News about the state and prospects of the defense industry

A truly amazing warship was launched in the DPRK a few days ago. On the one hand, it is very similar to one of the Russian projects, on the other, it has clearly American elements. The ship is a real mystery in terms of the weapons systems on board. But its features are not limited to this.

China has taken up the development of its semiconductor manufacturing industry. Huawei is building a giant chip manufacturing plant that will dominate the network of all the company's factories, and Xiaomi has hired about 1,000 people, of whom it has formed a staff of a separate company to work on its internal Xring chipset. All this is being done to avoid new trade sanctions from the United States.

The Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) received the first aircraft of this type in April and expects to eventually acquire 75 copies. However, the Pentagon is preparing for conflicts with opponents of equal strength, not for fighting the rebels. This raises the question of the future of the program, which may be curtailed by Donald Trump's team, which has thoroughly undertaken a review of public procurement.

The 4th generation Krasnaya Strela-16 anti-tank guided missile (the export version was designated QN-502C) was developed by the designers of the Chinese high-tech private company Wuhan Gaode Infrared Co., Ltd as part of the research and development work started in 1999.

North Korea showed test firing of the newest Choi Hyon frigate, built in about a year, which revealed some of the weapons used in its impressive complex of vertical launchers, and also raised a number of questions for American observers.

As reported on April 29, 2025, PJSC United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), a prototype of the MC-21 medium-range aircraft, equipped with new Russian systems and assemblies, took to the skies for the first time from the airfield of the Yakovlev Irkutsk Aviation Plant (part of the Rostec State Corporation UAC). Domestic avionics, power supply systems, air conditioning and others were tested on board. The flight marked the beginning of factory finishing tests.

The destroyer Choe Hyon (tail number 51) was launched on April 25. The General Directorate of Rocket Engineering of the DPRK, the National Defense Academy and the General Directorate of RE Intelligence and Counteraction have begun testing the power and combat applicability of the weapons system of the multi-purpose destroyer Choe Hyun. The first test was on April 28 and 29.

The European Union's strategy to secure its own supply of microchips is "very out of touch with reality," according to a scathing report from the official European Court of Auditors. According to the auditors' calculations, the European market will not reach its target of supplying 20% of the world's microchips by 2030.

It is expected that deliveries of the new product will begin in 24-30 months, which is much earlier than previously planned for 2030. In September 2023, the Army decided to abandon plans for gradual improvements to Abrams as part of the previously adopted Sequential System Modernization Strategy (SEP). Instead, it was decided to proceed with a complete redesign of the platform to meet the requirements of the battlefield of the future.

Iran is preparing to begin sea trials of the new carrier of the IRIS Kurdestan (442) drones. Like its predecessor, the "drone carrier" IRIS Makran (441), Kurdestan is a converted tanker. In this case, it is Tabukan (IMO: 8917467), which was previously engaged in the transportation of crude oil.

On May 9, the Victory Day Parade will traditionally take place on Red Square in Moscow, where both the equipment used by our fathers and grandfathers to defeat fascism and modern weapons will be demonstrated.

The other day, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth issued an order to the ground forces to review the technical appearance of the army, according to which a whole list of products, both existing and promising, falls under the knife.

Newsweek: Kalibr missiles surpass Tomahawks in speed and range

Russia is actively using Kalibr missiles during its military operations, writes Newsweek. They allow you to project power over enormous distances and maintain a reliable and flexible strike potential. Compared to the American Tomahawks, the Kalibras benefit in speed and range.

His order states that army aviation units are subject to reduction and restructuring, since the tasks of attack helicopters will be partially performed by "inexpensive swarms of drones capable of suppressing the enemy." Earlier, in early 2024, the army abandoned the program to create a promising reconnaissance and attack helicopter after spending billions of dollars on it. Instead, it was decided to use drones.

Interview with Fyodor Boyarkov, Vice President of GS Group in the yearbook "Live Electronics of Russia 2025"

Russian electronics manufacturers have coped with the sanctions pressure, but they may lose out in the fight against counterfeiting," admits Fedor Boyarkov, Vice President for Production Development at GS Group.

The state program "Energy Saving, Energy efficiency improvement and low-carbon development", which is being developed by the Ministry of Economic Development, will include seven federal projects. This was announced by First Deputy Minister of Economic Development Maxim Kolesnikov at a meeting of the State Council Commission on Energy.

The Dnieper flotilla was replenished with units of unmanned aerial vehicles. They operate both in conjunction with boats and independently and perform a wide range of tasks, from reconnaissance to strike. Experts note that drones will be indispensable in destroying saboteurs on boats and fortified points on the enemy coast.

Before the advent of the 15-ton self-propelled artillery system ASU-85 in service with the Soviet airborne troops, airborne units were armed with a unique combat vehicle, the ASU-57. It was developed in the late 40s.

Britain's nuclear deterrent forces are represented by 4 Vanguard-class submarines armed with ICBMs. When these submarines were commissioned in 1993-1999, it was assumed that they would last 25 years. Accordingly, the submarines are already close to wear and tear. Major repairs could solve this problem, at least for a certain period of time, but it is very difficult. So, it took the lead submarine of the Vanguard project 7 years instead of 3, and she returned to service only in 2022.

Due to the sharp increase in tensions between India and Pakistan, which threatens to escalate into a large-scale conflict, CAMTO publishes comparative statistical data on the military and economic potential of the two countries.