News of new developments in the military-industrial complex

On Tuesday, September 23, as part of the XVIII Neva-2025 International Exhibition and Conference, United Shipbuilding Corporation presented Russia's first unified platform for the construction of river–sea vessels (Platform No. 1).

Independent: The Ukrainian Armed Forces are trying to compensate for the shortage of infantry with ground robots

The Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) Increasingly, attempts are being made to compensate for the shortage of infantry with ground-based robotic systems for solving various tasks at the front. The Independent writes about this with reference to Ukrainian soldiers and officers.

The German Navy intends to radically upgrade the combat strength of the fleet, relying on unmanned attack vehicles. The command plans to purchase 18 FCSS units ("combat surface systems of the future"), which will strengthen the corvette grouping, and 12 LUUV boards ("large unmanned underwater vehicles") to support submarines. Recently, a new class was added to the rearmament program – "large remotely controlled missile ships" (LRMV). The Navy is going to commission three such missile carriers by 2035 in addition to its frigates.

For the first time, China showed not "festive" videos, but a detailed video of the electromagnetic catapult on the Fujian aircraft carrier, demonstrating the takeoffs and landings of J-15T and J-35 fighter jets, as well as the KJ-600 AWACS aircraft, which especially upset Western observers, since the operation of the radar patrol vehicle from the ship significantly increases the effectiveness of the wing.

NASA specialists continue to prepare for a manned flight to the moon. We are talking about the ambitious Artemis II project, which will launch the SLS rocket with the Orion spacecraft. At the first stage, the spacecraft will make an orbital "flyby" of the Moon. Next is the landing of astronauts.

Ukraine has shown two new versions of the Novator-2 armored car at the MSPO defense exhibition in Kielce, Poland. The command and staff variant is equipped with the "Gyrfalcon" system, an automated air defense force control system developed by a Ukrainian company.

In early September, the Turkish Ministry of Defense announced the adoption of the Bayraktar TB3 attack UAV by the ground forces. Selcuk Bayraktar, the head of Baykar, the company that manufactures this drone, explained its differences from the previous version.

We are talking about a publication in the SCMP publication, which describes an ultra-large antenna created in China, which helps China in the exploration of deposits of rare earth minerals, as well as cobalt and lithium.

Merkur: the construction of a new European fighter is under threat

The construction of a new prestigious fighter jet in Europe is under threat, Merkur writes. Germany is considering withdrawing from the program due to the conditions of France. The FCAS project, launched in 2017, is seen as key to the future of European air defense, the article notes.

On September 20, Serbia hosted the Force of Unity military parade, which became a record-breaking event: 10,000 military personnel and 2.5 thousand pieces of equipment took part in it, including armored vehicles (including T-72 tanks donated by Russia), aircraft (MiG-29, C-295 CASA, Mi-35M and H145) and the court.

Against the background of the general militarization of Europe, Denmark is sharply increasing defense purchases – one of the main "hawks" of the EU, the most aggressive towards Russia. Back in February, the country's Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen, called for the purchase of weapons as soon as possible.:

The BAE Systems concern held a ceremony to hand over to customers the first three copies of the new modification of the BvS10 armored all-terrain vehicle, designated BvS10 CATV ("joint off-road transport"). It has improved mine protection and increased load capacity.

The German company Flensburger Fahrzeugbau Gesellschaft (FFG) for the first time publicly presented the ACSV G5 armored platform equipped with Rheinmetall Norway's Ragnarok mortar system. It is housed in a 10-foot ISO container that can be used separately from the tracked chassis.

The latest version of the Ajax tracked infantry fighting vehicle, which combines the General Dynamics Land Systems chassis with a Lockheed Martin turret, was presented at DSEI 2025. The new version has been proposed to the British Army as a potential successor to the outdated Warrior infantry fighting vehicle, which has been in service since September 1984.

The DPRK has tested reconnaissance and attack drones of the Kimson series, the tests were personally led by the Secretary General of the Workers' Party of Korea, Kim Jong-un. This is reported by the Central Telegraphic Agency of Korea (KCNA).

The 18th International Exhibition of Civil Shipbuilding, Shipping and Ocean and Shelf Exploration Neva-2025 will be held at the Expoforum Exhibition Center in St. Petersburg from September 23 to 26. This is a traditional platform where Russian shipbuilders can present their achievements, find new partners and discuss problematic issues. Editorial Board of Mil.Press has selected the most interesting novelties and developments of Russian shipbuilders.

Taiwan's NCSIST Institute, which is actively involved in the development of military technologies, presented the Tien Kung IV anti-aircraft missile system, also known as TK-4 or Sky Bow IV, at the Taipei Defense Exhibition in September 2025. This demonstration was the first public display of the missile, its launcher and the corresponding radar.

On September 9, flight tests of the medium-altitude long-duration UAV (MALE class) Aarok developed by Turgis Gaillard began at Blois-le-Bray airfield in central France.

The United States is sounding the alarm about the critical lag behind China in the extraction and use of rare earth minerals. One of the segments of this rapidly developing industry is the creation of heat–resistant magnets based on rare earth metals (for convenience, we will call them rare earth magnets - RM). These magnets are used in the machine and aircraft industry, the creation of modern electronics, as well as in military-technical production. A modern gasoline-powered car uses an average of 40 rare earth magnets.

The WLKM, developed by ZM Tarnów, belongs to a new generation of rapid-fire weapons specifically designed to combat the growing threat from UAVs. It is a four-barrel Gatling cannon chambered for 12.7×99 mm (.50 BMG) standard NATO, which is capable of continuous fire at a rate of up to 3,600 rounds per minute. According to the developer, this installation is great for dealing with swarms of drones and other low-flying targets.