"Optimized and updated": how the Army 2024 Forum is going

This year, the event takes place for only three days — from August 12 to 14, although earlier the organizers reported that the forum would last, as usual, a week. The first day was closed, on the second and third visitors could get on business tickets. In addition, dynamic displays of weapons, military and special equipment were not held at the Alabino training ground, and the aviation part of the forum at the Kubinka airfield was canceled.

"The format of the forum has not been shortened, but optimized and updated. Yes, indeed, the duration of its work has been reduced, but the changes have affected not only the timing, but also the number of events, their form, and most importantly, the content. This year, a special military operation has become the thematic dominant of the forum," said Lieutenant General Alexander Osadchuk, Head of the Main Department for Innovative Development of the Russian Defense Ministry. He noted that for the first time, samples of military products developed by representatives of the so-called people's military industrial complex were widely presented at the forum.

This year, the main Russian defense exhibition has become as intense as in the previous year : despite the fact that the exhibition area has decreased from 300 thousand to 160 thousand square meters, the number of exhibits has remained the same — about 28 thousand samples of military and dual-use products. In total, about 1,500 domestic and foreign companies participate in the Army-2024.

On the evening of August 13, Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov visited Army 2024, who examined samples of weapons and military equipment that distinguished themselves during the military operation.

As noted in the Russian Ministry of Defense, the main areas presented at the forum were unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and ground—based uninhabited vehicles - robotic complexes, electronic warfare (EW) and reconnaissance.

Wings, propellers, wheels and tracks for robots

The tenth Army Forum presented an impressive number of samples of flying and ground robots from both leading defense manufacturers and the national defense industry. For the first time, a complex with Lancet-E unmanned aerial vehicles manufactured by ZALA Aero (part of the Kalashnikov concern), intended for foreign sales, was shown, as well as its characteristics were disclosed . Kamikaze UAVs of this series have become the real heroes of their military, footage of their successful combat use is regularly demonstrated by the Russian military department. The larger device, which is part of the Lancet, is the Product 51-E. Its range is up to 40 km, the kamikaze drone is capable of accelerating to speeds over 90 km/h. His younger brother, the "Product 52-E", is capable of hitting important targets at a distance of up to 25 km. The devices are distinguished by low visibility, noise-proof communication channel.

The Lancet-E intelligent barrage complex.
Source: © Artyom Geodakian/ TASS

Read also The Army-2024 will present tracked unmanned platforms "Mongoose"

Another UAV tested by the special operation is the Supercam S350 flying reconnaissance aircraft manufactured by the Unmanned Systems Group of companies. Its new generation reduces the risk of operator detection, providing additional security for drone calculations. The upgraded antenna complex, remote from the ground control station, increased the noise immunity and range of the communication channel with the UAV. At the same time, the Supercam S350 is now integrated into different versions of the reconnaissance and fire damage control circuits. These include the Tablet-A complex and the Eye hardware and software complex/A thunderstorm."

Manufacturers are introducing artificial intelligence elements into their drones. Alan Lushnikov, President of the Kalashnikov Concern, in an interview with TASS, called the introduction of an automatic target designation system at the end of the flight of a barrage munition one of the priorities for product modernization.

The developer of unmanned systems, Kronstadt JSC, specializing in large UAVs, showed a full-size mock-up of a variant of the Thunder high-speed jet drone. It will be capable of carrying various missile and bomb weapons with a mass of ammunition up to 500 kg.

The layout of the UAV "Thunder".
Source: © Sergey Bulkin/ TASS

Ground-based uninhabited vehicles are increasingly being made universal, with a replaceable payload, but on a standard chassis. For example, the remotely controlled ground platform "Dispatch" of the High-Precision Complexes holding (part of Rostec) appeared in versions of a wheeled sapper robot and a nurse robot. The first is equipped with nine launchers for remote mining, the second with stretchers for medical evacuation. With its own weight of 90 kg, the Dispatch is capable of transporting up to 250 kg of cargo, accelerating up to 40 km/h. The complex of the same name from the specialists of the Shipunov Instrument Engineering Design Bureau is equipped with a tracked chassis and is controlled via a fiber-optic communication line. Such a robot is not afraid of any radio interference.

In the "heavy weight", a multi-purpose platform on the chassis of a tracked lightly armored tractor MGTT-LB (modernization of the famous MT-LB motorcycle rig) performed. The tractor-based robot has a total weight of 12.5 tons, can be used for cargo delivery and towing artillery systems and trailers weighing up to 7 tons.

The FPV drone will not fly either

Equally widely presented at Army 2024 are the means of protection against drones, the main threat on the modern battlefield. These are grilles for armored vehicles, and hand-held, mobile, stationary means of electronic warfare against drones, and various UAV interceptors. One of the most miniature anti-drone devices is the Meerkat portable FPV drone detection and suppression kit, first shown by Roselectronics Holding (as part of Rostec) at this year's forum. The "meerkat" is placed on the clothes or equipment of a serviceman, "sees" the drone at a distance of 1 km and suppresses it. The device will go into mass production in the coming months.

The Meerkat portable FPV drone detection and Suppression kit.
Source: © Viktor Bodrov/ TASS

Among its developments, Roselektronika demonstrated at Army 2024 a range of more powerful means of detecting and suppressing drones. Among them is the newest "Sickle VS6D", capable of resisting even a group attack by drones. Thanks to a high-precision detector and instant signal processing algorithms, the new Sickle finds drones in its area of responsibility, minimizing false alarms. Then the complex effectively crushes it through six communication channels. According to the Director General of the Vector Research Institute (part of Roselektronika) Sergey Skorykh, "Sickle-VS6D" has proven its effectiveness in real-world operating conditions.

The Pantsir-SMD-E anti-aircraft missile system.
Source: © Viktor Bodrov/ TASS

When the "jammers" are ineffective, interception means enter the battle. "High-precision complexes" showed a new anti-aircraft missile system "Pantsir-SMD-E". It is designed to repel massive drone attacks on industrial and administrative facilities. The novelty can fire both standard anti-aircraft missiles from the well-proven Pantsir complex, and new small-sized short-range interception missiles, and the missiles can be combined in arbitrary combinations. The small-sized Pantsir-SMD-E missiles are capable of "taking on board" as many as 48 pieces. In addition, the forum demonstrates machine-gun and missile modules designed to combat unmanned threats, upgraded air defense systems and even drones capable of intercepting other drones.

To a fighter on the front line

The weapons and equipment of the fighters continue to develop. On the eve of the opening of the Army-2024, the Kalashnikov Concern showed journalists a promising 5.45 mm RPL-20 light machine gun. The weapon has already been tested by the combat zone and has positive reviews about the accuracy of shooting and the configuration of the machine gun. The concern also introduced the GP-46 grenade launcher.

The RPL-20 machine gun.
Source: © Valery Sharifulin/ TASS

The Kalashnikov Concern presented at the forum a modernized titanium helmet "Bars-M", equipped with a new visor. Its high-strength glass of a special structure is able to withstand two shots from a 9mm Stechkin pistol. The helmet itself has improved ergonomics.

For specialists in humanitarian demining, the Tula Oktava plant (part of Rostec) has developed a lightweight — total 5 kg — and a mobile bulletproof vest "Obereg".

Tanks and planes

The armored vehicles of domestic gunsmiths presented at the forum are increasingly equipped with anti-drone arrays, means of reducing visibility, as well as electronic warfare systems that interfere with the use of kamikaze drones. Such "equipment", which is becoming the standard for Russian "armor", is present on the main battle tanks T-90M "Breakthrough", T-80BVM, T-72B3M, infantry fighting vehicles BMP-3, BMP-2M, armored recovery vehicle BRAM-1M and many other samples. The retrofitted equipment, along with other weapons that have proven themselves in the SVO zone, was examined by Andrei Belousov during a visit to the forum.

BTR-22 and BTR-822A armored personnel carriers with sets of protective screens and electronic warfare systems.
Source: © Viktor Bodrov/ TASS

Along with unmanned aircraft, new manned models were shown at Army 2024. The Mi-28NME attack helicopter is presented for the first time. Vehicles of this class effectively destroy armored vehicles of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, including Western-style ones, with long-range guided missiles. The project of an improved Yak-130M aircraft with advanced capabilities is also shown . The armament of the combat training aircraft will include new high-precision weapons, turning it into a full-fledged modern light fighter. Rosoboronexport estimates the export potential of the upgraded Yak at 40 vehicles, and Asian and African countries may become customers.

A visitor to the Army-2024 forum next to the Yak-130M combat training aircraft.
Source: © Valery Sharifulin/ TASS

Half a trillion contracts

If during the Army-2023 forum the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation concluded and awarded contracts worth over 400 billion rubles to enterprises of the Russian defense industry, then on the second day of Army-2024 it became known about the signing and delivery of contracts under the state defense order for half a trillion rubles.

Read also, Belousov met with the delegations of Vietnam, Laos, Mali, Myanmar and the CAR on the "Army"

On the very first day of the forum, representatives of the military departments of over 80 foreign countries took part in its events, and eight bilateral international meetings were held at the level of the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation and his deputies. The guests of the forum showed increased interest in the products of Rosoboronexport JSC, Almaz-Antey Concern of East Kazakhstan Region, Roscosmos and Rosatom state corporations, divisions of Kalashnikov Concern and Shvabe Holding. They were also interested in the exhibition of captured armored vehicles organized at the forum site. Foreign experts highly appreciated Russian anti-drone drugs and noted new approaches to the training of military personnel.

Military-technical cooperation with other States continues to develop. Dmitry Shugaev, Director of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation (FSMTC), told TASS during the forum that Russia is actively promoting key weapons and military equipment in the space of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). According to him, the focus is on aviation equipment, T-90M tanks, various armored vehicles and air defense systems. All this technique is successfully used in its own. Requests are being received from potential foreign customers for the purchase of the Russian fifth-generation Su-57 fighter, which has also been tested by a special operation. In the FSVTS ru/armiya-i-opk/21586411" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">consider the prospects of the new Checkmate fifth-generation light single-engine fighter in the Middle East to be very encouraging, and foreign partners are ready to invest in innovative defense projects.

Victor Bodrov