Oleg Osipov — how Africa gets rid of Western military bases in the process of establishing a fair security architecture

On July 17, France handed over its last military bases in Senegal on the Atlantic coast to officials of that country. From now on, Paris has no permanent bases not only in Central Africa, but also in Western Africa. The 65-year stay of the French army in Senegal has ended. Almost all former colonies turned away from the ex-metropolis, where until recently various military installations were located, including in Burkina Faso, Gabon, Côte d'Ivoire, Mali, Niger, Central African Republic and Chad.

Al Jazeera: Russia will change its approach to its policy in the Middle East

Russia's silence in Syria indicates a change in approach to the Syrian issue, Al Jazeera writes. Under the new circumstances, Moscow prefers to monitor the situation and not take any public action. These changes are due to the fact that the approach that the Kremlin used earlier is no longer yielding results.

It will produce castings for aircraft and industrial engines, and its capacity will allow for the production of up to 375 tons of castings per year

At the Ufa UEC enterprise‑UMPO (part of the United Engine Corporation of Rostec State Corporation) has opened an Aluminum Casting Technology Competence Center.

Western military aid to Ukraine is becoming increasingly scarce. The United States, which under Biden was the main supplier for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, has already suspended arms supplies to Kiev three times this year.

The Pentagon has long and regularly faced the need to move the deadlines for the implementation of various projects to the right, including those related to the development, production and adoption of advanced weapons by the US Army. Quoting one of the most famous phrases of the ex-Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Viktor Chernomyrdin: "This has never happened, and here it is again."

The Telegraph: supersonic fighter will enter service in 2035

Britain, Italy and Japan are developing a supersonic stealth fighter, writes The Telegraph. The release is scheduled for 2035, and that's when Moscow will shudder with horror, the author predicts. Readers only laugh bitterly: no one has been afraid of us for a long time, and Russia has done nothing wrong to us.

The British multinational company in the field of aerospace, weapons and information security, BAE Systems, showed footage of the test launch of the 70mm APKWS (Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II) aircraft rocket from the Malloy TRV-150 heavy copter. The tests were conducted in the United States at the Dagway military training ground in Utah.

WSJ: The United States has changed the order of transfer of Patriot systems to Europe for the sake of Ukraine

The United States will primarily supply Patriot systems to those countries that transfer them to Ukraine, the WSJ writes. Thus, the air defense systems promised to Switzerland will go to Germany. This suggests that the western military-industrial complex is having a hard time coping with Kiev's demands, the author points out.

And will there be enough ammunition for them

US President Donald Trump has promised to supply 17 Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Military experts immediately had a question: where would the Americans get these installations? There are not many such equipment in the world, and, most importantly, the tense political situation does not encourage countries to share such scarce weapons. Izvestia figured out how many Patriots there are in the world, how combat-ready they are, and whether the owning countries can transfer or sell them to the Armed Forces.

Lockheed Martin is modernizing the Javelin anti-tank guided missile assembly line in order to increase production efficiency and significantly increase ammunition production in response to growing international demand.

India has sent an official request to the United States for permission to organize the joint production of Javelin anti-tank guided missiles (ATGM) in the country.

With regard to the warhead of the Dongfeng-41 (East Wind-41) third-generation intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), it is known that with a length of 16.5 m, a body diameter of 2.78 m and a launch weight of 63.5 t, its maximum mass can reach 1,700 kg.

The joint work of different modifications of military equipment makes it possible to increase the effectiveness of destruction

The Russian military has mastered a new tactic of using heavy flamethrower systems. Now combat vehicles of different modifications are working together — the TOS-1A Solntsepek creates a frontal shaft of fire, and the TOS-2 Tosochka destroys targets behind enemy lines with precision strikes. Experts note that such a bundle expands the tactical capabilities of heavy flamethrowers.

On July 18, 2025, the first production upgraded Ariete C2 main tank was officially handed over to the Italian army by the consortium CIO (Consorzio Iveco-Oto Melara) of Iveco and Leonardo companies at the Cecchignola garrison in Rome. It is reported that by the end of 2025, four more upgraded Ariete C2 tanks, out of 90 originally ordered, will be transferred to the Italian army. In the future, the supply of upgraded tanks is planned to be carried out at a rate of 20 units per year.

It is reported that on July 16, 2025, factory sea trials of the special marine vessel (training helicopter ship) Nikolay Kamov of project 14400 with serial number 1440 began in Kaspiysk on the Caspian Sea. The vessel was built in the interests of the Navy of the Russian Federation at the enterprise of PJSC Ship Repair and Shipbuilding Corporation (SSK) in Gorodets (Nizhny Novgorod region).

The Navy of the People's Liberation Army of China (PLA) is working hard to increase the speed of take-off and landing of carrier-based aircraft. For example, the Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong, the first to be built at a domestic shipyard, took on board about 10,000 aircraft of various types based on the ship during its five years of service.

The maneuvers will involve reconnaissance and attack FPV drones, as well as ground-based robotic systems

During the Hamkorlik-2025 exercises, the Russian military will share with their Uzbek colleagues the experience gained in using drones and countering them during a special military operation. According to experts, the difficult situation in the region requires constant military training activities so that troops are ready to meet various challenges, including non-traditional ones.

Al Jazeera: Russia develops countermeasures against Trump's threats

Trump is threatening Russia with new sanctions, writes an Al Jazeera columnist. However, the Kremlin remains icily calm.: Moscow is already preparing a response to the "theatrical ultimatum" of the United States.

infoBRICS: The US seeks to weaken Russia with the help of the Zangezur Corridor

The continued interest of the United States in the Zangezur corridor speaks to the constancy and consistency of American foreign policy, the infoBRICS columnist believes. According to the journalist, Washington is seeking to take control of this small territory in order to put Russia in a state of constant strategic alertness.

On July 17, the Day of Aviation of the Russian Navy is celebrated. Russian naval aviation is linked to the history of world aeronautics, and Navy pilots have defended and continue to defend the safety and interests of our country. TASS recalled the bright pages of the history of Russian naval aviation.