Browsing: Technology & Weapons

After the Defense Forces began effectively using anti-aircraft FPV drones to counter russian reconnaissance UAVs like the Zala and Orlan, the enemy started exploring ways to protect its drones. These anti-aircraft FPV drones have proven highly effective, downing hundreds of enemy UAVs. Eventually, the russians began developing countermeasures. Initially, they theorized whether FPV drone detectors or low-power electronic warfare systems could effectively defend against anti-aircraft FPV drones. A russian drone with Ukrainian Air Force insignia painted by the russians themselves Later, they started implementing these ideas in practice, such as installing rear-view cameras that, in theory, would allow operators to…

Ukraine’s air defense capabilities are at risk as the two SAMP/T batteries supplied by Italy and France near depletion of their Aster-30 missiles. Without additional munitions, these critical systems could soon become inoperable. Ukrainian government has been asking both nations for an urgent resupply, requesting at least fifty missiles to maintain defense operations. However, logistical and strategic challenges complicate the request. Italy’s missile stockpile is reportedly approaching a critical threshold, with remaining reserves earmarked for national security. France, on the other hand, is believed to have larger inventory, making it more viable source for additional supplies. On March 14, Rustem…

Operators of the Raid 413th Battalion of the Unmanned Systems Forces have intensified their destruction of russian military assets, delivering significant blows to enemy forces throughout February. The unit successfully eliminated four short-range air defense systems, including two Strela-10, one Osa, and one Tor. Russian armored units fared no better, losing four tanks and four armored vehicles to the Raid Battalion attacks. Additionally, four multiple launch rocket systems were neutralized. Among other notable russian losses were six artillery pieces, including modern Malva 2S43 152 mm self-propelled howitzer, 44 light and heavy vehicles, and 11 electronic warfare and signals intelligence systems.…

During one of the conferences in September 2022, former US Deputy Secretary of Defense Bill LaPlante said that when trying to deal with the supply chain for American arms manufacturers, the Pentagon initially thought that there were only 300 suppliers, but in fact there were three thousand of them. To understand a similar issue, the US Navy paid as much as $400 million in 2019 for analytics from Govini, and as a result, it turned out that 40% of this chain falls on China. This is stated in the publication War on the Rocks authored by Dr. Cristina Michienza, a…

Portugal had sent eight Aérospatiale SA 330 Puma helicopters to aid the Ukrainian Defense Forces in late 2024, the latest public release from the Portuguese Ministry of Defense confirms. The initial announcement came from the country’s Minister of National Defense, Nuno Melo. As reported by Publico, in January 2025, he retrospectively mentioned a provision of eight Puma helicopters to Ukraine, but the timeline wasn’t specified. The delivery of SA 330 Puma was part of a broader commitment by Lisbon to donate €221 million worth of military equipment to the Ukrainian forces, including Ka-32 helicopters, M113 armored vehicles, 105-millimeter howitzers, boats,…

The russian invasion army in Ukraine is actively using various types of buggy cars on the battlefield, either for assaults or non-combat missions, such as conducting rotations, delivering cargo, and similar. Since summer 2024, russia has deliberately adopted a course toward scaling up the use of buggies and ATVs and launched driving courses at military training centers. Reports by russian state media portray buggies as an indispensable means of transport on the battlefield, allowing the troops to effectively carry out missions in off-road conditions. The spread of the unconventional vehicles is also associated with the significant losses in other types…

After several years of work, Sikorsky, owned by Lockheed Martin, has finally developed and proven the operability of a new type of aircraft, the Rotor Blown Wing. Its main feature is the ability to fly horizontally, like an airplane, and also land and take off vertically without any mechanical changes to the configuration itself. That is, unlike tiltrotor aircraft, it does not need to rotate the propellers, an action that ordinarily requires a very complex torque transmission. According to Sikorsky, in January 2025, the new aircraft made 40 takeoffs and landings and 30 transitions between two flight modes, and also…

Fighters of the 93rd Separate Mechanized Brigade are employing ground drones to install the Egoza spiral engineering barriers in Donetsk region. This method enhances battlefield defenses while reducing risks to personnel. A video released by the Brigade on March 13 showcases the operation, highlighting how these barriers obstruct russian movement. “This is needed to hinder enemy equipment and infantry. It will be harder for the enemy to pass through a field covered with the Egoza barriers, they could get entangled in it, Ukrainian drone operator with the call sign Barik explained. The operators emphasize the growing role of ground-based robotic…

At the end of February 2025, the American company Teledyne FLIR announced that it had received a contract from the Bundeswehr to supply the German army with its Black Hornet 4 reconnaissance nano UAVs – the implementation of the concluded agreement will last two years. Some details about this agreement were published by the Zona Militar publication, which spoke with Nils Haagerund, Senior Director UAS – US Programs at Teledyne FLIR Defense. The Teledyne FLIR representative, among other things, also spoke about his vision of the future family of Black Hornet drones, which are also in service with the Ukrainian…

From 2024 onward, the U.S. Air Force has suspended the implementation of the NGF (Next Generation Fighter) 6th-gen fighter jet project, developed under broader NGAD (Next Generation Air Dominance) program. The decision was made to step back and scrutinize whether the concept is still viable. After speaking with several U.S. military officials, The War Zone has learned the results of this evaluation, particularly, if achieving air superiority will be critically important in future warfare. In short: yes, it will. During a discussion at a symposium held by the Air and Space Forces Association, the U.S. Air Force reached the conclusion…