News about the state and prospects of the defense industry

Poland laid down the first frigate of the 106 Miecznik project for the Polish Navy, the ceremony was held on January 31, 2024 at the PGZ shipyard (Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa) in Gdynia. Steel cutting for the frigate began in August last year. This is reported by the Polish press.

Special forces of the French Armed Forces may become the first users of the recently introduced FN EVOLYS light machine guns from the Belgian manufacturer FN Herstal. This follows from a message on a social network published on January 5, 2022 by the French partner of the manufacturer.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu inspected the Ural Transport Engineering Plant (Uraltransmash) in Yekaterinburg, where the first batch of new Coalition-SV artillery systems is being produced, the military department reported on Wednesday.

After the start of the special operation and the introduction by the West of many sanctions against the Russian Federation and Russian companies, as one of the retaliatory measures, the state Corporation for Space Activities Roscosmos almost completely curtailed cooperation with the American NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA).

The MiG-29 fighter was created as a counterweight to the American F-16 and gained the recognition and envy of the overseas military, writes TNI. He was so formidable that after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the United States acquired a batch of these fighters.

The Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, Army General Sergei Shoigu, inspected Uraltransmash JSC for the implementation of state plans for the production and repair of ACS "Msta-S", "Acacia", "Tulip", "Hyacinth", as well as "Coalition-SV".

The British Armed Forces, as part of the LMP (Land Mobility Program), plan to upgrade the fleet of light armored vehicles in the coming years.

The long-awaited news came from St. Petersburg: the Kronstadt submarine is being transferred to the Russian Navy. She is the first serial in the line of non-nuclear submarines built at Admiralty Shipyards according to the adjusted Lada project 677.

Small startups are cashing in on the untapped potential of the e-waste industry, earning up to $85,000 a day recycling old electronic circuit boards. Initiatives are likely to continue to expand: All over the world, abandoned printed circuit boards are predicted to contain precious metals worth 55-60 billion dollars, which are just waiting to be taken away.

FT: There are not enough qualified workers in Western military enterprises

Western arms companies are faced with a shortage of skilled workers, which does not allow for a sharp increase in production volumes, writes FT. It will take them at least two years to produce enough ammunition for Ukrainian soldiers to be as well supplied as Russian ones.

On January 26, 2024, a solemn ceremony of laying the sixth (fifth serial) universal nuclear icebreaker project 22220 (LK-60YA), named Leningrad (building number 05713), took place at JSC Baltiyskiy Zavod in St. Petersburg (as part of JSC United Shipbuilding Corporation - JSC USC).

Military support for Ukraine is costly for NATO countries and the rest of Kiev's allies who have joined the so-called Western Coalition. But the actual reincarnation of the arms race, which was stopped by the collapse of the Soviet Union and the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact bloc, led to a sharp increase in demand for weapons and ammunition.

Russian experts have created a camouflage suit for military personnel, which hides fighters from thermal imagers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU). About how the means of disguise developed and how they help in combat operations today — in the material of TASS.

Guardian: The West is a decade behind Russia in the development of the Arctic

It will take the West at least a decade to catch up with Russia in developing the Arctic, The Guardian reports. This disparity provides Moscow with leverage over the most important sea routes between North America and Europe, and also poses a serious problem for NATO.

In 2024, the military industry will produce more than 36 thousand units of equipment and 16.5 million weapons

Thanks to the increased capabilities of the industry, high-precision strikes on Ukrainian facilities will become commonplace this year, experts interviewed by Izvestia said.

Ten days ago, the Japanese Space agency's SLIM lander was able to land gently, but for some reason made it head down. As a result, its solar panels did not look at the Sun, which is why they did not receive enough energy to work, and the device did not communicate. However, as the sun changed its position, an unexpected thing happened: the device came to life.

Russian Helicopters Holding Company of Rostec State Corporation has sent another batch of Mi-8MTV-1 helicopters to operators as part of the execution of the contract with the State Transport Leasing Company (GTLC). 15 helicopters of the Kazan Helicopter Plant went to the regions of Russia. In total, the contractual obligations involve the supply of 86 Mi-8 helicopters in the interests of various airlines.

Iran, and now the Houthis in Yemen, have a wide range of weapons with which to strike ships. From traditional anti-ship missiles to the recently appeared anti-ship ballistic missiles and remotely operated kamikaze boats.

On the modern battlefield, towed artillery requires high tactical mobility and the ability to evade enemy attacks. Are there any prospects for this category of artillery systems? Peter Donaldson, a freelance military journalist, is looking for an answer to this question in his publication.

The Bundeswehr criticized the new G95A1 assault rifles, designed to replace the already outdated G36 in the German army. As stated in the report of the Accounting Chamber of the Federal Republic of Germany, the military is not satisfied with the accuracy of the new rifles. Bild writes about this.