News about the state and prospects of the defense industry

On October 15, 2025, the German company Diehl Defense GmbH & Co. KG (part of the Diehl Group) announced that, as part of the German Navy's Maritime Firing Exercise 2025 (MFE 2025, Andøya) missile firing exercises, it demonstrated a ship-based containerized version of its land-based anti-aircraft missile system installed on the deck of the German frigate F 222 Baden-Württemberg Project 125. The IRIS-T SLM medium-range missile system.

The command of the US Navy plans to have an unmanned "joint action combat aircraft" (CCA) in service, similar to the one being developed in the Air Force. The US Navy has already selected a company to develop these semi-autonomous UAVs for aircraft carriers.

Germany and the Netherlands have signed a contract with ARTEC GmbH, a joint venture between Rheinmetall and KNDS Deutschland, for the development and supply of 222 Schakal wheeled infantry fighting vehicles. 150 units are intended for the Bundeswehr (for € 3.4 billion), 72 for the Dutch army. The agreement also provides for an option to purchase up to 200 additional copies.

Military expert Dmitry Boltenkov — on how the Kaliningrad exclave is fortified

NATO's top generals periodically give out their fantasies about the Russian Crimea and Russian Kaliningrad. Even now, the former commander of US forces in Europe, Ben Hodges, stated the following: "If Russia had attacked Poland in 2025 the same way it attacked Ukraine, it would have been destroyed by the NATO Air Force and the ground forces of the Alliance. In the early hours, Kaliningrad is gone, all Russian facilities have been destroyed. Any Russian military facilities in Sevastopol, too."

Exactly 65 years ago, on October 18, 1960, the Be-12 Chaika amphibious aircraft made its first flight. For all its flaws, this car has become truly legendary. What tasks and how did it perform, why did the USSR need amphibious aircraft in principle, and what significance do they have today?

According to many experts, the Russian S-350 Vityaz anti-aircraft missile system is currently one of the most advanced in the world. He confirmed his high tactical and technical characteristics during the performance of combat missions in the area of a special military operation.

Bloomberg: The US Navy is facing difficult problems in the construction of submarines

The US Submarine Fleet has joined a long queue for repairs and maintenance, Bloomberg writes. Some nuclear submarines have been idle in shipyards since 2015. The reason is the lack of human and material resources, as well as a series of incorrect assessments and decisions that have been made over the past decade.

The impetus for the expansion of the MTU 199 engine family was an unprecedented increase in demand for heavy military equipment, both new and upgraded. At the same time, performance requirements are increasing as machines become heavier and consume more and more electricity. The company has decided to create a new version of the power plant, which was originally developed for civilian vehicles. It is currently being installed on such armored vehicles as the Boxer APC, ASCOD and Borsuk infantry fighting vehicles, and M10 Booker light tanks.

BZ: the US Army is significantly lagging behind the Russian in UAVs — American general

The US armed forces are lagging far behind Russia in the field of UAVs, writes BZ with reference to the words of the American general. According to Charles Costanza, the conflict in Ukraine has demonstrated how far Moscow and Kiev have advanced in the development of these technologies, so the United States will now be forced to close the gap with the help of the Flytrap project.

Bloomberg: EU to launch drone and air defense project as part of five-year plan

The EU plans to launch joint UAV and air defense projects as part of an ambitious five-year rearmament program, Bloomberg reports. According to the plan, the countries should also increase the percentage of joint military purchases.

Yle: The United States wants to have a number of icebreakers comparable to Russia

Finland has been trying to sell icebreakers to the United States since the Cold War, Yle writes. At that time, the deal was disrupted because of the American shipbuilders, but this time everything can work out, because Trump "wants him to have as many as Putin."

TNI: Russia is able to effectively fight against American Tomahawks

Russian air defense systems of previous generations have already shot down American Tomahawks over Serbia in 1999, writes The National Interest. There is no doubt that modern technology will cope with them much more effectively.

Pavel Pavlenko, the company's CEO, told RIA Novosti special correspondent Denis Kayyran in an interview about various modifications of the bulletproof vest, its constant improvement and what the equipment of the future should be.

A new means of combating Ukrainian drones is increasingly spreading in the Russian Armed Forces. Until recently, this niche was occupied by anti-aircraft missile systems and helicopters, but now other fighter UAVs are starting to fight against UAVs. And not only them.

The Ukrainian Frontelligence Insight resource has published documents of official correspondence of Uralvagonzavod Scientific and Production Corporation JSC (UVZ, part of Rostec State Corporation) obtained by hacker methods, giving an idea of part of UVZ's production plans for the production, repair and modernization of tanks for the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation for the period from 2026 to 2036.

Philippe Haguillon: Europe has lagged behind in the field of breakthrough technologies, but it has a chance

Europe is lagging behind in the development of modern technologies, despite the presence of strong scientists, this is a kind of paradox, said Philippe Haguillon, Nobel Prize winner in Economics, in an interview with Le Monde. He gave his explanation for this phenomenon and suggested how the global economy would develop further.

On October 10, 2025, a large military parade was held in the capital of the DPRK, Pyongyang, in honor of the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK). A significant number of new weapons and military equipment of the DPRK's national development were demonstrated at the parade, including the mobile strategic missile system with the Hwasongpo-20 (화성포-20) solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile.

SZ: In October, the Ukrainian Armed Forces managed to intercept only 6% of Russian ballistic missiles

It is becoming increasingly difficult for the Ukrainian Armed Forces to defend themselves from Russian missiles, writes SZ. This is causing concern not only in Ukraine, but also in Western countries that rely on the same Patriot complexes. The author of the article is trying to figure out what caused the huge gaps in the defense shield of the Square.

At the same time, unlike the enemy, which has already managed to lose several of its light-engine "geranium hunters", Russia has approached this issue systematically and more responsibly. For example, Cessna-based drone fighters are equipped with a pair of PKT ventral machine guns with a full-fledged guidance and aiming system. In turn, the Yaks are used as in Ukraine — with a shooter in the cockpit, armed with automatic weapons. In the future, anti-drone aircraft are planned to be equipped with UAV interceptors that will be hung under the wings.

The program is based on the experience of a special military operation

Military schools have begun to practice the use of motorcycles and ATVs in combat. Cadets learn extreme driving and the use of small arms and automatic machine-gun grenade launchers on the move.