Global Conflict Reporting

Author: Scott Jackson

  • U.S. Navy Announces AIM-424 ‘Malice’ LRAAM.

    U.S. Navy Announces AIM-424 ‘Malice’ LRAAM.

    This week, the AIM-242 Malice, a LRAAM (Long Range Air-to-air Missile), was announced by the U.S. Navy. 

    We don’t know much about the missile, but what we do know is that it was quietly worked on by Raytheon and is capable of hitting targets over 250 nautical miles (463 kilometers) away, according to Navy reporting. Its 13.5″ diameter and aerodynamic profile were built for range as well as for the ability to be carried by fighters with internal weapons bays.

    The missile was officially announced on August 22, 2026, at the Tailhook symposium in Reno, Nevada. The Navy announced there that the weapon was already in flight testing and being developed for deployment on the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, the Lockheed Martin F-35, and the future F/A-XX program.  

    Two AIM-424

    It’s thought that the development of the AIM-424 comes from the Long-Range Engagement Weapon (LREW) special access program first disclosed to the public in 2017. At the time, the US Air Force was looking for a two-stage air-to-air missile that could be carried in the internal weapons bay of a stealth fighter (F-35 or F-22), a similar use case to AIM-424.

    The range of the AIM-424 has been quoted as around 250 nautical miles, which is similar to the publicly reported upper limits of the AIM-174B Gunslinger, which is a derivative of the sea-based RIM-174B Standard Extended Range Active Radar Missile (ERAM, Standard Missile-6, or SM-6). What the AIM-424 brings to the table is versatility, as the Gunslinger is a much larger missile and currently only known to be carried by the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. 


    A U.S. Navy Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet (BuNo 166673) of Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 9 (VX-9) flies over the Point Mugu Sea Range in Southern California (USA), 24 September 2024. The aircraft carries two AIM-9X Sidewinder missiles, three AIM-120 AMRAAM and four AIM-174B long-range air-to-air missiles, an infrared search and track system (IRST) in a modified drop tank on its centerline, as well as an ATFLIR targeting pod on its left cheek station.

    The U.S. Air Force and Navy have both put a priority on extending the engagement range of its fighters as the U.S.’s potential enemies extend the range of their armaments. China fields the PL-17 with a reported range of over 300 miles.

    PLA Air Force J-16, armed with the PL-17 long-range air-to-air missile

    An important caveat to all of this is that the published range figures are usually much larger than what the missile can reasonably expect to make a hit on a target. The range is tested using high altitude, in good weather conditions, against a non-maneuvering target. The tests don’t use any sort of jamming or defensive countermeasures. Taking these factors into account, the range these that any air-to-air missile can expect to score a kill is much shorter than what is published. 

    In air-to-air combat, you have a concept of the No-Escape Zone (NEZ). This is the volume of space in which the target cannot defeat the missile through pure kinematics (turning away, accelerating, diving, or any combination of those) no matter how well the pilot flies. Outside the NEZ, the probability of kill (Pk) falls off steeply. For many conventional solid-rocket missiles (most of them), the NEZ is often roughly one-third (or less) of the advertised maximum range.

     A related concept is the practical effective engagement range against an alert, maneuvering fighter that is using countermeasures. That distance is usually even shorter than the pure kinematic NEZ once you factor in real-world degradation factors. 

    Most missiles that use solid rocket fuel burn their fuel very quickly, most medium range within the first 10-12 seconds of launch. After that, burnout the missile is coasting. It is a finite amount of energy that it must manage all the way to the target. Course corrections and drag come into play, and at very long range, the missile could simply lose all energy and “go ballistic”, keeping a straight course and falling to the Earth. 

    While these factors are all important it shows why companies are continuing to push the envelope and produce these long range systems, as the more you can push the ideal range, the longer range that the missile will have under less than ideal combat situations where the enemy is jamming the missile, and using ever tool he has to evade.

  • Russian Black Sea fleet ships damaged during Ukranian attack on port city of Novorissiyskz.

    Russian Black Sea fleet ships damaged during Ukranian attack on port city of Novorissiyskz.

    On Wednesday, August 12 2026, Ukranian forces launched a massive attack on the Russian Black Sea port city of Novorissiyskz. The attack was one of the largest that have hit the city and targeted warships at the naval base as well as at least two major grain terminals that were forced to shut down.

    Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskyy described the attack as a success and said that Ukraine had launched a unique mixture of long-range drones and weapons to target Russian fleet vessels in the bay area of the city. He called out damage to Russia’s Admiral Essen and Admiral Makarov frigates, a large landing ship, a corvette, and other vessels were struck in the attack.

    Satellite images below show the damage to the vessels.

    Two Russian Project 11356R/Admiral Grigorovich class frigates, the Admiral Essen-class guided missile frigate (Top) and the Admiral Makarov (Bottom). Both capable of launching long range Kalibr cruise missile. The ships seem to have been hit multiple times including in the upper bow of the ship where the VLS cells are located.
    266M class minesweeper (top) shows signs of fire damage on the stern area as well as port areas around the ship.
    Two corvettes. Unknown class. Possible Project 22160.
    As the old navy saying goes, “Hot dog pack, Smokestack, Knife in the Back, two Guns in the Back — Krivak.”
    Project 1135M / Krivak II Class Guided Missile Frigate, Pitlivy. Damage to the ship appears to focus on the smoke stack. It’s possible the two Kilo class submarines were also damaged but it’s not clear.

    The marks that were noted with the images look like what’s known as short-duration fires, indicative of a drone strike. That is a quick blast and maybe a bit of lingering fire. It’s a lot harder to tell from this resolution what exactly is damaged on the ships and surrounding area.

    After the attacks NASA FIRMS detected fire at multiple areas around the city.

    More images have been released online showing damage to grain and port infrastructure.

    building damage at the grain facility.
    Loading terminal for the port damaged.
    More building damage.
    Bridge dropped across the train tracks, closing traffic on the road and the tracks.
    Better shot of the bridge.
    Before

    This image is thought to show an oil spill after a tanker was damaged during the attack.

    Importance of Novorissiyskz and the fall of the Black Sea Fleet.

    Novorossiysk has been important to Russia even before they were forced to pull what remained of the Black Sea Fleet out of Sevastopol in Crimea. Novorossiysk sits at the intersection of key transport corridors linking Russia to the Mediterranean, Middle East, Africa, Asia, and beyond, and connects to major rail and road networks serving Russia’s grain-producing regions in the south and Volga areas. The port handles a large percentage of Russia’s seaborne exports with some estimates putting it at around 20% of all exports. Grain, oil, and general goods all flow through the port.

    Russia has invested in expanding the port at Novorossiysk but the recent attacks and the overall war have caused some delays in those plans.

    The Black Sea Fleet, once one of the prides of all of the Russian military, is now functionally out of the war as the number of losses has crippled the fleet’s ability to project power.

    Early in the war, the fleet was used to launch large, coordinated cruise missile strikes across Ukraine; however, early losses of key ships showed signs of things to come. 

    In March 2022, Ukraine took out the landing ship Saratov with a Tochka-U ballistic missile. The next month, the Black Sea Fleet flagship, the missile cruiser Moskva, was lost to a Ukrainian Neptune anti-ship missile. The sinking of the Moskva was a huge loss to Russian command and control, air defense coverage, and prestige. 

    Soviet era missile cruiser Moskva

    By 2023, Ukraine was given stocks of high-tech Western munitions (Storm Shadow/SCALP) as well as improvements to their own domestically produced weapons. This allowed Ukraine to begin striking targets in Sevastopol in Crimea. Infrastructure, dry docks, and ships in port were all targeted, as well as the headquarters of the Black Sea fleet, which was destroyed. In September of 2023, the improved Kilo submarine Rostov-on-Don was struck while in dry dock in Sevastopol.

    Destruction of the Black Sea Fleet Headquarters in Sevastopol in occupied Crimea.

    Moving into 2023 Russia ability to resupply or conduct amphibious operations with its landing ships is severely degraded as multiple landing and supply ships are sunk. At this point Ukraine has moved on from missiles to surface based attack drones. Multiple Ropucha-class landing ships are lost. Russia was already moving some of the fleet out of Sevastopol by this point, dispersing the fleet to other locations, most ended up at Novocherkassk. Multiple maritime assessments by the United Kingdom and others say that at this point Russia’s Black Sea fleets freedom of maneuver was already under serious pressure.

    In 2023-2024 Continued sea drone, aerial drone, and missile attacks made Sevastopol increasingly untenable as a primary operating base. Russia moved the bulk of its remaining major combatants to Novorossiysk on the Russian mainland coast. Key 2024 losses included additional landing ships (Caesar Kunikov), the corvette Ivanovets, the patrol ship Sergei Kotov, and others to USVs and missiles.

    Satellite images shows the loss of a landing ship at the occupied port of Berdyansk.

    An early war goal for Russia was the taking of the city of Odessa, a major grain and port that’s location was and is strategically important— especially to the defense of the fleet. Hundreds of articles written in the early days of the war covered the possibility of Russia attempting an amphibious landing to take Odessa. By early 2024, those articles have become irrelevant as the estimated 9-12 operational prewar landing ships have been attrited to 4.

    Russia’s amphibious operation dilemma
    Article covers a possible Russian amphibious landing of Odessa.

    By mid-to-late 2024, Western assessments (including UK MoD) characterized the BSF’s surface strike role as “functionally inactive.” Russia retained the ability to launch Kalibr missiles from surviving surface ships and especially submarines, as well as from coastal batteries (Bastion-P and Bal systems), but large-scale surface operations in the western and central Black Sea had largely ceased. Ukraine successfully opened and sustained a maritime grain corridor (mainly from Odessa) under these conditions.

    That brings us to now. The Russian Black Sea fleets most important assets are the ships that are already damaged and awaiting repairs. Repairs and maintenance have slowed to a crawl because ships in dry docks are often targeted and destroyed. Even Submarines faced growing threats from underwater drones and combined strikes. Surface ships and support vessels continued to take losses. By early 2026, Ukrainian Ministry of Defence assessments (corroborated in broad terms by independent analyses) indicated that approximately 30% of the fleets pre-war combat strength had been destroyed or seriously damaged. Some counts of major combatants and overall capability degradation run higher depending on their individual methodology.

    Novorossiysk became the fleet’s last major functional base and primary concentration point. Russia fortified it with air defenses and other measures, and some submarines were fitted with counter-drone cages and partially submerged at berth for protection. However, Ukrainian long-range systems (aerial drones, Neptune variants, surface drones, and coordinated multi-domain packages) repeatedly have managed to reach the port.

  • Turkey to send a large package of surplus US made munitions to Ukraine

    Turkey to send a large package of surplus US made munitions to Ukraine

    Image shows the aftermath of a Ukranian HIMAR strike on Nova Kakhovka, in Russia-occupied Kherson early in the war.

    In the next month, Turkey will transfer a large quantity of surplus munitions to Ukraine. The list is made up exclusively of U.S. made long-range strike weapons and artillery platforms according to documents sent to the U.S. Congress. If approved, which it should be, the transfer marks one of the largest transfer of U.S. made weapons by a third country.

    • 70 M39 ATACMS tactical ballistic missiles 
    • 2,500 M26 DPICM rockets 
    • 12x M270 MLRS launchers 
    • 47,000x 203mm DPICM artillery shells

    The U.S. state department notified Congress of the transfer through documents delivered around August 3 and published in the Congressional Record on August 6,. Because the systems are American-made, U.S. authorization is required under the Arms Export Control Act for re-export. The U.S. government has indicated it is prepared to authorize the deal, describing it as consistent with its security assistance objectives. Delivery of the weapons will take place after the mandatory congressional review period (often cited as 15 days.) Congress is in recess at the moment and that 15 days will overlap and likely go through as the transfer doesn’t require Congress to approve, just that they don’t deny it.

    The 12 HIMARS in the list are believed to make up the last of Turkeys HIMARS. Turkey is currently in the middle of an extensive modernization effort of its military so cleaning out some of its older equipment to make room for the new makes sense for them.

    The list is made up of munitions that Ukraine has already used in this war previously. Some to great effect.

    Video shows the deployment of M26 DPICM rockets against a Russian S-400 anti aircraft defense battery.. These HIMAR launched cluster munitions are highly effective against enemy infantry and any equipment that’s not spread out enough.

    The relationship between Moscow and Ankara could be a full article itself covering all of the intricacies with many cases of cooperation and competition. Their relationship could be described as something like a cooperative rivalry. These two nations have worked together in areas like Syria and Turkey has vehemently supported Ukraine’s territorial integrity and right to defend itself.

    M142 HIMARS

    The M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), is a light multiple rocket launcher (MRS) mounted on a M1140 truck frame. Developed in the 90’s for use by the U.S. Army, it saw its first operational combat use in the Iraq War.

    HIMARS being fired at nights

    Now moving onto the munition, the ATACMS, which stands for Army Tactical Missile System, is a family of 24 inch surface-to-surface missiles. For our purposes we only have to talk about a couple specific ones.

    M39 (ATACMS BLOCK I)

    HIMARS launched inertial guidance short-range ballistic missile with a range of 16–103 miles (25–165 km). The missile carries 950 M74 Anti-personnel and Anti‑materiel (APAM) bomblets which can completely shred anything within around 140 square feet.

    The M26 DPICM rockets being sent are also fired from the HIMAR (and the M270 MLRS) carries a cluster warhead filled with 644 M77 Dual-Purpose Improved Conventional Munitions (DPICM) submunitions designed to suppress area targets, armor, and personnel out to 20 miles (32 km).

    The last munition talked about was the M509A1 203mm DPICM artillery shells, another cluster artillery munition. This one carries 180 M42/M46 dual-purpose anti-personnel and anti-armor submunitions out to the range of around 14-18 miles depending on the artillery used.

  • Middle East war widens as Houthis launch attacks on Saudi oil facilities.

    Middle East war widens as Houthis launch attacks on Saudi oil facilities.

    On July 25 2026, Yemeni Houthi forces claim to have carried out ballistic missile strikes on two Aramco oil facilities in Saudi Arabia. 

    Image reported to be of the Aramco oil refinery in Jazan.

    In a statement released on IRGC connected media networks, Houthi spokesperson, Yahya Saree said the group fired ballistic missiles and drones at facilities belonging to the state oil company, Aramco, in the Red Sea towns of Yanbu and Jazan. 

    Videos released online show smoke rising from the Jazan oil refinery. 

    NASA FIRMS, a satellite program used to detect wildfires, shows fires at both Yanbun and Jazan oil refineries.

    FIRMS shot showing Jazam refinery on July 25th, 2026.
    Comparison shot from the 23. The image from the 25th shows much more than is expected. Since then the fire has spread.
    This image shows the area of fire spreading,

    These attacks were claimed by the Saudi’s and their coalition of allies as a proportionate response for Saudi-led coalitions airstrikes on Houthi military positions in Hodeidah (Hodeida) and Kamaran Island. These strikes were carried out The Houthis on July, 23 2026 struck two Saudi oil tankers, the Encelia and Layla, operating in the Red Sea. The strike stemmed from a blockade of the Bab al-Mandab that the Houthis had annonced beforehand.

    The Houthis in Yemen are strongly aligned with Iran who offer training, weapons and other aid. They have been uncharacteristically uninvolved with the ongoing war between the U.S. and Iran, usually opting to fight alongside or at least operate as a sort of distraction. During the Israeli war in Gaza, a war that involved Iran because Iran supported Palestinian Hamas. During this time the Houthis would launch missiles into Israel as well as launch missiles at any Israeli/US alligned ships sailing.

    Update:

    As of writing this the Houthis have carried out an attack on the Aramco Abqaiq oil processing facility in Saudi Arabia. The plant is the largest of its kind in the world and process between 5-7 percent of the world’s global oil supply. A large fire broke out after Houthis drones struck the facility.

    NASA FIRMS shows a fire covering most of the plant. When looking at low-resolution satellite imagery from today we can see a large plume of smoke coming from a smokestack which doesn’t usually produce such a large plume. We can also see an area which appears to have been covered with firefighting foam. Another area nearby shows what appears to be ground scarring from a fire.

    Overview showing the Abqaiq oil processing facility. Think black smoke is pouring from the facility.
    Looking closer we can see areas that just today start to show signs of fire fighting foam and ground scarring.
  • U.S. resumes strikes on Iran. 

    U.S. resumes strikes on Iran. 

    On Tuesday July 7 2026, the U.S. launched a wave of strikes on Iran in retaliation for recent strikes carried out in international shipping by Iran. U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) put the following statement following the strikes. 

     

    Video from Bandar Abbas showed explosions as the U.S. Air Force and Navy carried out their strikes over 80 targets, including 60 IRGC speedboats in and near the Strait of Hormuz.

    Video shows U.S.Strikes on Bandar Abbas.

    The U.S. also targeted Iranian air defense systems, command and control networks, coastal radar sites, and anti-ship missile capabilities. This is the largest strike since the ceasefire was agreed upon in April.

    Further explosions were reported in Sirik and as far as Kharg Island, Iran’s largest oil facility handling 90% of its oil export. The U.S. previously struck targets on the island in April; however, it stuck to just hitting military sites and infrastructure and leaving the oil export untouched.

    Official U.S. of the strikes

    NASA Firms is a satellite program used primarily to track wildfires. That data can also be used to track combat strikes. Some area show on FIRMS every days, such as industrial zones however tonight shows multiple fires where we wouldn’t expect to see fires in Iran, and specially looking at Bandar Abbas and the Geruk area.

    Strikes one and two in Bandar Abbas show what seems to be strikes on the port where smaller IRGC patrol boats are kept. Video from the city confirms this as well.
    Close up on the port to the left.
    Second port
    NASA FIRMS shows potentially two locations struck here at Sarkhur Tahruyi. The boat dock itself as well as what looks to be a comms tower of some sort.
    This comms antenna is right beside the dock and also shows signs of being struck.

    Iranian response

    Khatam al-Anbiya Central, Iran’s top joint military command, put out a statement saying that the U.S. had committed a “blatant act of aggression” by targeting parts of southern Iran. The statement said Iranian armed forces would deliver a “crushing response.” The command also said that it would accept no U.S. interference in the management of the Strait of Hormuz and that the only safe passage for commercial shipping and tankers was the route Iran has laid out.

    In the hours after Bahrain was the first to report incoming Iranian drones and missiles, they announced their people should seek shelter and that their army was engaging hostile missiles. Kuwait also received incoming fire.

  • Russian Baltic Sea Fleet Ship Struck Near St. Petersburg.

    Russian Baltic Sea Fleet Ship Struck Near St. Petersburg.

    Satellite images and video shows the damage after yesterday mornings’ attack on the Russian warship Boikiy, a Project 20380/Steregushchiy-class Corvette in the Baltic Sea Fleet. The ship was attacked during a large Ukrainian drone wave that struck St. Petersburg and the Kronstadt naval base that’s nearby. The ship was struck twice in videos released by Ukraine. Video released later on shows fire crews battling a large fire near the center of the ship.

    Link to GCR video showing attack on Boikiy.

    https://www.facebook.com/share/r/17kiH9TZpN

    The ship was in drydock at the Kronstadt naval base near St. Petersburg. It has been there since February of this year receiving routine maintenance and repairs.

    This ship is thought of by maritime experts as one of Russia’s most modern warships. it serves as a multipurpose corvette mainly designed for littoral zone operations, engagement of enemy submarines and surface ships, and gun support of landing operations.

    The ship carries a crew of 100 and displaces around 2,200 pounds. Its size has given it the classification of a “Frigate” in western navies as it’s a little bit bigger than what is generally considered to be a corvette.

    While its size is on the small side its armament is anything but. It has a weight provision eight SS-N-25 missiles (KH-35) (NATO reporting name AS-20 ‘Kayak’) a Turbo-jet subsonic, anti-ship missile. After the first ship in the Steregushchiy was built the CIWS system was removed and replaced with x12 Redut VLS Cells loaded with 9M96E2 missiles (Used in the S-400 anti air system).

    Global Conflict Reporting is a completely independent project run by one person, If you would like to support my work you can sign up for a membership on the Patreon (Link below), or one time/reoccurring donations through the website.

  • US and Iran Exchange Limited Strikes as Ceasefire is Continually Tested.

    US and Iran Exchange Limited Strikes as Ceasefire is Continually Tested.

    Just after midnight local time on the night going into June 1 2026, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched a short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) targeting the Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait, a key hub for U.S. and coalition forces. Kuwaiti air defenses intercepted the Fateh-110 missile, but falling debris caused minor injuries to five U.S. personnel and contractors.

    According to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), American forces had conducted self-defense strikes over the weekend against Iranian military targets on Qeshm Island and near Goruk in southern Iran. The strikes hit Iranian air defense systems, a ground control station linked to drone operations, and facilities associated with one-way attack drones. CENTCOM stated the action was in response to Iran’s downing of a U.S. MQ-9 drone over the Persian Gulf and attempts to mine the Strait of Hormuz in recent days.

    Local residents in Sirik County, Hormozgan Province, reported hearing multiple explosions around 4:00 a.m. local time on Sunday, with additional blasts roughly 30 minutes later. Eyewitness accounts and online reports indicated that an IRGC Navy facility near the village of Goruk was struck, consistent with CENTCOM’s description of the targets. Iranian sources says they launched their missile at the airbase which this attack was launched from.

    image of the IRGC navy base

    The exchange comes amid a fragile ceasefire in the ongoing 2026 Iran War. While official negotiations between the U.S. and Iran continue, progress has stalled. Iranian officials have conditioned further talks on an end to Israel’s military operations in Lebanon. Both sides have accused each other of violating the ceasefire in recent weeks through limited but recurring strikes. U.S. president Donald Trump has said on social media that he believes that Tehran wants to reach a deal however iranian officials have expressed some concern and frustration over the “constantly changing” U.S. negotiating stance.

    This war, which was started by the U.S. officially on  February 28 has killed thousands of people, mainly in Iran and Lebanon. It has also caused economic hardship around the globe by pushing up energy prices since Iran effectively closed ​the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global supply route for oil and liquefied natural gas. While a number of vessels have been escorted through the strait in the last week, it will take several months before prices start trending back down.

    The U.S. points for the negotiations have been publicly released and widely reported. They include Iran reopening the Strait of Hormuz, free of tolls, and restoring international commercial shipping. While there has been progress made here, Iran has continued to demand a right to manage the strait (jointly with Oman). The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), has rules about waterways like this remaining international seaways open to global trade. The other large point for the US in the negotiations is the Iranian stockpile of enriched Uranium. In October 2025 Iran officially ended the 2015 JCPOA and declared there was no more restrictions on its nuclear program. Iran claims it has a right to enrich uranium (Current estimates have their stocks of uranium enriched to a near weapons grade 60%) for commercial/use however nuclear experts argue it would take little effort to convert the material for use in nuclear weapons. Iran already poses many long range missiles that could be changed into nuclear missiles if they went that route.

    Global Conflict Reporting is a completely independent project run by one person, If you would like to support my work you can sign up for a membership on the Patreon (Link below), or one time/reoccurring donations through the website.

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