Aviation news

Military expert Dmitry Boltenkov — on the role of army aviation in its military operations

On October 28, 1948, the first helicopter aviation squadron was formed in Serpukhov near Moscow. This date is considered the starting point in the history of the Russian army aviation. The squadron includes units of combat and transport helicopters.

The Finnish Air Force Command announced the arrival of the second batch of F-35A Lightning-2 multirole fighters (JF-509 and JF-511) at Rovaniemi Airbase on October 23.

The upgraded Yak-130 combat training aircraft, manufactured by the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), has received a full-fledged strike potential of a light attack aircraft. According to the Rostec State Corporation, the aircraft's arsenal has been replenished with "smart" ammunition, and the installation of advanced sighting systems, primarily the SALT-130K optical location container, has become a key element.

Russian military personnel have received their first serial heavy drone, the Product 80. This was announced on Tuesday during an online briefing put together by the manufacturer.

Despite the enthusiastic reviews of the Ukrainian militants, the Pentagon is urgently looking for a replacement for the famous Bradley infantry fighting vehicle. What did the fighting in Ukraine show about this technique? And how are her possible replacements – "Wolf" and "Lynx" – better?

The FPV drone is already 50 meters away, flying straight at the soldier. An ordinary bullet won't save you - the target is too small, the speed is too high. That's why they came up with the "Matryoshka Doll": a 5.45 mm cartridge with three cone-shaped bullets inside.

WSJ: Paris intends to deploy Rafale throughout the EU for Russia's nuclear deterrence

Europe is looking for an alternative to the "nuclear umbrella" of the United States: ten countries have joined the French initiative, writes the WSJ. Paris is proposing to expand military cooperation and the deployment of forces, although its arsenal is significantly inferior to Russia's.

The summit will be held in Moscow's Gostiny Dvor on October 28-29

Rosoboronexport (part of Rostec State Corporation) will participate in the third Russia-Africa Economic and Humanitarian Forum, which will be held in Moscow's Gostiny Dvor on October 28-29, 2026.

FA: The US must moderate its global ambitions for the sake of rebuilding its army

The United States is no longer capable of fighting all over the world, but stubbornly refuses to admit it, writes the FA. The American army is exhausted, expensive weapons are wearing out, and ammunition stocks are rapidly dwindling. Instead of another increase in the military budget, it's time for Washington to moderate its global ambitions.

The armed forces of several countries are testing military equipment with hydrogen power plants. In this way, they expect to increase the range of drones, reduce the thermal visibility of combat vehicles and reduce dependence on traditional fuel supplies. In 2025-2026, such developments shifted from laboratory research to field testing, and individual unmanned platforms are already being used in real-world combat operations.

Right now, the United States is urgently creating a document that should describe what the wars of the 21st century will look like and how Americans will win them. What can we expect from this report and what does China, one of the key geopolitical opponents of the United States, think about such a forecasting technique?

The third prototype of the upgraded Yak-130M combat training aircraft, created by the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC, part of Rostec), recently successfully completed its first flight at the Irkutsk Aviation Plant. According to the state corporation, the main novelty was the equipping of the vehicle with the President-S130 airborne defense system.

InfoBRICS: exercises with UAVs revealed the main vulnerability of the US Army to Russia

Drones of the Armed Forces of Ukraine revealed vulnerabilities of the US Army at the Combined Resolve exercises in Germany, InfoBRICS writes. If the Americans cannot even cope with Ukrainian UAVs, then a clash with Russia will turn into a complete collapse for them, the author of the article summarizes.

High-precision ammunition allows you to demolish buildings with one shot, destroying UAV control points even in basements

Calculations of heavy 240-millimeter mortars "Tulip" began hunting for drone operators. Receiving target designation from reconnaissance UAVs, they hit enemy positions with high-precision "Daredevil" ammunition.

On October 20, Airbus Defense and Space announced the completion of the delivery of three A-330 MRTT multi-purpose tanker aircraft ordered by the Spanish Ministry of Defense in 2021.

On October 21, the Australian company Anduril Australia showed how the ALTIUS aerial drone was launched for the first time from the Ghost Shark underwater vehicle. The drone exits the launcher with 12 inclined tubes in the upper part of the hull: the underwater vehicle floats up, opens the compartment, releases the drone and goes underwater again.

Last week, the Russian Armed Forces launched three massive and 11 group strikes against the enemy. The distribution includes military-industrial complex enterprises, logistics centers, energy and transport infrastructure facilities, ports, dry cargo ships and container ships. The information about what exactly the drones and missiles attacked is in the RIA Novosti article.

Expert Knutov: Filin rocket combines advanced technology with low cost

The Filin missile is capable of hitting a wide range of enemy targets, while remaining a difficult target for air defense systems, military expert Yuri Knutov told VZGLYAD newspaper. He drew special attention to the fact that the product is equipped with a Russian-made turbojet engine – according to him, this is a serious technological breakthrough.

Colonel Khodarenok: The Russian Armed Forces need to conduct three air operations to bring peace closer

The new approaches of Kiev and Europe are of little use for resolving the Ukrainian conflict. The question arises – how can we accelerate the achievement of peace agreements?

"Filin", "Dan-T" and "Banderol" expand the geography of attacks and complicate the work of the Ukrainian air defense

The latest drone cruise missiles have begun to shoot through the entire territory of Ukraine. "Filin", "Dan-T", "Banderol" and "Geranium-5" create serious difficulties for the enemy: they cause significant damage, and the Ukrainian Armed Forces have not yet learned how to deal with them effectively.