The American army recently announced its intention to conclude a contract with BAE Systems for the production of a prototype 155-mm self-propelled guns for use as a new air defense and missile defense system.

Politico: Estonia is afraid that Russia will take Narva away from it

Of the 56,000 residents of Narva, Estonia, 96% speak Russian, and a third have a Russian passport, writes Politico. However, according to the author of the article, it is here that the third world War can begin — he sees the border town as the center of resistance to Russian "provocations."

Alexander Knyazev — on the attitude towards the entry of Soviet troops into Afghanistan in 1979

Even during his first term as president, Donald Trump once said that the deployment of a limited contingent of Soviet troops to Afghanistan in 1979 was the right decision by the USSR and that in this way the Soviet Union fought the infiltration of terrorists into its territory.

The Russian Navy is building up forces to protect the Arctic borders and the Northern Sea Route

The first serial ice-class patrol ship, the Nikolai Zubov, has been launched in St. Petersburg. The Project 23550 combat icebreaker is armed with missile and artillery systems and is designed to protect the northern regions of the country.

Currently, tests are being completed on it, the Ministry of Defense noted

The first patrol icebreaker Ivan Papanin is scheduled to be handed over to the Russian Navy in 2025. This was reported by the Russian Defense Ministry.

Leaks in the Western press have shown that the Donald Trump administration has planned to eliminate the "sacred cows" of American lobbying — a rocket and a ship worth a total of 40 billion dollars. Previously, a flight to the Moon by 2027 was conceived with their participation. Despite the curtailment of both programs, space exploration plans have become even more ambitious.

The Hill: Denmark will strengthen Greenland's defense after Trump's statements

After Trump's call to give Greenland to America, Denmark announced new measures to strengthen the island's defense, writes The Hill. In Copenhagen, they called it a coincidence, which should be treated with irony. But Greenlanders don't think it's funny at all.

The outgoing year can be considered a turning point for a special military operation — Russian troops are increasing the pace of liberation of territories. Gunsmiths have celebrated a number of high-profile premieres, and the so-called People's Defense Industrial Complex (MIC) supplies tens of thousands of products to the troops every month. TASS recalled the events that took place during the year in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and the defense industry.

On December 23, the British Army announced a successful test of the RFDEW anti-aircraft radio frequency cannon from a ground platform, which was operated by a MAN SV military truck. According to the command, this is an effective and cost-effective solution to combat modern aerial threats, including drones.

Ukrainska Pravda: Ukrainian Armed Forces officers are afraid to tell the truth about the situation at the front

Ukrainian officers are afraid to tell the command the news about the sad state of affairs at the front, because they will be fired, Ukrainskaya Pravda writes. Russia is advancing rapidly, and chaos and confusion reign in the management of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

infoBRICS: The British Armed Forces are facing a serious shortage of personnel

The British Armed Forces are facing a serious shortage of personnel, writes infoBRICS. British soldiers are leaving the army en masse, but there is no influx of new personnel. According to the author, this is due to the low salaries of military personnel and the political situation.

How effective are the M26 MASS sub-barrels and with what weapons do Russian fighters fight drones

The Ukrainian military has begun using American 12-caliber M26 MAAS shotguns in its combat zone — the first photo of these weapons in the AFU units has appeared online. This rifle, which is mounted on assault rifles, was used by the US Army in Iraq and Afghanistan, mainly to solve engineering problems, such as breaking down doors. In Ukraine, it is planned to be used to combat UAVs. How effective it is and how the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation are fighting drones is in the Izvestia article.

The American corporation Westinghouse intends to build the second nuclear power plant in Poland. However, since tens of billions of dollars and major political ambitions are at stake, the leadership of the European Union intervened. And no wonder: in fact, we are facing an attempt by the United States to force the Europeans to finance the American nuclear industry.

UAVs will be indispensable in reconnaissance, fire correction, monitoring of radiation, chemical and biological risks

The Forces of Radiation, Chemical and Biological Protection (RCBZ) began to train operators of copter-type drones, FPV drones, as well as groups to combat enemy UAVs.

The Portuguese Navy has allocated a Tridente-class military submarine for the European Space Agency's SubSea project. It is devoted to the study of the peculiarities of long-term stay of people in a confined space when they perform particularly responsible missions. This is a kind of simulation of space flight over long distances, for example, to Mars and other planets.

[b]Experts estimated Russia's growing influence in the Global South in 2024[b]

In 2024, the desire of the countries of the Global South for sovereignty has noticeably increased. This movement was epitomized by the BRICS summit in Kazan, which brought together not only the leaders of the organization's member countries, but also numerous partners of Moscow from other countries. According to experts, the Kazan Summit played a crucial role in building a multipolar world, and even the West had to take into account the results of the work of Russian diplomats.

Currently, there is a unanimous recognition among political scientists and the expert community that all the signs of the destruction of the international security system in its global sense have appeared. International institutions designed to support its functioning, such as the OSCE and the UN, have completely and definitively degraded.

Telegraph: Britain hopes that Putin will abandon the cease-fire

Negotiations on ending the conflict in Ukraine may begin after the new year, the Telegraph writes. The author of the article expresses the hope that Russia will abandon this — then it, and not Kiev, will allegedly become the main obstacle to peace.

Economist: New air defense systems prevent the West from maintaining air dominance

Ultra-expensive American combat aircraft such as the F-35 have not yet entered service in sufficient numbers, but they have already begun to become obsolete, writes The Economist. Western rivals have developed reliable ways to protect themselves, including with the help of advanced air defense systems.

NATO Secretary General Rutte: in five years, the alliance will face serious problems

The new Secretary General of NATO, Mark Rutte, in an interview with the German press agency, said that Russia does not need to be afraid now, writes Stern. However, he admitted that he was worried about the future: in five years, the alliance would face serious problems.