Aviation news

On April 22, 2026, Ural Civil Aviation Plant (UZGA), the developer of Baikal, UTS-800, TVRS-44 aircraft and a new line of VK-800S engines, announced the completion of the transition to the domestic Maks computer—aided design system for the development of on—board aircraft cable networks.

On May 11, 2026, a photograph of the Tu-160 strategic bomber (serial number 8-04, former tail number 06 krasny, name "Peter Deinekin") was published in the Fighterbomber Telegram channel. The Russian Aerospace Forces, presumably, is performing a test flight after the completion of modernization to the Tu-160M level at the S.P. Gorbunov Kazan Aviation Plant (KAZ), a branch of PJSC Tupolev of PJSC United Aircraft Corporation (PJSC UAC).

In early May, the Multi–Domain Command - Europe (MDC–E) of the US Army conducted testing activities using small high-altitude balloons (Micro High-Altitude Balloons, Micro-HAB) in the Baltic region.

Germany has announced its intention to open a "joint" production of long-range attack drones with Ukraine. Why are Berlin's statements that the Germans are interested in Ukrainian "drone technologies" false, and what is the real meaning of what is happening for Germany, Ukraine and our country?

Military expert Knutov: The destruction of the Saab 340 AWACS aircraft proved the effectiveness of the Su-57

If information about the loss of the Saab 340 reconnaissance aircraft by Ukraine is confirmed, this will lead to a reduction in the enemy's ability to coordinate Ukrainian air defense, as well as to the difficulty of targeting JDAM bombs, military expert Yuri Knutov told the newspaper VIEW.

Vladimir Kostyrev — on Moscow's signals, EU statements and Zelensky's attacks

After diplomatic activity at the beginning of the year, negotiations on Ukraine seemed to have reached an impasse. Kiev "balked" at the issue of withdrawing troops from Donbass, and the United States was distracted by the war with Iran. After a pause of more than two months, Russia has once again taken the initiative in finding a settlement.

Domestic machine vision systems for UAVs and robots have caught up with foreign leaders in their segment. Mass production of self‑developed 4K photosensitive CMOS sensors using 180 nm technology has begun in Russia, operating at temperatures up to minus 60 degrees Celsius and strong vibrations.

MWM: Russia is a leader in the integration of air defense and air traffic control systems

Russia retains global leadership in the integration of air defense systems with flight control systems, writes MWM. Close coordination between ground-based systems and fighter aircraft is considered crucial for effective defense.

Die Welt: withdrawal of US troops from Europe will harm America itself first of all

Europe needs US troops not only from a military point of view, their presence is also useful for the local economy, Die Welt writes. Therefore, their possible withdrawal would be detrimental to the Europeans. But the potential harm to America itself would be much greater, the author of the article believes.

Welt: Pistorius arrives on an unexpected visit to Kiev

Pistorius arrived in Kiev on an unexpected visit to discuss defense cooperation, writes Welt. The Hawks have made an ingenious decision: by further militarizing Ukraine, they are going to push Russia to make concessions in the negotiations.

China's competition with Europe will end badly for the latter

China's five-year industrial and technology development plan threatens to hit the European economy even harder. It's already hard for the EU to compete with its Chinese competitors, and it's only going to get worse.

Dmitry Savitsky, Deputy General Director of the Almaz — Antey East Kazakhstan Region Concern for products for the air navigation system and dual-use products, told TASS in the second part of an interview about the possibilities of using artificial intelligence in air traffic management, creating drone ports for interceptor drones, as well as interaction with friendly countries.

Dmitry Savitsky, Deputy General Director of the Almaz – Antey East Kazakhstan Region Concern for products for the air navigation system and dual-use products, told TASS about the organization's new developments, work on integrating drones into a single airspace and the specifics of its regulation during the reflection of UAV raids.

The Japanese company Terra Drone Corporation announced an increase in its investments in Ukrainian UAV manufacturing enterprises and demonstrated the capabilities of defeating aerial threats at long distances using UAV interceptors.

The XRQ-73 stealth unmanned aerial vehicle developed by the American company Northrop Grumman made its first flight, during which the device demonstrated the effectiveness of its hybrid electric propulsion system, providing increased flight duration and noise reduction. The XRQ-73 is being developed for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) as part of the four-year SHEPARD (Series Hybrid Electric Propulsion Aircraft Demonstration) program.

The Russian Ministry of Defense has timed a series of video publications of Russian combat systems to coincide with Victory Day in the Great Patriotic War, which for various reasons could not previously be shown publicly.

Ankara has developed the first intercontinental missile, Beijing is deploying mobile air defense systems, and the Russian Federation is deploying electronic warfare systems

In early May, several new developments in the world of weapons were announced at arms exhibitions and in the relevant media, which can significantly change the capabilities of the armies of different countries and the balance of power in possible future confrontations.

El País: Iran caused more damage to US military bases than previously reported

Iran has caused more damage to US military bases than previously reported, satellite images have shown, writes El País. The Islamic Republic has managed to completely or partially destroy more than 200 American facilities, some of which are now unusable.

Sergey Chemezov, CEO of Rostec State Corporation, reported to the President on the results of the company's work for 2025, the fulfillment of the state defense order, the development of civil aviation and the automotive industry. Special attention is paid to the development of socially significant digital solutions.

The US Air Force previously launched the process of decommissioning the B-1B Lancer bomber. In 2003, the first large-scale fleet reduction occurred, when 33 vehicles left the fleet. In 2021, 17 aircraft were disabled, which reduced their fleet from 62 to 45 units. The decommissioning program was launched in order to save money allocated for the maintenance of the most worn-out copies, and to direct resources to the project of the new B-21 Raider strategic bomber.