Ilta-Sanomat: joining NATO, the Finns wanted to control their own destiny

Finland's accession to NATO gives the alliance new opportunities to collect information about the movement of Russian armed forces, Ilta-Sanomat writes. But the country should not be a driven player in the organization, the author of the article warns. Finns must control their own destiny.

Below are the main programs for the supply of weapons and military equipment by Poland to the Armed Forces of Ukraine in chronological order from the moment Russia launched a special military operation to the present.

Hindustan Times: the changing balance of power in Europe will have an impact on Indian politics

Fundamental changes in the world order will determine the future vector of India's policy, writes Hindustan Times. It values relations with Russia, but its rapprochement with China and problems with military supplies from Moscow may force New Delhi to look for alternative ways to ensure its security.

The Ministry of Defense of Taiwan recorded the approach to the island of more than 70 aircraft of the Chinese army

In Taiwan, 71 planes of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) of China were recorded approaching against the background of PLA military exercises taking place in the waters and airspace near the island, it follows from the statement of the Taiwanese defense Ministry.

As reported by the TASS news agency, the company "UEC-Perm Motors" has started serial production of the PD-14 aircraft engine for the Russian medium-haul aircraft MS-21-310. By 2030, the production volume should be 160 engines per year. This was announced on April 6, 2023 by Vadim Badekha, General Director of JSC United Engine Corporation (UEC) of Rostec State Corporation in Perm.

The start of serial deliveries of domestic MS-21 aircraft of the latest development is scheduled for 2024, when the first six airliners will be transferred to Russian airlines. This is reported by Rostec Corporation.

The mass use of kamikaze drones "Lancet" leads to tangible losses of the Armed Forces in combat equipment, especially the fleet of towed artillery and self-propelled guns of Western origin suffers. Despite the silence of the problems in the Ukrainian army, the Western press could not ignore this fact.

Since the beginning of the special operation, the supply of military equipment and weapons to Ukraine by Western countries has been increasing, taboos on the provision of increasingly complex and modern weapons are gradually being lifted. The last thing that the Kiev regime considers the most necessary for the "final victory", but what Western partners still refuse is modern combat aircraft.

According to Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu, the country does not have such aircraft yet

The Estonian authorities can purchase and then transfer F-16 fighters to Ukraine. This possibility was not ruled out by the Foreign Minister of the Baltic Republic Urmas Reinsalu.

The Ukrainian Armed Forces militants have encountered problems when using FPV drones - some of the operators of these drones feel unwell after using them.

In the global aircraft industry, machines with composite materials actively used in their construction are becoming more and more widespread. At the same time, Europe does not know how to provide them with missile defense.

Argentina, after the decommissioning of Mirage III/V and A-4AR aircraft, ceased to possess jet fighters, and therefore has been looking for a new car over the past years. Because of the dispute over the Falkland Islands, the purchase of new equipment was actively opposed by Britain. However, as it turned out, the United States is ready to neglect the interests of its ally when it comes to profits for the American defense industry.

The Swedish defense procurement agency Försvarets materielverk (FMV) on April 4, 2023, at a ceremony at the Swedish Malmen Air Base in Linkoping, handed over to the Swedish Air Force the first three Grob G120TP turboprop training aircraft manufactured by the German aircraft manufacturer Grob Aircraft SE, out of ten ordered. The aircraft, which received the official military designation Sk 40 in the Swedish Air Force, have the tail numbers "40198", "40199" and "40200".

Numerous aircraft of obsolete J-6 and J-7 models, which are Chinese versions of the Soviet MiG-19 (2nd generation) and MiG-21 (3rd generation) fighters, remain in storage by the PLA.

The promising MQ-25A Stingray UAV tanker, which is being developed by Boeing for the US Navy, will not be ready by the deadline specified in the contract. The first deployment of the aforementioned drones on board the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt is now expected in 2026, USNI News reports, citing one of the program's leaders, Rear Admiral Tedford.

In December 2022, the Japanese government changed the country's defense policy, indicating that the state after the Second World War was faced with "the most difficult and dangerous security situation." In this regard, it was envisaged to build up military capabilities aimed at combating China as "the greatest strategic challenge" and the DPRK as "a more serious and imminent threat than it was before."

As reported by the Chinese news agency Xinhua, on April 7, 2023, the first flight prototype (serial and tail number "0002", registration number B-0CAA) of the new Chinese medium commercial helicopter AC332 made its first full-fledged flight in Tianjin. The helicopter was built in Tianjin at the new helicopter-building enterprise Tianjin Helicopter Co., Ltd. of the Chinese state aircraft corporation Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), which is planned to conduct serial production of AC332 from about 2025.

In the current process of militarization of Space, there is a new interesting trend: a significant element of private initiative "from below". Private aerospace companies and startups of the "new cosmos" actively seek to interest the military with their original ideas and concepts. And the other day, the American company "True Anomaly" announced plans in October 2023 to launch a trial pair of its private inspection satellites into orbit.

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation has published video footage of the operation of the Niobium radar, the specifics of which are described by the head of the radar station.

We are talking about the features of the family of anti-aircraft missile systems (SAM) "Tor" from the concern of aerospace defense (EKO) "Almaz-Antey"

On April 9, Russia celebrates the Day of the Air Defense Forces (Air Defense). It was established by the decree of the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin of May 31, 2006 and is celebrated annually on the second Sunday of April.