Defence Notes
PREMIUM: Belarus retains close procurement ties with Russia
Moves to acquire extra multi-role fighters and helicopters reflect continued reliance on Russian materiel.
Air Warfare
PREMIUM: Bulgarian Frogfoots gain new lease of life
Overhauled and upgraded Su-25s should remain in Bulgarian Air Force service until 2028.
Land Warfare
PREMIUM: Serbia receives upgraded T-72s from Russia
Upgrade includes a third-generation thermal panoramic sight for the tank commander, a new ballistic computer, a new gun stabilising system and a 12.7mm RWS
Naval Warfare
PREMIUM: Russia strives to develop shipborne anti-air weapons
Developing and fielding shipborne anti-access/area denial systems has proven problematic
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Naval Warfare
Russian Navy gets its second Project 12700 MCMV
31st January 2019
The Russian Navy commissioned on 26 January its second Alexandrit-class MCM vessel under Project 12700. Named Ivan Antonov, it is set to serve with the ...
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Naval Warfare
Russian Navy to receive enhanced Il-38N derivative
29th January 2019
The Russian Navy has opted to upgrade its existing Il-38N maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare (ASW) aircraft to improve the fleet’s surface and sub-surface detection ...
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Land Warfare
Ukraine launches Vilkha rocket production
29th January 2019
Ukraine has begun the serial production of the new 300mm Vilkha (also known as Olkha) guided rocket launched by the Soviet-era 9K58 Smerch MLRS. This ...
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Land Warfare
Russian Coastal Forces take delivery of Khrizantema-S ATGMs
28th January 2019
Russian Navy’s Coastal Troops branch has begun taking on the 9K123 Khrizantema-S (AT-15 Springer) self-propelled anti-tank guided missiles (ATGM) systems. The Russian Navy plans to ...
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Unmanned Vehicles
Russia takes the first production-standard Uran-6 UGVs
25th January 2019
The Russian Land Force’s Engineer Troops branch has taken on strength the first production-standard Uran-6 UVS for mine clearance, including usage in urban conditions. According ...
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Naval Warfare
Romania puts troubled corvette programme on hold
24th January 2019
The Romanian MoD announced on 11 January that it has suspended efforts for the procurement of four new multirole corvettes, a key programme in the ...
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Defence Notes
Moscow to order more Su-57 and MiG-35 fighters
24th January 2019
The Russian MoD is set to place the first significant order for production-standard Su-57 fifth-generation fighters in 2020; however, this year the Russian Air and Space ...
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Defence Helicopter
Kazakhstan to begin Mi-8AMT and Mi-171 local assembly
23rd January 2019
Kazakhstan’s fledging aerospace and defence industry has received one of its largest ever deals, foreseeing the local assembly of Russian-made 13t helicopters for military and ...
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Training
ADECS 2019: Asia has taste for Russian and Chinese trainers
22nd January 2019
The Lao People’s Liberation Army Air Force received its first Yakovlev Yak-130 advanced jet trainer (AJT) from Russia on 20 December, and three more have ...
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Defence Helicopter
Serbia purchases Mi-35Ms and Mi-17V-5s
18th January 2019
Russia has received an order to supply seven Mi-35 and three Mi-17V-5 helicopters to Serbia, with delivery planned for completion in 2019. This agreement has ...
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Digital Battlespace
Russia bolsters its long-range EW capabilities
18th January 2019
The Russian MoD has reported the completion of the first deployment phase of a multi-level early warning (EW) radar network. The four newly-commissioned long-range radar ...
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Defence Notes
Russia starts production of a new-generation strategic bomber
17th January 2019
The first production works on the Russian PAK-DA new-generation strategic bomber programme are set to be given a go-ahead this year. According to the Russian military ...
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Unmanned Vehicles
Ukraine buys Turkish Bayraktar TB2 UAVs
16th January 2019
Ukraine has placed an order for Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 Male class UAV systems. This was revealed by the country’s president Petro Poroshenko on 12 January. ...
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Land Warfare
Russian T-14 Armata MBT completes factory testing effort
14th January 2019
The Russian Army’s new T-14 Armata MBT completed its factory testing in 2018, and is now set to begin the more comprehensive state testing effort ...
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Unmanned Vehicles
Russian military funds three advanced UAV systems
14th January 2019
The Russian MoD has accelerated its efforts to field three new long-endurance combat UAV systems, with the first of these slated for entering service in ...
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Naval Warfare
Russian Navy strengthens its littoral capabilities
11th January 2019
The Russian Navy commissioned two newly-built vessels for littoral operations at the end of 2018, the first being the lead Project 22800 Karakurt small missile ...
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Defence Helicopter
Ukraine returns to service EW helicopters
11th January 2019
The Ukrainian Air Force has returned to service two Soviet-era Mi-8 EW helicopters after a prolonged grounding. Both of these otherwise little-used machines, produced in ...
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Digital Battlespace
Russia to launch Sarmat ICBM production
10th January 2019
The Russian MoD is set to launch the RS-28 Sarmat super-heavy nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missile (IBCM) in 2021. The first regiment of the Strategic Missile ...
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Digital Battlespace
Russia deploys a combat laser system
9th January 2019
The Russian MoD has revealed that on 1 December 2018 the so-called combat-experimental alert duty deployed its first ground-based combat laser system. Known as the ...
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Land Warfare
Russia ready to field first S-350 surface-to-air missile
8th January 2019
The Russian military is set to take on its first Almaz-Antey S-350 Vityaz surface-to-air missile (SAM) system in 2019. The Russian MoD plans for the ...
