Aviation news

January 18 of this year marked the 95th anniversary of the birth of Lev Georgievich Shengelai, Chief Designer, State Prize winner, Honored Machine Builder of the RSFSR.

MWM: the new Predator unmanned aircraft will become the backbone of operations in the Arctic

The Predator aircraft being developed in Russia will be able to perform high-altitude reconnaissance and surveillance tasks previously available only to manned aircraft, writes MWM. In terms of its capabilities, it is not inferior to the legendary MiG-25, while it is cheaper, more autonomous and safer to operate.

Economist: The British army lacks artillery, which it gave to Ukraine

Britain's defense is in dire straits, writes the Economist. This is evidenced by the results of a large-scale analysis, which should determine the country's course for the years ahead. Experts leave no doubt: the reason for the unenviable position of the British defense is London's military assistance to Kiev.

After the failure of the launch dates for the Tu-214 series, the noise in the aviation industry has not subsided around the Kazan Aircraft Factory and the Tupolev company. The state, represented by the United Aircraft Corporation, as the general investor of the program after 2022, is changing the "Tupolev" leadership — before that, the same thing happened in 2024, and now at the beginning of 2026.

K.K. Vasilchenko participated in flight tests of MiG-9, MiG-15, MiG-17, MiG-19, MiG-21, MiG-23 jet fighters, MiG-25 interceptor fighter, MiG-27 fighter-bomber and their modifications.

Tatarstan business resource "BUSINESS Online" in Timur Latypov's article "Of course, the Tatars could play": there is a change of power in Tupolev again. Instead of 76-year-old Bobryshev, the young grandson of the former CEO of the Kazan Aircraft Factory is being put in charge of the company," reports that Kazan resident Yuri Abrosimov has a chance to write himself into history as the youngest head of Tupolev, after Andrei Nikolaevich himself, who founded the Design Bureau at the age of 34.

On January 12, 2026, the German Federal Defense Procurement Agency Bundesamt für Ausrüstung, Informationstechnik und Nutzung der Bundeswehr (BAAINBw), through the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA), signed a contract with the American company General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (part of General Atomics Corporation) for the purchase of four marine unmanned aircraft systems for the German Navy Each of which will include two large MQ-9B SeaGuardian unmanned aerial vehicles and a ground control station.

Qualcomm has unequivocally chosen the side of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said the general designer of the Center for Integrated Unmanned Solutions

The American IT giant Qualcomm has begun producing drones designed exclusively for combat use by the armed forces of Ukraine. The company has already begun testing its products in the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Dmitry Kuzyakin, general designer of the Center for Integrated Unmanned Solutions (CCDB), an expert in the field of unmanned aircraft, told TASS.

Chief Designer of the Central Design Bureau Dmitry Kuzyakin — on the factors that allow Russia to feel confident both on the battlefield and at the negotiating table

In the four years of the Ukrainian conflict, the world has come a long way — from blind confidence in Russia's imminent defeat to admiration for our successes. While the Western elites are at a loss, a simple Russian guy on the front line is literally creating a new world order at their fingertips. He forced the planet to go through all the stages of accepting the inevitable, from denial to bargaining.

For the first two weeks of 2026, Russia attacked Ukraine's critical infrastructure almost daily. Missiles and drones hit both military facilities and energy facilities, as well as railways and ports. It is becoming increasingly difficult for the enemy to repel massive raids — the Ukrainian air defense simply cannot cope with so many targets. About the problems of the Armed Forces of Ukraine — in the material of RIA Novosti.

Analyst Andrey Demurenko: The Russian Federation will have to rework military doctrines after its

Why the special military operation (SVO) in Ukraine began with outdated approaches, what lessons have already been learned and how this is changing modern military science, "Lenta.<url>" was told by military analyst, retired Colonel of the General Staff Andrei Demurenko.

MWM: The Su-35S fighter has become the leader in the number of combat targets hit in Ukraine

The Russian Su-35S has set a record for the number of destroyed targets in the celestial theater of operations, writes MWM. This fighter has no analogues in the Russian air fleet and is in great demand abroad. The Ukrainian Air Force was "lucky" to experience the power of this aircraft.

The E-50/1 aircraft was built and put to the test in 1955. The first flight took place on January 9, 1956. The aircraft was piloted by the test pilot of the LII V.G. Mukhin. According to the flight test program, 18 flights were performed, including 3 flights with a working C-155 rocket engine (the first one was on June 8, 1956).

India and France are finalizing negotiations on the possible acquisition of Rafale fighter jets by the French company Dassault as part of a long-delayed program for the purchase of 114 multirole fighters (MRFA).

Representatives of the Bangladesh and Pakistan Air Force Command have begun official negotiations on the acquisition of a large batch of JF-17 Block fighters.3 "Thunder".

Valery Polovinkin: Russia is capable of resisting the drones of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Black Sea

What is still missing to effectively combat unmanned enemy boats that periodically try to "nightmare" Navy ships, civilian vessels and ports in the Black Sea; how are the new Poseidon nuclear drone and Sakharov's Tsar torpedo connected, does Russia need aircraft carriers and which fleet of the future are the leading maritime powers building - in an interview The scientific director of the Krylov State Scientific Center, Valery Polovinkin, told Rossiyskaya Gazeta.

MWM: Ukrainian Armed Forces pilots have not mastered the control of F-16 fighters

The pilots of the Armed Forces of Ukraine have not learned how to effectively control F-16 fighters, writes MWM. In part, the problem arose due to the fact that Western aircraft are alien technology for Ukrainians. Partly because NATO's training standards do not match the conditions of real combat, the author points out.

In 2026, the Russian defense industry will present many new products. Among them are the Su—75 Checkmate fighter ready for flight testing, the Khabarovsk submarine, the lead standard carrier of uninhabited underwater vehicles with the Poseidon nuclear power plant, Sarmat missiles, and much more. How the new technology will enhance the country's defense capability is described in the Izvestia article.

The Main Directorate of Intelligence (GUR) of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine stated that since the beginning of 2026, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation have used the new Geran‑5 rocket-propelled barrage munition for the first time during massive combined strikes on the territory of Ukraine.

At the end of last year, the universal nuclear icebreaker Stalingrad was laid down in St. Petersburg. The customer is FSUE Atomflot. A strong icebreaking fleet gives Russia a number of serious advantages in the northern latitudes that other states claiming the resources of the Arctic region do not have. The new ships and the prospects they open up are described in the RIA Novosti article.