A warhead of dozens of kilograms: this is how Iran prepares for the possibility that Israel attacks

The world of unmanned vehicles occupies a central place in modern warfare, when drones are designed to intercept as UAVs. At the same time, the Chinese military industry is launching products in a field like no other, and Iran is trying to produce solutions that will allow it to better deal with the capabilities of the Israeli Air Force. And more, in the weekly defense industries corner.

China presents a model of the sixth generation plane – and a UAV with extraordinary capabilities

China took advantage of the air show in the city of Zhuhai to unveil the latest contender in Beijing’s sixth-generation aircraft program, the “White Emperor.” The presentation of the model is another expression of China’s relatively advanced position in the global competition for the development of the sixth generation fighter jets, which are expected to be different from what we have known until today.

Some prominent features that will characterize the sixth generation aircraft are complete stealth, as well as integration with unmanned aircraft, improved propulsion systems, advanced helmets, open architecture and advanced communication capabilities.

Beyond that, these planes, which will also be deadly in terms of carrying weapons, will be extremely fast. The development of the engines intended for these planes may bring them to a speed of about Mach 2.5-2.2. For the sake of comparison, F-35 planes, the most advanced that Israel has, reach a speed of Mach 1.6.

China’s giant drone, which breaks everything that is sold on the market

At the same air show, China unveiled a huge drone called “Jiu Tian” (Hebrew: “high sky”) that breaks everything that is sold in the world market – with a take-off weight of 10 tons. For the sake of comparison, the famous US attack drone In the MQ-9 Reaper, it has a takeoff weight of “only” less than six tons. The product was introduced by China’s aerospace industry.

The new device has various advanced systems, but the most significant feature is that it is a “hive”: it is able to launch swarms of UAVs at targets. Thus, the ranges of the devices are upgraded, and thus the quantity also increases the lethality and the difficulty of the enemy to deal with. This system arouses Enthusiasm in the local Chinese market, because to date they have produced at most the “Wing Long 3”, an attack UAV with a take-off weight of about six tons.

Iran is strengthening its air defense system

In the shadow of tensions with Israel, the Iranian military industry is developing the AD-40 air defense system, which is designed for medium ranges. After the Israeli attack that caused damage to the Ayatollah regime, the new system is designed to deal with various threats, such as planes, unmanned aerial vehicles and precision weapons. For years, Tehran worked to increase the local air defense system, but it failed in dealing with the Israeli Air Force – and the regime hopes that in the future they will be able to cope better.

An interesting issue regarding the new Iranian system is the interception mechanism. In Israel, the medium-range air defense system is the David Slingshot, which uses Hit to Kill. That is, metal hitting metal. In contrast, the short-range system, Iron Dome, explodes near the target to neutralize it. In the case of the AD-40, although it is a medium-range system, it will explode near the target with a warhead weighing approximately 74 kg – in an attempt to neutralize the threat.

Ukraine will receive an interception system against drones

Ukraine will receive, by the end of the year, the first systems manufactured by the Estonian company Frankenburg, for testing. These systems, which are considered to have low costs, use small missiles to intercept drones and other threats at low altitudes, up to 2 km. “Our goal is to help Ukraine in the war,” said Frankenburg’s CEO, Kosti Salem, after his meeting with the Ukrainian Deputy Minister of Defense, Anatoly Klochko. “The new missiles are low-cost.”

 

刚刚 Ukraine will receive test air defense missiles from the Estonian defense company Frankenburg Technologies, the Defense Ministry said.

These missiles are capable of shooting down targets at an altitude of up to 2 km and are designed primarily to counter UAVs. The first samples… pic.twitter.com/Q4uZaYevHH

– Slava just now (@Heroiam_Slava) November 8, 2024

This is another step in the strengthening of the security relationship between Ukraine and Estonia, which for its part wants to take advantage of the experience gained by Kyiv in the war against Russia – in favor of purchasing proven UAVs at low costs. Although it is not directly involved in the war, the regional arms race is giving its signals to Tallinn. Minister The Estonian defense minister, Hanno Fabkor, said in September that his country had purchased a total of 750 weapons in two years. 1 million euros (about 814 million dollars), more than the amount for 30 years. By 2028, Estonia plans to invest 3 billion euros (about 3.26 billion dollars) in the field.

Airbus launches an unmanned anti-submarine helicopter

The world’s defense companies take advantage of prestigious exhibitions to reveal their new measures. At the Euronaval exhibition, which deals with the maritime world, Airbus unveiled the unmanned helicopter VSR700, which is intended for submarine warfare (ASW). The new device is designed to be integrated into the framework of naval forces, and carries radar and weapons systems that allow it to both alert and neutralize enemy forces, if necessary.

The size of the unmanned helicopter is about a meter, its weight is about 30 kg, and it is launched at a time when the modern battlefield is full of unmanned means at sea: as BM (unmanned vessels) and as CBM (unmanned submarines). Beyond that, there are midget submarines that need to be identified, and in this context, the unmanned helicopter is expected to help, with the aim of facilitating the naval forces themselves are required to operate unmanned systems, there is an option to operate the VSR700 autonomously, when in any case, there is the possibility to activate it remotely.

North Korea’s aid to Russia is not limited to missiles and soldiers

The Russia-Ukraine war is unprecedented in various areas, starting with the scope of the use of UAVs, through the use of Iranian weapons on European soil, and up to the North Korean fighters that Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un sends as sheep to the slaughter, for Russian President Vladimir Putin. However, Pyongyang’s aid is not limited to soldiers or missiles, and recently many photos of guns have been circulating on social media North Koreans used by the Russian fighters, model “Type 73”.

North Korea itself began using the model in 1973, combining features of the Soviet PK machine gun and the Czechoslovakian Vz. As part of Kim Jong-un’s subversion and his desire to undermine the world order, these guns have already been discovered in several battlefields in the Middle East – and have now made their way to Ukraine as well. The use of these guns illustrates that although the Russian military industry is flourishing in the shadow of the war, it is having difficulty meeting the demands.