Electronics and optics news

In the USA, it was decided to postpone the testing of inter-satellite laser communication, the project of which was named Blackjack. This is evidenced by the fact that the official representative of the research organization DARPA subordinate to the Pentagon could not name the exact date of the launch of two Telesat birds satellites into Earth orbit.

As reported by TSAMTO, in January in Lithuania, as part of a campaign called "Radarom", a fundraiser was initiated for the purchase of new Israeli-made multifunctional tactical radars for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The command of the Russian Armed Forces has decided to significantly increase the number of counter-battery warfare complexes "Penicillin" in the area of the special operation. There will now be twice as many of them here as before.

Specialists of the St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, with the direct support of engineers from other organizations, have developed a new and very promising technology for the production of flexible matrices for mobile electronics, which will serve for about 20 years. Moreover, they have three times more brightness than similar solutions used in modern folding smartphones.

Wired: Russia is building the world's most powerful laser installation

Russia is building the world's most powerful laser installation for testing nuclear weapons, writes Wired. The authors of the article note that the Tsar laser will help scientists simulate explosions and maintain the combat readiness of nuclear forces.

After the first "cautious" presentation of the new B-21 Raider strategic bomber at the end of 2022, the command of the US Air Force published two new images that allow you to get a more complete picture of it. Recall that by 2050, the B-21 should completely replace the outdated strategic bombers B-52, B-1 and B-2.

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, who is tipped for president of the Republic of Korea (South Korea) in 2027, said that South Korea should create nuclear weapons. To "contain North Korea," of course. So far, this is only the statement of a second-level politician who is not included in the circle of the country's top leaders. But it is significant and has a direct relation to the Russian special operation in Ukraine.

NATO countries retain a dominant position in the global arms market. And although Russia has secured the second place, located between the United States and France, Moscow's share in the market is steadily declining. What is the reason for such a reduction, how can Russia squeeze out competitors from NATO countries and why is it time for Moscow to think not only about arms exports, but also about imports?

Part of the equipment is already on the way

Sixteen radars were purchased by Lithuania for transfer to Ukraine with €14 million donated by the population and business representatives. This was announced to journalists on Tuesday by one of the organizers of the fundraising campaign, Jonas Ohmanas.

Rare earth metals are becoming increasingly important in the production of household, automotive and military equipment.

The US Army has announced that it has selected five companies to create prototypes as part of the second stage (INC 2) of the Future Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System (FTUAS) competition. This was announced at the end of February 2023 by the responsible project manager for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). The FTUAS program considers vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) vehicles and is considered the most important unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) program of the US Army.

The United States and its military allies are planning more than 110 major military exercises this year, which will involve the armed forces of more than 60 countries, and a number of other small events that will be held without wide publicity.

Rostec will more than one and a half times increase the enrollment of applicants under the program of targeted training of new generation engineers for the aircraft industry "Wings of Rostec". In 2023, the number of partner universities has grown to 15, while more than 500 students have the opportunity to get an in-depth engineering education and immerse themselves in the production environment thanks to employment at the largest enterprises of the Corporation.

The Russian military began using Murom-P long-range visual surveillance systems on the front line to monitor Ukrainian positions. This is reported by Ukrainian sources with reference to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

How the US is changing outdated aircraft to the fourth-generation F-15EX fighter

Military experts believe that the US Air Force should abandon the purchase of fourth-generation F-15EX fighters, which are considered analogues of Russian fifth-generation Su-57 combat aircraft. About what the F-15EX is and whether its purchase will be a strategic mistake - in the material of the military observer "Gazeta.Ru" by Mikhail Khodarenka.

Changes in the world arms markets in 2023

Despite the disruption of global supply chains and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, arms sales by companies from the SIPRI Top 100 rating are growing. The growth is observed for the seventh year in a row, in 2021 it amounted to 1.9% by 2020. In absolute terms, sales of military products by the largest companies in the industry amounted to $592 billion, according to a recent report by the Stockholm Institute.

During local conflicts in the Middle East and North Africa, Soviet heavy tracked vehicles were often modified to perform various combat missions. At the same time, tanks of the T-54/55 family were used, whose main armament, engineering vehicles like tank bridge-laying machines, as well as armored tow trucks, failed for various reasons.

If a war breaks out in the Asia-Pacific region between China and the United States over Taiwan, then its outcome will be decided not by an armed confrontation, but by a large-scale blockade of the island by China. Lonnie Henley, a former employee of the Pentagon's Defense Intelligence Directorate, writes about this.

According to the Hong Kong newspaper The South China Morning Post, an experimental duel took place in China between two unmanned aircraft, one of which was controlled by artificial intelligence, and the other by a remote operator. As a result, after just a minute and a half in a close-range battle, the AI won a landslide victory.

Scientists from the Russian Bauman Moscow State Technical University have made a proposal to place large data centers, as well as various kinds of supercomputers in outer space, which will significantly reduce the cost of electricity to ensure their operation. In addition, this solution will reduce the amount of carbon dioxide emissions on Earth.