Daily digest, 24 October 2026

Priority 1. UAVs, counter-UAV, military AI and new technologies in conflicts

Ukraine and Russia: strikes on Moscow and its aviation hub

Balloons with drones closed all four Moscow airports for several hours

On October 23, Ukraine attacked Moscow with a combination of cheap UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) and balloons. The aim was not to hit individual targets but to paralyze the capital's aviation hub. Sheremetyevo, Vnukovo, Domodedovo and Zhukovsky suspended operations several times during the day. According to "Militarnyi", about 340 flights were affected source.

According to "Rybar", about fifty drones on weather balloons were launched toward Moscow via Bryansk Oblast. A significant share were dummies without warheads. Old Ukrainian UJ-22 drones reappeared, now serving to overload air defenses source. Debris of a small drone was found near Terminal D at Sheremetyevo, and passengers were evacuated source. The "IQ-kvartal" in "Moskva-Siti", housing the Ministry of Digital Development, the Ministry of Economic Development and the Ministry of Industry and Trade, was also evacuated.

The Russian specialist channel UAVDEV doubts that a balloon could carry an aircraft the size of the "Darts": mass and windage stand in the way. In its version, the fixed-wing drones were launched within up to 50 km of the airport from Russian territory. According to the same version, the balloons carry bombs, quadcopters or reflectors to drain air-defense resources source.

The day before, Vnukovo posted a procurement worth 18.3 million rubles for airfield restoration. The design scenario in it is a crater about 50 m in diameter and 10 m deep, with repairs carried out between flights. After the publicity, the procurement was withdrawn in order, in the press service's wording, to "reduce excessive attention" source. Signal: Russian airports are already writing direct runway hits into their technical specifications.

Satellite communications on the LoC (line of contact)

update Starlink/Starshield — restrictions not lifted: connection drops for drones faster than 160–180 km/h

Ukrainian military personnel do not confirm Trump's statement that Musk "put everything back as it was." Politico, citing morning tests on October 23, writes: the connection has sometimes improved, but at speeds above 160 km/h dropouts continue, and above 180 km/h it may be lost completely source.

A Radio Liberty source specified that the improvement was not observed everywhere and that the speed is still insufficient for intercepting Russian jet-powered drones source. The General Staff of the AFU acknowledged loss of connection "at certain speeds" source. Serhii Beskrestnov ("Flash") also does not register any lifting of restrictions source. Hence the practical conclusion: Ukrainian interceptors against jet-powered "Gerans", which fly at 300+ km/h, remain without their main control channel.

The Russian channel "Voennyi Obozrevatel" claims that Musk personally ordered Starshield to be restricted in response to strikes on Russian oil refineries. There is no confirmation of this.

EW (electronic warfare), communications and detection

"Flash": Russian "Shaheds" run on Chinese MESH modems, and Ukraine is lagging in this frequency race

A Ukrainian communications expert has for the first time described in detail how Russia maintains the control channel for "Shaheds" over Ukraine. He openly admits that the Ukrainian side is "lagging a little" source. The MESH modem (a mesh-network modem in which each node relays its neighbors' signal) appeared on strike and reconnaissance UAVs almost two years ago. Initially, all airframes had one band, one set of settings, one password and one encryption key.

For almost a year, Ukraine did not systematically suppress these modems. This changed only after jet-powered "Shahed" attacks on Kyiv. When jamming of the 1300–1500 MHz band began, Russia moved the airframes to 3200–3400 MHz. Now, according to "Flash", new combinations are tested daily: separated receive and transmit, multiple modems on board, beamforming antennas, ground relays, modems operating in turn or on a time schedule, decoy frequencies, handover of the airframe between ground stations, and increased power.

Separately, the author points out that Russian industry failed to cope with modem production. Solutions and algorithms for them are developed by Chinese engineers. An adjacent post reports that the modems' operating bandwidth was expanded from 200 to 400 MHz, i.e. doubled source. [TECH] the post contains the evolution of frequency bands and a full list of the opposing side's anti-jamming measures.

Ukrainian 6–8 GHz jamming generator: Russian channel published a teardown and software manual

UAVDEV showed the internal design of a Ukrainian 6–8 GHz jammer source. Along with the teardown, a manual was published for the MK PA&PS Control 2.24.1 software for the AU-60008000-05 generator made by "Antydron Ukraina", marked "for official use only" source. This means jamming is moving beyond the classic 2.4 and 5.8 GHz: FPV (first-person-view drone) video and control links are migrating up the spectrum, and EW is following.

[TECH] the document contains: +32 V power supply, control via RS485 or over the network (default 192.168.0.80, port 6666), configurable sweep start and stop frequencies (6000–6200 MHz in the example), time step with 4 ns resolution, thermal and VSWR protection, firmware PA-APP-3.0.4 and 3.0.5. For the Russian side this is a ready-made map of where and how Ukrainian jamming operates.

Ukrainian side is deploying serially produced mock-ups of Israeli RADA radars at the front

According to UAVDEV, after losing most of its expensive Israeli RADA radars, the Ukrainian side set up serial assembly of their mock-ups. After a pause, they have reappeared at the front source. A mock-up can be identified by its placement: a real radar would not be put in bushes with its antennas obstructed. This is a cheap way to expend Russian loitering munitions and anti-radiation weapons.

Counter-UAV

Ukrainian Mi-8 helicopter becomes a carrier of F7 "Litavr" anti-aircraft drones

Ukraine showed launches of F7 "Litavr" interceptor drones from a Mi-8/17 helicopter. The interceptor effectively gets a "first stage": it is lifted to altitude and brought to the engagement line, which partially compensates for its low speed. Up to six interceptors are visible on a single pylon source.

Russian channels note that the F7 is effective against piston-engine "Geran-2" and "Gerbera" drones, but useless against jet-powered "Gerans" and new small cruise missiles source. Against jet-powered targets Ukraine is bringing in aviation: Denmark has expedited the transfer of more than 50 thousand 20-mm rounds for F-16 onboard cannons. According to the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, pilots are already using them to intercept jet-powered strike drones source. That is about 100 full ammunition loads — a cannon instead of an air-to-air missile costing hundreds of thousands of dollars or more.

AFU corps air-defense regiment: remotely controlled interceptors, robotic turrets and the unsolved guided-bomb problem

The Russian center KTsPN translated a Ukrainian video about the first air-defense regiment within an army corps on the LoC source. Its main point is a shift in the economics of defense: a $15 thousand "Geran" cannot be shot down with a $100 thousand "Stinger", so the main tool is interceptor drones. SAM systems and MANPADS are reserved for use against aircraft.

The regiment is developing two lines. The first is interceptors whose operator is located far from the front. The second is robotic turrets on remote platforms against low and slow targets: "Molniyas", copters, reconnaissance drones. The commander admits that there is no scalable solution against guided aerial bombs (according to him, Russia uses up to 8000 per month).

Russian "private air defense" hires interceptor crews for 200–230 thousand rubles per month

The "Arkhangel" project is recruiting mobile fire groups (MOGs) of 16–30 people to protect enterprises in St. Petersburg and Leningrad Oblast, Tuapse, Krasnodar and Rostov-on-Don source. They operate interceptors of their own production. Business provides the funding; personnel are formally enrolled via BARS, the mobilization reserve or the MOG.

Pay consists of a salary at the enterprise, a governor's supplement of 50–70 thousand rubles and mobilization-reserve payments of 20–30 thousand rubles, plus a bonus for each target shot down. This shows what defending facilities against Ukrainian long-range drones costs Russian regions: protection falls on business, not only on the Ministry of Defense.

update SkyWiper Wall — Lithuanian Vytis Tech interceptor tested in Ukraine

Lithuanian company Vytis Tech tested an interceptor from its SkyWiper Wall system in Ukraine source. It is a small delta-wing aircraft with two electric motors. It reaches up to 300 km/h with a takeoff weight of up to 4 kg and a range of 25–30 km. The system combines a radar, an electro-optical station, EW and interceptors. The ground radar guides the drone to the target, and at 100–200 m the interceptor switches to an automatic attack using its own thermal imager.

Strike assets and new UAVs

update Geran-5 — according to Militarnyi, Russia is using two new derivative cruise missiles, and intends to push one of them to 900 km/h

According to Militarnyi, Russia has begun using two new small cruise missiles (SCMs), probably developed on the basis of the Geran-5 source. For one of them, the developers are seeking a speed of 900 km/h. This is the speed level of the classic Kh-101. Together with the "Banderol", "Dan-T" and "Filin", this reinforces the trend: the niche between a drone and an expensive cruise missile is being filled by a whole family.

update Lancet — about 100 launches by Russia's "Sparta" yielded only three hits

According to Militarnyi, the "Sparta" unit, by the admission of the Russian military themselves, fired about 100 Lancets over several months and hit only three targets source. This cost 300–500 million rubles. The assessment is based on a single episode and a single unit, but it diverges from the promotional picture presented by ZALA.

Ukrainian UGV "Yerikhon" from DevDroid — 500 kg payload and six types of communication channels

The UGV (unmanned ground vehicle) "Yerikhon" is designed to deliver ammunition to the front line source. It carries up to 500 kg at speeds of up to 14 km/h, with a range of up to 40 km. The key detail is the Droid Box control system with six types of channels, including LTE, Starlink and MESH. Against the backdrop of Starlink restrictions, multi-channel capability is becoming a mandatory requirement for ground robots.

UGVs are the main target of Russian FPVs in Donbas

Video compilations from the "Rubikon" center show how widespread Ukrainian ground robots have become. In one Donbas compilation of roughly a hundred targets hit, most of those in the first half of the video are UGVs, and in the second half "Baba Yaga" hexacopters source. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, for its part, maintains a separate column for Russian UGVs: 3011 units as of October 24, plus 6–8 per day. For both sides, the ground robot has become an expendable logistics asset.

update Slavik — Vyriy announced a price of about 4400 dollars and trials in seven units

The Ukrainian analogue of the DJI Mavic stays airborne for 1.5 hours, with a range of up to 30 km. 2K camera with 10x optical zoom; positioning is optical, without reliance on GPS. There is auto-return on loss of link and a warning about a drone nearby source. A kit consisting of the drone, battery and case costs about 4400 dollars. The aircraft has passed its first combat trials in seven units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and the company is preparing to scale up.

F-Drones' F-Captain midstrike appeared on DOT-Chain Defence and Brave1 Market for 4200 dollars

The Ukrainian system is supplied with a catapult and a ground station. Units can now order it themselves through the marketplaces source.

Ukrainian heavy hexacopter BANSHEE M22 carries up to 25 kg for mining and strikes

The aircraft was developed by the company "Modern Engineering Cooperation" source.

GNSS-free navigation (Global Navigation Satellite Systems)

British USV Kraken K3 Scout navigates by radar and maps without satellites

Voyant demonstrated to the UK Ministry of Defence navigation for the Kraken K3 Scout uncrewed surface vessel (USV) in the waters of the Solent source. The vessel determines its position by matching the radar picture of the coastline against preloaded reference maps, i.e., it uses correlation navigation. The method is unaffected by jamming of GPS, GLONASS and Galileo. For the Black Sea, with its dense EW, this is a directly applicable approach.

Middle East and other zones

Israeli IAI FIRE STORM 250 — a machine-gun quadcopter for close air support

IAI and the American division of SIG SAUER showed an APUS-family quadcopter with a takeoff weight of about 70 kg source. It carries a MICROLIGHT weapon module with a 6.8 mm M250 machine gun (the module weighs 24 kg) and 200 rounds. This is an attempt to transfer the task of a ground-attack aircraft or attack helicopter to a drone.

With this payload, the aircraft stays airborne for up to three hours. This is provided by a liquid-cooled multi-fuel ICE and a mechanical drive for variable-pitch propellers. The module itself detects and recognizes the target and aims, while the operator only authorizes fire. [TECH] in the post — the design of the power plant, the role of the M250's recoil reduction system, an analysis of vibration and windage issues. There are no customers yet; dispersion data have not been disclosed.

Iran unveiled the Arash-3 strike drone, ready for serial production

Compared to the Arash-2, the warhead has grown from 50 to 100–150 kg. AI guidance and more GPS-independent navigation systems have been added. A jet version has also been created source. The payloadUAV channel notes that the name "Arash-3" has not yet been confirmed, and the airframe shown has an ICE source.

Turkish STM showed a Geran clone called KUZGUN

The Shahed-type design is becoming a standard export class, now in a Turkish version as well source.

Taiwan

Taiwan is building its own UAV supply chain

Shield AI delivered the first V-BAT to the Taiwan Coast Guard; another 12 aircraft will be delivered together with partner AIDC source. Engine manufacturer REI, which began serial production in July 2026, plans electro-optical and IR payloads, as well as inertial navigation source.

Priority 2. Military innovations

The US has allocated an order for 60,000 strike drones following Gauntlet II

The Pentagon has moved from experimentation to serial procurement of cheap strike UAVs at strict prices and deadlines source. Neros received 8000 short-range drones and 6000 long-range ones, which is 23.3% of the procurement. Perennial Autonomy, the manufacturer of the Hornet, received 8000 long-range ones. There are nine suppliers in total; the boundary between the categories is 15 km.

A short-range drone costs 3500 dollars, a long-range one 4500; the munition is paid for separately at 3250. This is comparable to prices on the Ukrainian market. The minimum package is 27 thousand live and 9 thousand training charges. Every 20 airframes come with a set of control and communications equipment; at least 20% of the drones must operate at night. Half of the batch must be delivered within 2.5 months. For delays in the fifth through eighth month, payment is reduced by 20%.

In parallel, Taiwan's Thunder Tiger completed delivery to the US Department of Defense of 1520 Overkill FPVs for 7.6 million dollars, i.e., about 5000 dollars apiece source.

DARPA tested an autonomous reconnaissance-strike loop of UGVs and loitering munitions at Fort Knox

Under the RACER program, four UGVs controlled by Overland AI's OverDrive software moved across rough terrain without human involvement source. Three of them carried containers with Anduril loitering munitions. The swarm distributed tasks on its own; fire was authorized by an operator. The system is being built for conditions of electronic suppression; in December it will be handed over to the troops for trial operation.

update AGM-188A Rusty Dagger — Zone 5 showed a ground launch and named its production volume

The Block 40 variant received a solid-fuel booster for launch from the ground and from ships source. It is designed for a 45–113 kg warhead; air launch from pylons and from pallets has been retained. Less than three months passed from design to demonstration. Three plants — in California, Texas and Ohio — are to reach 2500+ missiles per year each by the end of 2027, for a total of over 7500. The ERAM program, under which the missile is being developed for Ukraine, is delayed: there is no data on delivery of the first batch, which was scheduled for October.

update Bars and Anthem — Germany is negotiating the purchase of thousands of cruise missiles

According to Bloomberg, Germany is discussing purchases from the American Covenant (the Anthem missile) and from the Ukrainian manufacturer of the Bars source. The reason is the long wait for Tomahawk and small stocks of Taurus. Denmark chose JSM for the F-35 and the ground-based Anthem. Anthem flies 1000 km with a 200 kg payload; Covenant is setting up assembly in Germany: 1000 missiles in 2027 and 5000 in the second year source.

US Army high-altitude balloons: document reveals the MDSS-1000 schematic

The commander of the multi-domain command "Europe," General Carpenter, described a plan to keep 200–300 balloons in the stratosphere simultaneously at altitudes of 18–24 km as a reserve in case satellites are degraded. A translation by KTsPN with infographics contains the Multi Domain Sensing System MDSS-1000 OV-1 schematic (a 2020 draft) source. In it, relay balloons are integrated into a common data network with ELINT, COMINT and MASINT nodes, and AI operates "at the point of collection." The document mentions the launch of the Icarus Apollo R stratospheric aircraft from a balloon during the Valiant Shield exercise and launches at Tehachapi in April 2026. The balloons are intended as carriers of loitering munitions against radars and ballistic missile launchers.

In brief

• The Republic of Korea and the US signed a letter of intent on autonomous wingmen. The firm agreement that had been expected did not materialize. Korea is preparing wingmen for the KF-21 source.

• Turkey, Qatar, Pakistan and Indonesia have created the "Badr" military-industrial alliance: joint R&D, localization and exports bypassing Western suppliers source.

• Kazakhstan is creating Unmanned Forces from 2027 as part of an army reform source.

• Ukraine's Sine Engineering is opening a communications and navigation R&D center in Finland; by the end of 2026 it will have up to 100 staff. A memorandum has been signed with Finland's Insta source.

• The Pentagon is creating a secret agency to slow down rivals' military programs, primarily China's: supply chain sabotage, cyberattacks, disinformation source.

Priority 3. Conflict around Ukraine: trends and signals

Deep strikes into Russia. Ukraine struck the Proton plant in Oryol, which produces electronics for the "Iskander-M" and "Pantsir," with Storm Shadow. The strike was carried out in daytime, as earlier against Kremniy-El and the Voronezh plant source. "Russkoye Oruzhiye" claims that the missiles (5–7 of them) were launched from Su-24Ms together with dozens of low-altitude drones to overload S-400 channels source. In parallel, a Federal Tax Service data center in Gorodets, Azot in Berezniki (at a distance of 1670 km) and, according to NASA FIRMS, the Taman substation were hit — after which Crimea was left without power.

Digital infrastructure has become a full-fledged target for both sides. According to Kommersant, three Yandex data centers with a combined capacity of about 115 MW have been knocked out; restoring the supercomputers under sanctions will take up to two years source. Ukraine's Prime Minister, for his part, stated that Russia attacked 10 data centers in September source.

Black Sea logistics. The bulk carrier KHORYV sank 24 km from Constanța. This month alone, at least seven cargo ships off the coasts of Romania and Bulgaria have been attacked by drones source. Bucharest proposes creating a NATO Black Sea battlegroup source. Russian strikes on the Ukrainian USV base in Vylkove point to efforts against the entire naval drone chain. A "Geran-4" fell in Moldova 100 m from houses; Chișinău is expelling a Russian diplomat.

Front and negotiations. The number of combat engagements in September fell by 24% source. The most active axis is Pokrovsk (32%). The pace of the Russian advance in October, as calculated by ShrikeNews, is about 1.2 km² per day versus 8.6 km² a year earlier. According to a White House statement, a local ceasefire in Oleshky for evacuation has been agreed with Melania Trump's mediation; there is no confirmation from the Russian Foreign Ministry yet source. A 270-for-270 exchange took place. Rada deputy Kozyr predicts that Russia will not make concessions until spring and will bet on winter strikes on the energy sector source. After overnight strikes, more than 500 thousand Ukrainians were left without power.

External background. The US warns of possible strikes on Iran as early as this weekend. Brent crude approached 118 dollars source.

What to watch

1. The Starlink/Starshield restriction in Ukraine concerns speed, not connectivity as a whole. It cuts off from the satellite link precisely the interceptors of jet-powered "Gerans." Against this background, demand is growing for multi-channel solutions, such as the Droid Box on the "Yerykhon," and for sovereign communications, the Finnish version of which will appear no earlier than 2028.
2. The invisible war over the "Shahed" control link is going in Russia's favor: Chinese MESH modems, the 400 MHz band, frequency hopping and relays. A Ukrainian expert publicly admits the lag.
3. Both sides are moving air defense onto cheap carriers: Ukrainian Mi-8s with F7s, a corps regiment with turrets, Russian private mobile fire groups funded by businesses. Against jet targets, Ukraine is left with gun-armed fighters.
4. Balloons have turned from a curiosity into a tool of economic warfare: dozens of balloons and decoys close Russia's largest aviation hub for hours, and Vnukovo is writing a runway crater into its technical specification.
5. The US has begun serial procurement of cheap strike drones at Ukrainian prices: 60 thousand airframes at 3500–4500 dollars each with tight deadlines.

What's new in UAVs and counter-UAV

• F7 "Lytavr" (Ukraine) — interceptor drones launched from Mi-8s, up to six on external mounts.

• SkyWiper Wall (Lithuania, Vytis Tech) — tested an interceptor at 300 km/h, weighing 4 kg, with a range of 25–30 km, with automatic attack at 100–200 m.

• "Arkhangel" (Russia) — private crews of 350 km/h interceptors guard enterprises.

• Generator AU-60008000-05 (Ukraine, "Antydron Ukraina") — a 6–8 GHz band jammer; software and connectors disclosed.

• RADA mock-ups (Ukraine) — decoy radars to divert strikes.

• "Yerykhon" (Ukraine, DevDroid) — a 500 kg UGV with six communication channels.

• "Slavik" (Ukraine, Vyriy) — about 4400 dollars, 1.5 hours of flight, optical navigation.

• F-Captain (Ukraine, F-Drones) — a mid-strike drone for 4200 dollars on marketplaces.

• BANSHEE M22 (Ukraine) — a 25 kg hexacopter for mine-laying.

• New cruise missiles based on the "Geran-5" (Russia) — target speed of 900 km/h.

• FIRE STORM 250 (Israel, IAI and SIG SAUER) — a machine-gun quadcopter, 3 hours of flight.

• Arash-3 (Iran) — 100–150 kg warhead, AI guidance, jet version.

• KUZGUN (Turkey, STM) — a "Geran" clone.

• Kraken K3 Scout with Voyant software (UK) — radar-based USV navigation without GNSS.

Military space and space-based data

Germany is creating space forces within the Luftwaffe and does not rule out physically destroying satellites. Strength — at least 1000 personnel; a separate unit will handle operational launches source. The Bundeswehr is developing offensive capabilities for various orbits, including geostationary. Ground stations and data links are also named as targets. The experimental GISMO platform is expected by the end of 2027; 35 billion euros have been allocated for space through 2030.

The Pentagon is moving beyond Earth orbit. The US Space Force plans to deliver the first system for the space between the Earth and the Moon by the end of 2029; Hegseth calls it the future battlefield source. DARPA, according to the channel, is launching the "Cattle Drive" project: autonomous solar-sail spacecraft capable of holding position for years without fuel source.

Finnish sovereign satellite communications for Ukraine — no earlier than 2028. The letter of intent between ICEYE, Nokia and Ukraine's Ministry of Defense now has a timeline: access to the system is expected no earlier than 2028 source. Until then, Ukraine remains dependent on Starlink.

[upd] Rassvet — "Bureau 1440" plans terminals on 500+ trains in 2027, but the satellites have not reached their design orbit. The 1440.ZEMLYA terminal is rated for speeds up to 400 km/h. However, not a single spacecraft has reached 800 km; some stopped at 500 km, several have been lost source.

Changes in data access. Open sources continue to reveal strike results almost in real time. NASA FIRMS (a thermal anomaly detector) confirmed the hit on the Taman substation, and NetBlocks showed near-zero internet traffic from Crimea source. TankerTrackers, using AIS (Automatic Identification System for ships) data, tracked three tankers carrying Russian diesel heading to the US. Itamilradar, using ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast for aircraft), recorded three NATO reconnaissance aircraft operating simultaneously over the Baltic. No new closures or restrictions on data access were noted over the past day.

Under the radar

• Manual for the Ukrainian jammer AU-60008000-05 marked "For Official Use" (DSK): power supply, protocol, sweep settings in the range around 6 GHz, and firmware. A ready-made basis for countering Ukrainian EW source.

• Frontera-ML: a free Android app with its own ML model turns a budget spectrum analyzer paired with a smartphone into a detector of UAV video transmitters. It recognizes analog video, DJI/Autel, Siyi/Skydroid and WFB-NG without internet source.

• Why DMR radios with AES256 still give away their owner: the group ID, station ID and even key ID are transmitted in the clear. This makes it possible to track movements, identify roles and inject disinformation with a spoofed ID source.

• BirriaSDR: a diagnostic mode of the MediaTek MT7921AU chip turns a cheap Wi-Fi 6 adapter into an SDR receiver (software-defined radio) covering 2156–2610 MHz with a stream of 40 million samples per second. This is a dual-use technology for cheap signals intelligence source.

• Modified "1001" firmware for DJI Neo, Neo 2 and Avata 2: according to its authors, it protects against GPS spoofing and unlocks three frequency bands source.

• Silynxcom's wearable AI-powered acoustic detector recognizes drones by sound, including fiber-optic FPV drones that emit no radio signal. It is still a prototype source.

• Satellite-free navigation for USVs by correlating the radar picture with a map (Voyant, Kraken K3 Scout) source.

And what about our Chinese comrades?

• The PLA has for the first time officially shown the Y-20B in a transport-tanker variant with underwing pods. Unlike the YY-20, the cargo hold remains free, and Chinese media call the aircraft a future platform for launching drone swarms source.

• In Guangzhou (about 150 m) and at Hudong-Zhonghua in Shanghai (over 200 m), ships with stern launch and recovery systems have been launched. They are presumably carriers for large unmanned underwater vehicles source.

• The 76th Group Army is practicing coordination between new 8×8 wheeled IFVs and drones in the Gobi source.

• China is preparing an export ban on 40 technologies, including AI models, agents and computing clusters source.

• According to the Euronaval 2026 report, in 2024–2025 China built 636 thousand t of warships versus 270 thousand t for the US: nine nuclear submarines and ten destroyers versus three and four source.

• According to "Militarnyi", Russia transferred to China documentation and materials for submarine testing, including after 2022 source.

External analysis

• Janes reports that BAE Systems has for the first time fired a production three-round APKWS launcher from the TRV-150 heavy drone and expects full readiness by the end of 2026. This is the Western counterpart of a trend visible on Telegram with the Mi-8 carrying F7: interception is moved onto an unmanned carrier source.

• The South Korean Cheongwang laser, together with a 30-kW mobile system, shot down three drones at a cost per shot of about 1.5 dollars. A new oscillator cut the engagement time for simple UAVs to 1–2 seconds. Against the backdrop of the Ukrainian formula "interceptor cheaper than the target," this is the next price threshold source.

• Defence-UA recalls the Russian 2S38 "Derivatsiya-PVO" SPAAG (57 mm, up to 6 km against UAVs), but there is no confirmation of its mass use. This cools Russian claims of "layered air defense" source.

• ICEYE is building assembly plants in Portugal (from November 2026), is considering Brazil, and is selling turnkey "sovereign" SAR reconnaissance (synthetic aperture radar imaging) in the Asia-Pacific. The same model underlies the Ukrainian project with Nokia, which means access to SAR data is spreading beyond the US source.

• Israel's IWI has delivered the Arbel system to Thailand: it turns a standard M4 into a counter-small-drone weapon by replacing the lower receiver. This is a cheap "last line of defense" that is still almost absent in the Russian-Ukrainian theater source.

• Warhound, a startup by the founders of Colossal and Anduril, has raised 200 million dollars for the genetic modification of service dogs with sensor gear from Anduril. The first clones are expected in 2027 source.

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