News about the state and prospects of the defense industry

On April 12, 2024, PJSC United Aircraft Corporation (part of Rostec State Corporation) announced that its Komsomolsk-on-Amur Gagarin Aviation Plant (KnAAZ) had manufactured and handed over to the Russian Ministry of Defense the first batch of new multifunctional Su-35S fighters this year. The aircraft underwent a cycle of ground and flight tests in various operating modes and flew from the KnAAZ airfield to their duty station.

The Russian Aerospace forces have a rich arsenal. Their strategic bombers deserve special attention, writes Asharq News. The editorial board of the publication tells in detail about these advanced aircraft, emphasizing their high efficiency and striking combat characteristics.

A system of UAV bases will be built along the coast of the Arctic Ocean

The waters of the Northern Sea Route and the coast of Kamchatka will be patrolled by drones — for this purpose, a system of UAV bases will be built there, a source told Izvestia in the Ministry of Defense. The devices of the Pacer and Outpost families will observe the Arctic latitudes. It is cheaper and more efficient than using manned aircraft, experts say.

Vladimir Artyakov, First Deputy Director General of Rostec State Corporation, spoke about the modernization of the Russian military-industrial complex, increasing production volumes and improving domestic weapons, taking into account the experience of their combat use. He acted as an expert in the program "60 minutes" on the TV channel "Russia 1".

Denis Manturov, Deputy Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation – Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation, Sergey Chemezov, General Director of Rostec State Corporation, and Vadim Badekha, General Director of Rostec United Engine Corporation, discussed the prospects of domestic aviation engine building during a working visit to the Salyut production complex.

Experts pointed to the growing problems of Ukraine in the field of air defense

In Kiev, they voiced their demands to the West for the transfer of Patriot air defense systems. Thus, Vladimir Zelensky requests 25 complexes, while Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba requests only seven. But even this number, as it turned out, is almost unattainable for the APU. Why is one of the most popular Western air defense systems in short supply and what does this mean for the enemy?

Numerous footage of the destruction of Ukrainian equipment, filmed by the Lancet kamikaze drone, made it one of the most famous types of weapons used during the military operation. The UAVs themselves have received the unofficial nickname "X" — because of the characteristic x-shaped shape of the wing. And the calculations of the Lancets began to be called ixologists. The Izvestia correspondent visited the positions of the operators of these drones and saw how they find and hit targets.

The ExoMars project has been in limbo for the past two years. On the one hand, the European Space Agency promised to find resources to reformat the Rosalind Franklin rover mission, because without Russian participation, the rover lost its landing platform. On the other hand, it takes a lot of money and time. Finally, ESA has decided on all the nuances and signed a contract to perform the necessary work. The mission has become noticeably more expensive and will be delayed for several more years.

Russia is rolling out a new heavy launch vehicle "Angara-A5"

Russia has launched a new heavy launch vehicle Angara-A5 from the Vostochny cosmodrome into space. This is the most important event in the Russian space industry in several decades. How does the new carrier differ from the legendary Proton, what tasks will the new Angara perform and what significance does it have for the whole country?

Like any universal platform, the MZKT-490100 became the ancestor of a whole family of special purpose vehicles, such as reconnaissance, medical, communications and electronic warfare vehicles, and many others.

How do mine clearance units work in the near rear

In the liberated territories of Donbass, mine clearance becomes a priority. Sapper groups are working in the near rear, which first clear the roads, and then carry out continuous demining of the area. The units of the engineering troops near Avdiivka are already receiving modern robotic mine clearance systems "Stalker 10" and "Scorpion". A correspondent of Izvestia observed their work, and also found out why the sappers did not like the Oscar-winning film "Lord of the Storm" about the work of their American colleagues.

In Japan, the first stage of the conversion of the Izumo-class helicopter carrier Kaga (DDH-184) into a light aircraft carrier has been completed, on which it is planned to place fifth-generation F-35B Lightning-2 fighters.

The second marine armament transport of the 20360M Vladimir Pyalov project was withdrawn from the boathouse of the Vimpel shipyard and put on an open slipway. This is reported by the press service of the Ministry of Defense.

MWM: the increase in Iskander production led to large losses of the APU

An increase in the production of missiles for the Iskander-M missile defense system allowed the Russian military to use these weapons more often and launch double strikes against the Armed Forces, writes MWM. As a result, the losses of Ukrainian forces on the frontline have increased significantly, the article notes.

The Rybinsk Shipyard Shipbuilding company launched the Haska-10 hovercraft onto the ice surface of the Rybinsk reservoir, thereby launching a full cycle of tests that will begin with mooring and end with delivery. This is reported by the press service of the Kalashnikov concern.

NASA has selected three private companies: Intuitive Machines, Lunar Outpost and Venturi Astrolab, which will compete for the right to build a lunar rover for the Artemis mission. There are special requirements for it — this is a new type of device that should work on the Moon for a long time. Therefore, $ 4.6 billion and 10 years were allocated for its creation.

The characteristics of modern UAVs make it possible to conduct reconnaissance and destroy targets not only tactically, but also at the operational level. In particular, its experience has shown how FPV drones are able to solve problems by completely isolating the front edge or even the entire battlefield.

The use of special structures that protect tanks and armored vehicles from kamikaze drone strikes has become a real trend in special military operations. The armed forces of the Russian Federation are increasingly using tanks and armored vehicles equipped with appropriate anti-drone protection, which military personnel among themselves nicknamed "mangals".

A number of Ukrainian sources have published footage of objective control taken with the help of a drone, which shows that during the assault on the settlement of Krasnogorovka in the occupied part of the DPR, the Russian army, in addition to other military equipment, used the so-called "turtle tank".

The pace gained by the Russian defense industry in 2023 made it possible to significantly increase the production of weapons and ammunition. Bekhan Ozdoev, industrial director of the cluster of conventional weapons, ammunition and special chemicals of the state corporation, spoke about the work on a new heavy flamethrower system, the development of ammunition capable of destroying American Abrams, among other things, and innovations in the fight against attack drones in an exclusive interview for TASS.