Russia has developed many weapons development programs methodically. Source: people.com.cn. New weapon development direction Russia launched the first version of the “Russian Weapons Development Program” in 2010 and version 2.0 in 2017. It is planned that version 3.0 will be released by the end of this year. According to Russian media, this program mainly provides follow-up information on the development of weapons and equipment of the Russian army, and is considered a “indicator” for the development of weapons and equipment in the country. . The 2010 version of the “Program” indicates that the Russian military will prioritize the development of nuclear and air defense as well as anti-missile forces, as well as the development of communication command systems and situational awareness. advanced. Under the guidance of this concept, the modernization level of the nuclear forces of the Russian army has been significantly improved, in which the Yars intercontinental ballistic missile regiment has been reorganized, centered The air defense and anti-missile group with the core of the S-400 gradually became the main air defense force. In addition, by 2015 the Russian Army had built a modern command and control system. Version 2.0 of the “Program” revised and supplemented the content of the previous version, proposing to “accelerate the upgrade and transformation of nuclear deterrence” and “ensure that weapons development and equipment of the Russian army in the leading position in the world, and modernization of conventional weapons accounts for more than 70%”. Speaking at a Defense Ministry meeting at the end of 2020, Russian Defense Minister Shoigu said that the Russian military-industrial complex has completed more than 97% of the research, development and production tasks in the “Chapter” program”, all the armed services of Russia have basically completed the goal of weapons procurement. The Russian Ministry of Defense is currently conducting research and preparing to launch the official 3.0 “Program” later this year. Russian media revealed that Moscow has focused on cutting-edge technologies and new concept weapons to ensure that it has a dominant position in the high-tech sector. According to reports, Russia is actively preparing a new version of the “Program” and has listed advanced weapons as the focus of development, with the intention of laying a solid foundation for weapons development, respond to increasingly complex security challenges. Weapons of the future In the new version of the “Program”, Russia will continue to promote the development of nuclear and conventional weapons, while focusing on research into artificial intelligence, robotics, hypersonic weapons and weapons. attack based on new physics principles. As of 2020, the modernization rate of the Russian army’s conventional weapons has reached 70.3%, and the modernization of the nuclear forces has reached 86%. According to the plan, the Russian services will continue to promote the modernization of weapons and equipment at a rate of 2% to 3% annually. Currently, in Russia’s hypersonic arsenal, in addition to the Avangard and Kinzhal missiles that have been put into operation, the Poseidon unmanned rolling device and the Zircon hypersonic cruise missile have also entered the test phase. Russia’s “torpedo” Poseidon scared the whole world. Source: people.com.cn. In addition, Russia recently revealed plans to design light vehicles carrying hypersonic munitions, such as glide bombs, and has continuously developed asymmetrical strategic balancing measures. In the next 10 years, heavy drones represented by “Altius” and “Hunter” will become the mainstay of Russia’s aerospace forces. Many new electronic warfare systems will also become the core of Russia. According to Russian military experts, the new “Program” will introduce “plans for the development of weapons and equipment in the complex climate of the Arctic”. Many difficulties await Some analysts believe that the new Russian version of the “Program” is promising, but will face certain difficulties in the implementation process. On the one hand, the modern technology of the Russian army still has shortcomings, which will be difficult to make up for in the long run, on the other hand, the defense budget of the Russian army is decreasing year by year, which is not suitable for the “stability and ongoing financial support” is suggested in the “Program”. In addition, under the technological blockade of the West, Russia is still struggling to research avionics components, liquid crystal displays, stealth materials and large-scale drones. . In fact, many new weapons and equipment, including the T-14 tank and the Su-57 fighter jet, were short on funding, causing the production time to be continuously extended. In addition, due to the influence of the budget and other strategic plans of the Russian military, there have been many adjustments, such as the program to build a new aircraft carrier.

“The Air Force had a step back in progress with its supersonic missile program when the first test with a propulsion failed. The B-52H bomber took off on April 5 to launch the prototype AGM-183A, but the test bullet could not complete the launch procedure and was safely hung on the plane until it reached the Edwards base ” . Missile AGM-183A onboard B-52H aircraft. The test was to test the performance of the propulsion engine, as well as the detachability of the supersonic surfacing vehicle after the rocket engine stopped working. The warhead is designed to self-crumble shortly after being separated from the engine, helping to minimize the no-fly zone for ships and aircraft. The US Air Force has conducted seven test flights with the missile model AGM-183A to collect positioning data and flight parameters, test the ability to integrate missiles onto the B-52H launch platform and build procedures. commissioned for the first test shot. The AGM-183A hypersonic missile is also known as the “Aircraft Launched Rapid Reaction Weapon” (ARRW). This is one of the supersonic missile programs being developed for the US Air Force to close the gap in this field with Russian opponents. Especially according to the US Air Force’s statement, the AGM-183A possesses many advantages over the hypersonic missile Kinzhal of the Russian Air Force. The US side said that the parameters on Kinzhal of Russia are equivalent to the AGM-48 Skybolt (developed 60 years ago) of the US and far behind the current AGM-183A. The AGM-183A is superior to the Kh-47M2 Kinzhal in that it does not require the launcher to climb to very high altitudes and maintain Mach 2 as the Kinzhal’s speed and still easily reach design specifications. In particular, according to the US Department of Defense procurement advisor Will Roper, the AGM-183A has an impressive speed when it can reach a maximum of nearly Mach 20. It can be seen that the AGM-183A has a much faster speed than the Kinzhal when the Russian missile reaches just above Mach 10. Although not yet launched, but with the aforementioned parameters, the AGM-183A deserves to be considered a rival to Russia’s supersonic weapons today. But for the AGM-183A to enter service, it may take the Americans a long time. Meanwhile, Russia is ready to equip Kinzhal after successive trials of the weapon.

The Russian Ministry of Defense on April 16 released a video of a MiG-31 interceptor deployed to monitor and escort a US Air Force RC-135 strategic aircraft reconnaissance as it approached airspace. Russia in the Kamchatka region.

In the video, the MiG-31 flies at a fairly high speed, passing the nose of the RC-135 at a close distance. “After the foreign military aircraft turned to leave, the Russian fighters have returned to a safe base,” the Russian Ministry of Defense added.

The Russian side has said it will “not allow” any violation of the border to occur. The time of the encounter is unknown, but almost a week ago, on April 10, the Russian side also deployed a MiG-31 to chase away US RC-135 aircraft operating near the Russian border. Pacific.

MiG-31 fighter of the Russian army. Photo: Sputnik

The incident comes in the context of an escalating tensions between Russia and the US following rhetoric, as well as the West’s criticism of Moscow to increase its forces to press Ukraine.

The MiG-31, designated by NATO as Foxhound, has been in service with the Soviet army since 1982, seven years after its maiden flight in 1975. Despite its relatively high age, the MiG-31 is still a battle. fastest match in the world when reaching a maximum speed of Mach 2.83, about 3,000 km / h.

The MiG-31 is currently in service with the Russian Air Force and the Kazakh Air Force. This is the first fighter in the world equipped with a passive electronically scanned array radar (PESA), allowing 24 targets to be tracked and 6 targets simultaneously.

According to Sputnik, a squadron of four MiG-31s ​​can manage 800km2 of airspace, suitable for the vast Russian airspace. The MiG-31 is also an aircraft modified by Moscow to be equipped with the Kinzhal supersonic attack missile.