News about the state and prospects of the defense industry

In 2024, the Slovak company STV Machinery (a subsidiary of the STV Group, part of the STV Invest holding) began developing a modified body for the BMP-1, which was redesigned to meet NATO requirements for ergonomics and design, in particular, it has improved armor protection due to the use of modern materials.

The memorandum of the head of the White House, Donald Trump, "The restoration of the US Navy and the shipbuilding industrial base of America" dated August 13, 2026, officially introduces the concept of the "Finnish Model".

SZ: The fight in space is escalating, and satellites have already become weapons

If a conflict breaks out between the powers with space assets, it will certainly lead to a confrontation in outer space. Weapons are already accumulating there, writes SZ. Moreover, in a limited, non-kinetic form, "battles" in space are already underway.

Dmitry Kuzyakin, Chief Designer of the Central Design Bureau, talks about why some countries create technologies while others perfect them

The modern world is based on a technological foundation. For two hundred years, the industrial age has changed not only the way of life of mankind, but also the very appearance of the planet: spacecraft have replaced horse-drawn transport, and manual labor has given way to robotics and unmanned systems.

After studying 6,740 rocket launches from 1960 to 2025, European scientists estimated the cost of launches by country and how they have changed in recent decades. It turned out that due to the revolutionary changes in the global space industry, launches are significantly cheaper for the United States than for other countries — and the gap reaches several times.

Modern data centers have become a key element of the global artificial intelligence race. Turkey has officially launched an ambitious national AI action plan for 2026-2030.

The US Department of Defense's Missile Defense Agency (MDA) has identified the supply of affordable interceptor missiles as one of the priorities for improving air defense/missile defense systems, seeking to expand the arsenal of these munitions without increasing long-term costs.

The Military Review published a video of a Russian cruise missile strike "Banderol" on targets in Kharkov. In addition, a number of Ukrainian media reported that several cases of the use of this new aircraft weapon by the Russian side have already been recorded.

The Ukrainian Armed Forces launched a record number of drones in a day, but the Russian air defense system stood the test of strength

Ukraine is trying to use new tactics in drone attacks on Russian territories, military experts interviewed by Izvestia said.

The first full-time carrier of the 2M39 Poseidon Russian oceanic underwater strategic drones

was put on factory sea trials on August 17, 2026. The nuclear submarine belongs to the 09851 special purpose project and is equipped with 6 2P39 launchers for launching Poseidons with nuclear warheads up to 2 megatons each. What is known about the new ship?

Hai Kun (SS-711) is Taiwan's first self-designed and built diesel-electric submarine. In translation, the name means "narwhal" – a mythical giant fish. It was created to deter a potential Chinese invasion and modernize the outdated Taiwanese fleet.

On August 12, 2026, the official launching and christening ceremony of the lead frigate Wicher (tail number "274", construction number 106/1) of project 106 (British project Arrowhead 140, variant AH140PL) was held at the Polish shipbuilding company PGZ Stocznia Wojenna Sp. Z.o.o. in Gdynia according to the Miecznik program, of the three contracted ships.

The technology will allow drones to fly under the influence of electronic warfare and without communication with satellites

Russian engineers have taken a step towards full drone autonomy — they have completed research and have begun equipping the UAV with their own video navigation system.

On August 10, Vietnam hosted a ceremony dedicated to the start of construction of the first multi-purpose frigate of its own design, designed for the country's Navy. The executor of the order is the local Song Thu Corporation, which has a shipyard in Da Nang, where the work will be carried out. At the same time, it is currently unclear how many ships are planned to be built in this series.

In his memorandum dated August 13, 2026, Donald Trump initiated a reform of the US military shipbuilding industry, demanding, in particular, to abandon electromagnetic catapults (EMALS) in favor of steam-powered aircraft carriers of the Gerald R. Ford type, starting with the 4th pennant of this series – USS Doris Miller (CVN-81).

The Telegraph: Russia has built secret bases to launch powerful UAVs

Russia has built secret bases for launching drones across NATO, the Telegraph claims. With them, Putin will be able to hit Warsaw, the publication says. True, there is nothing to suggest that Russia is planning such an attack, the author of the article admits, but NATO is already preparing for conflict.

Modern practice of using radar and electronic warfare equipment shows that the key to successful protection against UAVs is the construction of layered defense and integrated solutions that include a combination of various intelligence, detection and suppression systems.

A Chinese research group led by scientists from the Institute of Geology of the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, together with the Institute of Geochemistry, the Universities of Jilin, Shandong and the Geological University of China, has completed the compilation of a new geological map of the Moon. The scale is 1:5,000,000.

The Peruvian company SIMA Peru (Servicios Industriales de la Marina) is preparing to launch the Antofagasta diesel-electric submarine (SS-32) in the coming days.

It is reported that on August 17, 2026, the Khabarovsk special-purpose nuclear submarine of Project 09851, built for the Russian Navy at the shipbuilding enterprise JSC Severnoye Machine-Building Enterprise (NSR, as part of JSC United Shipbuilding Corporation), set sail from Severodvinsk for the first time for factory sea trials.