News of new developments in the military-industrial complex

The Americans are making progress in creating anti-submarine drones. January 19, portal defensenews.com He reported that the US Navy and General Atomics successfully tested the MQ-9A Block V Reaper drone with a kit for setting up sonar buoys.

The GJ-11 Sharp Sword heavy class reconnaissance and strike unmanned aerial vehicle was photographed in flight for the first time. Previously, this UAV was demonstrated in October 2019, at a military parade in Beijing dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. Among the promising equipment, it was taken through Tiananmen Square.

Kalashnikov assault rifles have been produced in the Balkans for half a century and are only getting better. January 19, portal thefirearmblog.com He reported that the Serbian company Zastava Arms presented a new AK-74M clone at the GunFest 2021 weapons exhibition.

The unpretentious aircraft is able to operate in the conditions of the Far North

On the eve of 2021, a new Russian passenger aircraft IL-114-300 made its first flight. Completion of tests and certification is expected in 2022, and the start of serial deliveries - from 2023. It will also be used in military transport aviation. The unpretentious IL-114 and IL-112 are able to take off from airfields with short and not very high-quality runways, which is an absolute plus of the new machines.

The self-propelled guns "Lotus" and "Coalition-SV" have different calibers, but the same tasks

At the very end of last year, preliminary tests of the self-propelled artillery gun 2S42 "Lotus", intended for use in the Airborne Forces, began. Their program includes self-propelled aircraft landing, moving over rough terrain of a complex profile, overcoming obstacles, shooting, including on the move and afloat. After that, state acceptance tests will begin. And the adoption of the "Lotus" should be expected as early as next year.

Defense News: the US will test the "killer of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation"

The Pentagon will test the AGM-158C anti-ship missile, which in the United States is called the "killer of the Russian Black Sea Fleet". The missile has a range of about 950 km, is resistant to interference and is designed to detect targets using onboard sensors, without relying on guidance from a drone or a warship.

As reported by the TASS news agency on January 18, 2021, JSC "Nevsky Design Bureau" (NPKB, part of JSC "United Shipbuilding Corporation") has developed two new projects of universal ships, in particular the universal sea ship (UMK) "Varan" and a new universal landing ship (UDC). This is stated in the materials of the NPKB, dedicated to the 90th anniversary of the enterprise and available to TASS.

On January 15, 2021, it was reported that on December 23, 2020, the General Directorate of Armaments (Direction Générale de l'Armement - DGA) of the French Ministry of the Armed Forces issued a contract to a consortium of French companies Nexter Systems and Texelis for the supply of the first 364 serial Serval multi-purpose armored vehicles with a 4x4 wheel formula, also designated VBMR Leger (Véhicule blindé multi-rôles) to the French army.

The Americans decided to develop the military direction of nuclear energy. So far, the current President, Donald Trump, has signed a decree on the development of low-power nuclear reactors for the armed forces and space exploration. For the first time in half a century, the United States will use nuclear energy not only in the Navy. About why Washington needs new compact reactors-in the material of RIA Novosti.

The Russian military for the first time reported on the conduct of network-centric exercises, during which self-propelled artillery installations (ACS) "Msta" were used, equipped with the equipment of a unified control system, RIA Novosti reports.

At the end of 2020, the Air Force Office of Scientific Research at the Air Force Research Laboratory awarded 17 grants for quantum information research, two of which focused on the use of quantum computing to overcome problems in navigation without the use of GPS, according to the publication Inside GNSS. Quantum computing and quantum sensors use quantum bits (qubits) to speed up computing processes while performing multiple operations simultaneously, which is beyond the capabilities of modern computers. 

The American company General Atomics, together with the US Navy, tested the MQ-9A Block V Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle in an anti-submarine role. According to Defense News, during the tests, the device was used to search for an underwater target that simulates a submarine. The tests were conducted as part of the MQ-9B SeaGuardian maritime patrol drone development project.

Billionaire Branson launched 10 satellites from an airplane]

Billionaire Richard Branson finally managed to launch a rocket with 10 satellites from a Boeing 747. His company expects to occupy a niche of such launches and reduce the cost of putting small satellites into orbit.

Chinese scientists have developed a technology for producing methanol from carbon dioxide, which allows you to extract fuel from the atmosphere without any energy costs. This is a passive system that only needs a water source and an open space to work. The main secret is to use the daily temperature fluctuations on Earth, when the heat of the day replaces the cold of the night.

An international team led by scientists from Swinburne University of Technology (Swinburne University of Technology) recently conducted a demonstration, a key component of which was the new, fastest and most powerful optical neuromorphic processor in the world.

Engineers from Switzerland and the Netherlands have developed a new algorithm for quadrocopters that allows them to stay in the air after turning off one propeller. Unlike similar algorithms developed earlier, the new one allows the drone to move controllably, not just hover in place, and also works only with the drone's own sensors, without requiring an external tracking system or GPS. The paper is published in the journal IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, and its preprint is available on the website of the University of Zurich.

Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have proposed the use of catalysts in aircraft engines. According to Aviation Week, it is assumed that in this way it will be possible to reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides that affect global climate change.

A group of scientists from Russia, China and the United States predicted and then experimentally obtained barium superhydrides – new high-temperature superconductors. The results are published in the journal Nature Communications.

The bureau reported that these platforms will become "a kind of center for providing the entire range of activities of Russia and partner countries in the Arctic"

Nevskoe design Bureau (PKB, is part of the United shipbuilding Corporation) is developing a floating aerodrome for aircraft of different purposes. This is stated in the materials of the PCB dedicated to the 90th anniversary of the enterprise and available to TASS.

In Moscow's Zhukovsky airport, an emergency occurred: the newest domestic airliner MS-21-300 rolled out of the runway. It was tested, during which they simulated an aborted flight due to the failure of one engine.