Russia admits to a shortage of heavy UAVs; China launches missile delivery ship.
President Putin admitted that Russia lacks heavy UAVs compared to Ukraine, while China is converting container ships into missile depots and India is testing the K-4 missile.
The global military equipment landscape is witnessing new developments as Russia openly acknowledges Ukraine's superiority in the field of heavy unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). At the same time, China and India are making significant strides in developing maritime strike platforms and nuclear deterrence capabilities.
Russia is working to overcome the shortage of heavy UAVs.
In the annual "Live Line" television program, President Vladimir Putin acknowledged that Ukraine currently surpasses Russia in the number of heavy UAVs. The Russian side often refers to these large devices of the opposing side as "Baba Yaga," a prime example being the Vampire UAV.
According to TASS news agency, Putin said that although Russia leads in the total number of drones on most front lines, there is still a significant shortage in the heavy UAV segment. The Russian Ministry of Defense is aware of this problem and is implementing remedial measures.
Currently, Russian defense companies are accelerating the development of new platforms. The Dronax company is testing heavy-duty transport UAVs with payloads of up to 100kg, such as the CHK-15SVO. These devices not only serve to transport logistics and ammunition but also have multi-tasking capabilities, integrating weapons such as the TM-62 anti-tank mine.
China converts civilian container ships into missile delivery vessels.
In Shanghai, military observers noted the arrival of the ZHONGDA 79, a 97-meter-long container ship that has been converted into a large-scale missile platform. The vessel is present at the Hudong-Zhonghua shipyard of the China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC).
The ZHONGDA 79 is equipped with 60 missile launchers disguised as standard containers. This configuration allows the ship to flexibly deploy various types of anti-ship, cruise, or anti-aircraft missiles. The ship's defense system includes a Type 1130 30mm gun, a Type 726 decoy launcher, and a modern active phased array radar. This model realizes the concept of an "arsenal ship" aimed at providing high firepower at low operating costs.
India strengthens its sea-based nuclear deterrence capabilities.
On December 25th, India reportedly successfully test-fired a K-4 ballistic missile from the nuclear submarine INS Arighaat in the Bay of Bengal. This is a significant step in completing the nation's nuclear deterrence triad.
The K-4 missile is a medium-to-long-range, solid-fuel submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) with a range of approximately 3,500 km. Compared to the earlier K-15 generation, the K-4 offers greater deterrence capability and increased survivability for submarines by eliminating the need for close approaches to enemy coastlines. The integration of the K-4 into INS Arighaat – the second nuclear submarine of the Arihant class – reinforces India's commitment to building a credible nuclear strike capability.
