicles loaded onto rail transport platforms ahead of what appears to be […] The post China develops new modular tank and fighting vehicle first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article