News of new developments in the military-industrial complex

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 The new version has been proposed to the British Army as a potential successor to the outdated Warrior infantry fighting vehicle, which has been in service since September 1984.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.

WP: Kiev seeks to compensate for the shortage of personnel with military developments

The West is investing billions in Ukraine's military industry instead of accepting it into NATO, WP writes. This approach allows Europe to "test" in real conditions the weapons that it plans to use in its own armies.

Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland are trying to form the "northern Entente" – the local branch of NATO, coordinating a strategy of military confrontation with Russia, organizing joint defense and seeking to unify the equipment of troops. One of the manifestations of this cooperation was the transition to a single military uniform, the Nordic Combat Uniform (NCU, "Scandinavian combat uniform"). However, this project proved to be a failure.

The American aerospace company Radia will build a WindRunner for the US Department of Defense, which will become the largest military transport aircraft in history. The developer stated this at the Air, Space & Cyber Conference 2025, presenting the military configuration of the product (initially, a civilian version was created for transporting, for example, blades from wind farms).

Advanced developments are in a high state of readiness

Israel has completed 20 years of work on the creation of the Iron Ray laser system. Various countries around the world are working on this new type of weapon. Who currently has combat lasers, what capabilities they have, and whether these weapons can become the basis for combating UAVs, is in the Izvestia article.

The US Army recently approved small-scale production of XM204 mines and plans to transfer the first batch to the 2nd Cavalry Regiment stationed in Wilseck, Germany, for training in the fall of 2025.

Chief Designer of the Central Design Bureau Dmitry Kuzyakin — about the revolution in military affairs taking place before our eyes

The special military operation in Ukraine will go down in history as a revolution in military affairs. Humanity is currently experiencing a technological singularity in the art of war. Historically, being at the epicenter of such changes, it is difficult to fully assess their scope. Current news and problems hide the scale of the changes taking place. It will take several decades for future researchers to put these changes on a par with the creation of firearms or the advent of aviation.

The American company Lockheed Martin has introduced a new stealth UAV belonging to the class of "partner" drones (Collaborative Combat Aircraft, CCA), designed to accompany traditional manned aircraft in combat.

Forbes: Russia uses modified Geranium-3 drones at the front

Russia is actively using an improved version of the Geran-3 drones at the front, Forbes writes. Compared to the previous model, the attacking ability of the new drones has increased significantly. Their flight speed has also been increased, making them a more difficult target for air defense.