News about the state and prospects of the defense industry

As reported by Ural Civil Aviation Plant JSC (UZGA), on the evening of February 22, 2026, at the Yekaterinburg (Aramil) airfield The third flight model of the LMS-901 Baikal light aircraft made its maiden flight, and the first to be equipped with a Russian VK-800SM turboprop engine, also developed by UZGA. This third flight prototype of the LMS-901 Baikal aircraft (serial number 0005, tail number "535") became the fifth prototype of the LMS-901 as a whole (taking into account two manufactured non-flying samples for static tests).

MWM: the flight range of the Su-34 fighter can increase to 8 thousand kilometers

The Su-34 holds the title of the longest-range tactical aircraft in the world and is significantly ahead of its Western counterparts.

Specialists of the National Liberation Army of China and engineers of the Chinese defense industry are closely monitoring the progress of the Special Military Operation of the Russian Armed Forces in Ukraine, tracking the practical capabilities of Russian weapons in real combat conditions.

The first Ukrainian Ukrspecsystems UK plant has started operating in Britain, which will produce unmanned aerial vehicles for the military. The former commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and now the Ambassador of Ukraine to the United Kingdom, Valery Zaluzhny, wrote about this in his telegram channel. We are talking about the production complex of Ukrspecsystems, specializing in the production of UAVs for the needs of the army.

Dongfeng-61 (DF-61) is a land–based solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) developed by the China Aerospace Scientific and Industrial Corporation. It was first presented at the Beijing parade on September 3, 2025. Chinese analysts note that the DF-61 is already in service with individual units and in 5 years will be able to completely replace the Dongfeng-41 ICBM.

The most expensive ship of the US Navy, the nuclear aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, has been sent to the shores of Iran and has lost its combat capability. As it turned out, the aircraft carrier has sewage problems — fountains are pouring out of the toilets, the ship urgently needs to be docked for repairs.

If last time it was a matter of hydrogen leakage, now there are difficulties with helium. Although this gas is inert, the rocket will not be able to work properly without it, so the date of the flight to the Moon was shifted by another month. Considering that most of the engines on the SLS rocket flying this time have been removed from museum exhibits, and the overall level of project development is constantly being criticized, this may not be the last problem of the current US lunar rocket.

Colonel Khodarenok named the main lessons of his four years

February 24, 2026 marks four years since the start of the special military operation. The lessons of the SVO are in the material of the military observer "Gazeta.Ru", retired Colonel Mikhail Khodarenka.

MWM: The Russian Federation was the first in the world to create an intercontinental fighter-bomber

The Russian Su-34 fighter-bomber is currently the longest-range tactical combat aircraft in the world. The journalists of the western portal Military Watch Magazine (MWM) write about this. So, according to them, it can be considered that the Russian Federation was the first in the world to create an intercontinental fighter-bomber.

Last week, photos circulated on social media that indicate that the Chinese Navy is making progress in developing a new large-caliber gun for surface ships. According to Naval News, the picture shows a Type-910 class auxiliary vessel moored at a shipyard in Liaonan, south of Dalian.

The experts summed up the interim results of their

The special operation in Ukraine has radically changed Russia: The country gained more sovereignty, more authority outside the West, more military capabilities, and the citizens truly rallied for the good of the country. What other interim results can be summed up now?

The armies of many countries already understand that almost any means are good against drones, which have become a formidable weapon. Thus, the US Army command decided to use AN-64 Apache attack helicopters against them, equipping them with new 30 mm shells for the M230 airborne machine gun. Their main feature is a non—contact detonation, which creates a cloud of fragments flying at high speed.

On February 22, 2026, the second flight model with a domestic VK-800SM engine and an AV-901 propeller joined the test program of the Russian light multipurpose aircraft LMS-901 Baikal. The aircraft with the tail number "535" with a number of improvements successfully completed its first flight at the airfield of the Ural Civil Aviation Plant.

Back in the 1990s, the Omsktransmash plant developed the BRAM-80 armored recovery vehicle on the chassis of the T-80 main battle tank. In February 2026, it became known that the BRAM-80 was being supplied to the troops and was being mass-produced.

What threat did the fighters face in their area

Drones have become the dominant factor on the battlefield. Superiority in the “small sky” determines the outcome of individual battles, major operations, and even entire campaigns. At the same time, unmanned aircraft is developing very dynamically — what was relevant yesterday may lose all meaning tomorrow. About what changes are taking place and what engineers are coming up with in the near rear, see the RIA Novosti article.

February 20 this year marked the 40th anniversary of the launch into space of the first ever multi-module space station. On February 21 of this year, in Moscow, at the VDNH, the Cosmonautics and Aviation Center hosted a lecture-meeting "Anniversary of the Mir Station: an Inside Look" dedicated to this event.

Spectator: in case of an attack, Britain will not be able to defend itself

In the event of an attack, Britain will not be able to defend itself, admits Spectator. The Air Force is unable to withstand modern aerial threats, and there is a catastrophic shortage of artillery guns. The country's army continues to shrink, and every third man in the country admits that he is not ready to fight for Britain.

Armored patrol vehicles (APMs) are the "workhorses" of the armed forces, performing a wide range of combat and security tasks. Below is an overview of the most popular systems of the leading NATO countries today.

The i Paper: The British Navy was on the verge of collapse

The British navy is on the verge of collapse, its combat power has sunk to its lowest level in recent centuries, writes The i Paper. Today, the UK will not even be able to provide for the country's defense.

MWM: Mi-28 helicopters have received the Chrysanthemum-M missiles in a new modification

Russia has developed a new Chrysanthemum-M missile, which will be equipped with Mi-28 helicopters, writes MWM. They play a key role in countering the armored vehicles of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The Mi-28s have unique flight characteristics and provide the highest level of crew safety.