Speaking at a Russian naval exhibition on July 16, a representative of BrahMos Aerospace stated that development was underway for the BrahMos-NG, an upgraded version of the BrahMos cruise missile. The new BrahMos will reportedly reach higher speeds—Mach 3.5 over its predecessor’s 2.8—and be smaller in diameter. It is planned to equip India’s Project 75...
On July 12, Turkey received the first elements of the S-400, a fourth-generation surface-to-air Russian missile system. Few recent weapon sales have been as geopolitically charged as this one. U.S. officials have threatened both military and economic sanctions should Turkey acquire the Russian system. The delivery comes after many years of negotiations for more advanced...
On July 1, the Swedish Armed Forces announced their plan to deploy an updated surface-to-air missile defense system on the island of Gotland amid heightened tensions with Russia. The new system will replace the mobile anti-aircraft guns the military previously used. Sweden has been bolstering its armed forces in the Baltic Sea region since Moscow’s...
On June 30, Russia began production of its new S-500 surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems. According to Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov, the S-500 will be delivered to troops in the next few years. Previously, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu stated that the systems would be delivered in 2020. Reports note that the S-500 system...
Russia has conducted the eighth test of its new anti-ballistic missile, according to a Ministry of Defense release on July 1. The test took place at the Sary Shagan test site in Kazakhstan. While the Ministry of Defense declined to name the missile, the weapon appeared to be a 53T6M, a replacement for the 53T6...
On June 27, the Russian Defense Ministry ordered a new delivery of 9M728 (SSC-7) cruise missiles for its Iskander-M launchers. According to reports, the Defense Ministry signed a contract to deliver 9M728 missiles at the sidelines of the ongoing Army-2019 forum. The 9M728 cruise missile has a claimed range of 490 km. Related Links: Russia’s...
On June 26, Russian defense industry insiders confirmed that construction for an early warning radar in Crimea would begin this year. The new radar, the Voronezh, would replace the older Dnepr system built in Sevastopol. After finalizing a contract in 2019, the unnamed sources stated that the radar would enter service in December 2020, contradicting...
On June 3, Russia fired a new interceptor missile at the Sary-Shagan test range as part of a series of trials, the last of which occurred in December 2018. In a press statement, the Russian Ministry of Defense stated that the launch was successful but declined to name the weapons system being tested. Prior official...
In their fourth “two-plus-two” dialogue, Japanese and Russian foreign and defense ministers failed to reach consensus over disputed island territories north of Japan. Both countries highlighted missile activity as a key issue. Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono stated that Russian missile exercises and aircraft deployments on the islands were “unacceptable,” while Russian Foreign Minister Sergei...
On May 28, Reuters reported that U.S. officials are considering suspending F-35 training for Turkish pilots as Turkey continues to move forward with its plans to purchase Russia’s S-400 and and missile defense system. The delivery of F-35 equipment to Turkey was previously halted in late March due to U.S. objection to the planned purchase....
