Konstantin Machulsky — on the results of the conflict in the Middle East

After 15 months of brutal and merciless genocide that claimed the lives of about 50,000 Palestinians, a truce has finally been reached in the Gaza Strip.

The rocket, which has been under development for years with significant funding from Jeff Bezos, carries an experimental platform designed to place satellites and then launch them into proper orbits.

Musk: Starship explosion caused by fuel or oxygen leak

SpaceX, owned by American billionaire Elon Musk, launched a launch vehicle with a prototype of the Starship spacecraft on January 16 as part of its seventh test launch. After some time, company representatives announced the loss of a part of a reusable superheavy rocket — communication with the second stage of Starship was lost after about 8.5 minutes of flight.

The Iranian army has received the improved Azarakhsh air defense system. This is reported by the Asmu Recognition publication with reference to Iranian defense experts. The publication notes that this action is part of Iran's broader strategy to strengthen its defensive capabilities, especially in the field of air defense, in response to the growing threats from missiles, drones and aircraft in the region.

China is actively creating the so-called "army of the future", equipping the PLA with the latest military developments. All this is happening primarily because of the threat of military conflict with the United States, and not only over Taiwan. Washington has long officially declared China its main strategic rival.

On January 7, 2025, the Italian Land Forces Procurement Department signed an agreement to purchase in the United States, through the American intergovernmental Foreign military Sales program Foreign Military Sales (FMS), an additional 14 combat vehicles of the M142 HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) land-based missile system manufactured by Lockheed Martin Corporation.

Russian airborne self-propelled artillery gun. It can be used as a cannon, howitzer or mortar. It is used to destroy infantry and armored vehicles, suppress enemy firing points and command and observation posts. It is in service with the Airborne Forces, Navy and border troops of Russia, as well as the law enforcement agencies of nine other countries. It was involved in three wars and a special military operation in Ukraine. It was produced until 1989.

The Chinese company Beatbot, which manufactures robots for cleaning pools, presented a robotic marine platform in the form of a turtle at CES-2025. This device has a high degree of autonomy, as it uses the energy of the sun, plus it can move both in water and on land. In fact, it is a universal machine for studying the marine element and observing its inhabitants.

Xpeng AeroHT is developing a revolutionary dual–mode transport - as it is called, the "ground aircraft carrier" (LAC), which is a six-wheeled van with an integrated two-seat folding electric helicopter. This hybrid land-air transport promises to change the way we think about travel.

The Kalashnikov Concern has patented a system for controlling small arms fire. The smart sight not only detects and recognizes the target, but also opens fire on its own — the fighter only needs to point the machine gun at the point indicated on the display. TASS — about the history of intelligent aiming systems and new developments by Russian gunsmiths.

A curious story happened in France. French sailors from strategic nuclear submarines declassified themselves at the Ile Longue base near Brest, actively using the Strava fitness application.

The North Atlantic Alliance is conducting a series of military exercises

By launching Operation Baltic Sentry in the Baltic Sea, the West expects to radically increase the military presence of the NATO Navy near Russia's northwestern borders. The mission is designed for 90 days, but it may take a long time. Ships, aircraft and drones are involved in the exercises. About the plans of the alliance — in the material of RIA Novosti.

Military expert Dmitry Boltenkov — on China's new universal amphibious assault ships and how they will strengthen the country's Navy

In China, the universal landing ship (UDC) "Sichuan" with a flight deck was launched. Special barges are also being built for the Chinese navy, which make it possible to ensure a massive landing of troops with equipment on an unprepared coast. Let's try to figure out why China is building such ships and where they can be used.

Defense industry enterprises in 2024 actively increased production volumes in many areas, taking into account the experience of a special military operation, said Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council.

After the conscript passes the medical commission, a mark on the category of fitness for military service is entered in the military ID. Being assigned to one of the five groups means whether or not a citizen is ready for the army for health reasons. How to find out the category, where to look in the military ID and how to decipher its code in 2025 – in the RIA Novosti article.

Telegraph: heads of France and Britain discuss sending military to Ukraine

Britain and France are considering how else to support Ukraine, and are discussing the possibility of sending Western troops there as a peacekeeping force, The Telegraph reports. Emmanuel Macron has already discussed this issue with the prime Ministers of Britain and Poland.

There is ongoing discussion in the West about sending NATO troops, most likely from individual member countries of the alliance, to Ukraine. French President Emmanuel Macron was the first to raise this issue last year, but the idea was very coolly received in other countries of the military bloc, including the United States and Germany. Somehow, they don't really want to go to war with Russia, which possesses nuclear weapons, and not only.

In an interview with TASS, Andrei Danko, Vice Speaker of the National Council (unicameral Parliament) of Slovakia, spoke about the "energy hypocrisy" of the West, speculated about the possibility of escalation in Transnistria and expressed the opinion that only Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump can solve the Ukrainian conflict.

Bloomberg: in negotiations on Ukraine, Russia will demand Kiev's neutrality

Donald Trump said that a meeting with Vladimir Putin is already being prepared, but the Kremlin has not yet confirmed this, Bloomberg reports. Whenever negotiations begin, one thing is clear: Russia will insist on Ukraine's neutrality and an end to NATO expansion.

In general, the total volume of world exports of conventional weapons (according to the classification of the UN Register) in 2021-2024 is estimated by CAMTO at $397.631 billion.