International defence
Defence news from around the world.
Iran launches missiles from disguised trucks to avoid detection (video)
Footage from Iran’s Fars News Agency shows a missile being raised and fired from an ordinary-looking truck. Mobile, disguised launchers make it much harder for Israel and the United States to find and destroy Iran’s missile sites in time.
Ukrainian Sting drone attacks Shahed drones (video)
Ukraine’s Sting interceptor drone is reported to stop 80 to 90 percent of the Shahed drones it targets. At around 2,000 dollars each, it is a fraction of the cost of air defence missiles.
Ukraine tests drone interceptor that captures enemy UAVs with a net
Ukraine is testing an interceptor drone that fires a net over Russian drones, tangling their propellers so they crash. Unlike a kamikaze drone, the interceptor can in theory return and be used again.
China develops inflatable decoy weapons with heat signatures to mislead enemy sensors (video)
China is developing inflatable decoys of tanks, missile launchers and air defence systems that also give off a realistic heat signature. They are meant to fool satellites, drones and infrared-guided weapons.
ASELSAN SHARK: compact short-range air defence system is being tested (video)
Turkish defence company ASELSAN is testing SHARK, a compact automated gun system designed to detect and shoot down mini and micro drones at short range.
ATMACA anti-ship missile launched from Turkish submarine via torpedo tube (video)
A Turkish submarine has launched an ATMACA anti-ship missile from a torpedo tube. The test shows that Turkey’s domestically developed missile can now also be fired from submarines.
Turkish tank technology: glass of milk shows stabilization while driving (video)
A Turkish video shows a glass of ayran balanced on a tank’s gun barrel while the vehicle drives over rough terrain, without spilling. The demonstration shows how modern turret stabilisation lets tanks fire accurately on the move.
B-21 Raider seen refueling mid-air: US stealth bomber nears operational phase (video)
New footage shows the US B-21 Raider stealth bomber refuelling in mid-air during a test flight. The Northrop Grumman bomber first flew in November 2023 and the US Air Force plans to buy at least one hundred.
Bullfrog: autonomous system shoots down drones at night
New test footage shows Allen Control Systems’ Bullfrog autonomously tracking and shooting down a drone at night. The system is designed as a last, short-range layer of defence against small drones.
Bullfrog anti-drone system: smart protection for tanks against cheap drones (video)
The US company Allen Control Systems has developed Bullfrog, a compact AI-driven turret with a .50-calibre gun that detects and shoots down drones at up to 1,500 metres. It can be fitted to tanks such as the M1 Abrams or used to protect critical infrastructure.
Chinese heavy-lift drone can carry up to 600 kilos (video)
New footage shows a Chinese heavy-lift drone carrying a load of about 600 kilograms on a cable. Drones like this are moving into a category traditionally filled by helicopters.
Fujian: China’s new super aircraft carrier marks a new era at sea (video)
China has commissioned the Fujian, its third aircraft carrier and the first with electromagnetic catapults. The conventionally powered ship displaces more than 80,000 tonnes and can launch stealth aircraft such as the J-35.
Unstoppable? Russia tests Poseidon nuclear super torpedo — and the world is asking: how do we stop it?
Russia has once again sent a signal to the world with the test of the Poseidon nuclear underwater drone. If this system really works, how can the West stop it?
‘Flying battery’ could dramatically extend drone flight time (video)
Researchers have developed a ‘flying battery’: a second drone that docks in mid-air and supplies power. In tests it extended a drone’s flight time by a factor of 4.7.
US forces take out Iranian boats in the Strait of Hormuz (video)
The United States is striking Iranian boats and other maritime assets to ease pressure on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, where much commercial traffic has come to a halt.
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Robotics Human-shaped robot practises on a computer, then lands seven throws in a row (video)
Apollo is a robot with a human-shaped body. In a Google test, it learned to throw bean bags through a hole in a wooden board, using a person’s throw as a starting point.
Robotics This Meta glasses model sees what you see — and responds to tiny finger movements (video)
AI answers in front of your eye, on-screen translation and control through small finger movements. Here is how Meta Ray-Ban Display and its wristband work.
Defence This Dutch radar spots drones while driving down the road (video)
Spotting a drone from a moving off-road vehicle is exactly what Robin Radar developed IRIS for. A compact rooftop radar scans all around, measures the height of objects and helps identify whether a bird or a drone is flying nearby.
Robotics Atlas lifts 30 kilograms and sees all around: what Boston Dynamics’ robot can do (video)
Strong arms, endlessly rotating joints and hands that sense contact: Atlas is full of clever engineering. Here is how Boston Dynamics wants its humanoid to work.
Robotics Chinese inventor flies a home-built hoverboard over a river (video)
Chinese maker Ayu shows an electric flying board with ten motors. According to the accompanying text, two smartphones and an AI coach help him learn to fly. What makes this experiment interesting for defence?
Robotics Will Nvidia become the Android of robots and self-driving cars? (video)
Nvidia supplies chips, AI models and software for robots and self-driving cars. Does that make it the Android of the physical world?