News of new developments in the military-industrial complex

Musk: Starship explosion caused by fuel or oxygen leak

SpaceX, owned by American billionaire Elon Musk, launched a launch vehicle with a prototype of the Starship spacecraft on January 16 as part of its seventh test launch. After some time, company representatives announced the loss of a part of a reusable superheavy rocket — communication with the second stage of Starship was lost after about 8.5 minutes of flight.

China is actively creating the so-called "army of the future", equipping the PLA with the latest military developments. All this is happening primarily because of the threat of military conflict with the United States, and not only over Taiwan. Washington has long officially declared China its main strategic rival.

The Iranian army has received the improved Azarakhsh air defense system. This is reported by the Asmu Recognition publication with reference to Iranian defense experts. The publication notes that this action is part of Iran's broader strategy to strengthen its defensive capabilities, especially in the field of air defense, in response to the growing threats from missiles, drones and aircraft in the region.

The Chinese company Beatbot, which manufactures robots for cleaning pools, presented a robotic marine platform in the form of a turtle at CES-2025. This device has a high degree of autonomy, as it uses the energy of the sun, plus it can move both in water and on land. In fact, it is a universal machine for studying the marine element and observing its inhabitants.

Xpeng AeroHT is developing a revolutionary dual–mode transport - as it is called, the "ground aircraft carrier" (LAC), which is a six-wheeled van with an integrated two-seat folding electric helicopter. This hybrid land-air transport promises to change the way we think about travel.

Military expert Dmitry Boltenkov — on China's new universal amphibious assault ships and how they will strengthen the country's Navy

In China, the universal landing ship (UDC) "Sichuan" with a flight deck was launched. Special barges are also being built for the Chinese navy, which make it possible to ensure a massive landing of troops with equipment on an unprepared coast. Let's try to figure out why China is building such ships and where they can be used.

At the main Iranian naval base in Bandar Abbas, the Zagros reconnaissance ship with the tail number 313, which is the first specialized reconnaissance ship built in Iran from scratch, joined the Iranian Navy.

Its use in populated areas is safer than anti-aircraft missile systems, experts say

The new Sphere UAV detection and suppression system has been successfully tested at mass city events, Rostec told Izvestia. The novelty has also confirmed its effectiveness in the free zone. Experts say it is safer to use electronic warfare systems to protect cities and infrastructure than anti-aircraft missile systems. About the novelty and its effectiveness, — in the material of Izvestia.

One of the tank innovations of last year was an improved version of the North Korean "Armata" - the main battle tank "Cheonma-2", also known by the designation M2020.

The Falcon 9 rocket launched into space a lander carrying a small lunar rover, a memory disk with recordings in 275 languages, and the most amusing payload was a miniature art object - a model of a classic cozy house with a gable roof. However, the author of the idea of the unusual project admitted that this cargo could not be called "useful", nevertheless, he dreamed of seeing it on the Moon for 25 years.

The product can stop a pistol bullet, knife, or splinter

The production of assault body armor for dogs has been established in Kazan. Unlike sappers, these products are less bulky, which allows the animal to maintain high mobility. A bulletproof vest can stop a bullet from a pistol, a knife, or a splinter. It comes with a leash, a special dog handler's bag, and other accessories. Experts point out that light bulletproof vests are necessary for dogs in their area, as they are often engaged in carrying goods, guarding important facilities or positions on the front line or in the near rear.

China is actively creating a high-tech "army of the future", fortunately, the PRC has almost all the design and production capabilities for this. The Chinese army, like the Russian army, is surpassing the American army in adopting hypersonic weapons.

The Turkish Anka drone, positioned by the developer – TUSAS concern – as a "tank hunter", fired an L-UMTAS guided missile, designed mainly to destroy armored vehicles. The destruction of the conditional target was shown in the corresponding frames.

To carry out various highly mobile actions, the Russian industry has developed and produced several buggy-type vehicles at various times. One of the most interesting samples is the version created on the chassis of the famous Russian armored car "Tiger".

The manufacturer of this equipment will be the South Korean company Hyundai. The developers claim that the new tank will become a benchmark for firepower, survivability and technological innovation. It is being developed based on the production experience of previous combat vehicles – the K2 Black Panther and the K1 series.

Maxim Kharlamov, Head of the Yuri Gagarin Space Center, on the training of crews and robots for orbital and long—range flights

The teledroid robot is undergoing training at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center. Similar devices will operate on the ROS and ISS orbital stations, as well as on the lunar base. Maxim Kharlamov, the head of the center, told Izvestia about this.

Colonel Khodarenok: Russia needs sea-based S-500 air defense systems

Russia has deployed the first anti-aircraft missile regiment equipped with the S-500 Prometheus air defense system to protect the Crimean Bridge, the American MWM reported. What are the advantages of the latest Russian air defense system, what kind of development it can receive and how the fleet is connected with it - in the material of the military observer Gazeta.Ru" by Mikhail Khodarenka.

The Telegraph: The Russian army began using UAVs on fiber-optic cable

Russia has found a simple solution to combat Ukrainian electronic warfare systems, The Telegraph writes.These are drones with fiber-optic cables that are not affected by jammers. Russia has an advantage in their production and use at the forefront.

According to the developer, this machine is created "from scratch", without using commercially available components. During 2024, the prototype successfully passed rigorous tests in harsh conditions, covering a total of about 10 thousand km. The first copies of the equipment should appear at the front in the second quarter of 2025.

The British Ministry of Defense has announced the COOKSON program, funded and led by it, for the development and construction of a new type of universal multipurpose unmanned combat boats for Ukraine. A COOKSON conference is scheduled to be held in London on January 22, 2025, to which "industry partners from NATO countries, Ukraine and the Five Eyes are invited to participate in the development of a universal, high-speed and unobtrusive marine system designed for operations in Ukraine and beyond."