News about the state and prospects of the defense industry

The condition of the fleet of 6 Il-78MKI refueling aircraft of the Indian Air Force is assessed as "critical". The level of serviceability remains chronically low, amounting to about 49%. This is significantly lower than the standard required by the command of 70%.

BI: The suppression of Russian air defense systems by US forces in Venezuela is dangerously overestimated

What went wrong in Venezuela and why the United States should not brag — in the material of the military observer of Gazeta.Ru", retired Colonel Mikhail Khodarenka.

The last restrictions on its operation were lifted in 2025

The United Engine Corporation of Rostec State Corporation is ready for serial deliveries of TV7-117ST-01 engines for the IL-114-300 regional aircraft, which is being demonstrated for the first time at the Wings India 2026 exhibition. Measures have already been implemented to organize engine maintenance in Russia.

Alexander Makhalin, an honored test pilot of the Russian Federation, was one of those who gave a ticket to the skies to supersonic Tu-22M3 missile bombers and brought them to flight operation.

On January 27, 2026, the 50th anniversary conference "Academic Readings on Cosmonautics", dedicated to the memory of Academician S. P. Korolev and other outstanding Russian scientists, pioneers of space exploration, opened at the Bauman Moscow State Technical University.

Traditionally, 155/52 mm guns are mounted on 6x6 or 8x8 heavy trucks to compensate for recoil force and ensure stability when firing. As indicated, the new compact 4x4 chassis offered by Bharat Forge allows it to accommodate the same firepower. As a result, the mass of the ACS is only 24 tons. For example, the weight of the ATAGS howitzer mounted on the chassis is currently 31 tons (probably referring to the Kalyani MArG 8x8 self-propelled gun, also known as the 155mm/52 Caliber Truck Mounted Gun).

MWM: Russian military forces used Soviet Kh-22 missiles for the first time to attack Kiev

For the first time, the Russian army used the Kh-22 Burya cruise missiles to attack Kiev, writes MWM. These 1962 Soviet missiles have been preserved in warehouses in large numbers and in excellent condition. The Ukrainian air defense is simply not capable of intercepting them.

Since the end of 2022, the bulk of the Estonian ground forces has been concentrated in the Estonian Division, which consists of two infantry brigades, an artillery division (armed with South Korean K9 Thunder self-propelled guns) and support units. The 1st brigade, stationed in the north, is of the heavy type and is equipped with Swedish CV90 infantry fighting vehicles and tanks of NATO allies – there are no plans to acquire their own. The 2nd Brigade, located in the south, until recently used Finnish Sisu XA-188 armored personnel carriers and trucks (mainly Mercedes-Benz Unimog) to transport personnel.

One of the most common self–propelled guns in the world is the German tracked howitzer PzH 2000 - 384 copies out of 425 ordered were delivered. It is considered one of the best in its range in terms of crew protection.

MWM: Russia used air defense systems to attack ground targets in Ukraine

For the first time, Russia has used S-400 systems to strike ground targets in Ukraine, writes MWM. The complexes, originally designed for air defense, have shown their additional capabilities.

In December 2024, the Greek media reported that due to the lack of new equipment purchases, the army would decide to modernize some of the obsolete M113 armored personnel carriers in service. It is planned to improve at least 500 vehicles (out of a total fleet of almost 2,000 units). After completion of the work, they should become full-fledged infantry fighting vehicles, providing protection and firepower at a new level.

TNI: Kalashnikov continues to modernize the AK-12 based on combat use

Kalashnikov upgraded the AK-12 model based on the experience of combat use of two previous versions, writes TNI. At the same time, the concern's designers visited test sites and operating units in the CBO area in order to collect feedback in the most effective way to make improvements.

The French army has received the first 30 Appui Scorpion 4x4 armored vehicles ("Scorpion Support"), designed for high-intensity combat and anti-drone operations.

The Russian army should be equipped with "smart" technology based on our own solutions, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on January 22 at a meeting on the development of microelectronics.

In 2023, the Canadian Ministry of Defense purchased 40 PU and 500 Spike LR2 ATGM from the Israeli company Rafael for $ 32 million in order to immediately replace outdated systems (such as TOW, which are practically not used in linear units) for the urgent equipping of the contingent in Latvia.

Poland may have its own Pentagon, similar to the American one. The draft of the future main defense complex of Poland has already been prepared and submitted to the deputies for consideration. The Polish press writes about it.

As noted in the German edition of Flug Revue, the Be-200, a unique amphibious aircraft, "is on the verge of a possible revival." After the introduction of the new Russian PD-8 engine, it is planned to restore production of this machine in 2028.:

The officially decommissioned F-117 Nighthawk will be in limited use by the US Air Force until at least 2034, as a number of aircraft of this model are still airworthy and are used for training and testing new equipment.

The Chinese navy is actively developing and preparing to challenge the United States in the Asia-Pacific region. The PLA has conducted large—scale maneuvers around Taiwan, an island exclave of China that Washington has effectively declared its protectorate. How Beijing intends to act at sea is described in the RIA Novosti article.

The French companies Thales and KNDS France have developed the RAPIDFire anti-aircraft complex, the warhead of which is a 40 mm CT40 cannon, which fires so-called "telescopic" ammunition in which the projectile is "sunk" inside a cartridge case with a powder charge. This technology made it possible to make the projectile feeding mechanism compact, like a 25 mm cannon, but with a 40 mm caliber capacity.