The epidemic continued to influence most aspects of life in 2021, yet the defense sector did not slow down, but rather accelerated its speed. Leading nations continued to develop hypersonic weapons and gain markets, while new drones transformed the face of modern armed forces. This article discusses the year's key aviation innovations, hypersonic missile tests, and drones at shows and training grounds.
Hypersonic arms race
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| [Hypersonic missile] |
The acceleration of the hypersonic arms race was perhaps the most notable trend of the previous year. In 2021, Russia performed a series of Zircon hypersonic missile tests from submarines and surface ships. The completion of testing of a submarine carrier was announced in October. A missile fired from the Severodvinsk submarine hit a target in the White Sea. For international observers, Russian launches have become one of the most important subjects. Foreign newspapers, on the one hand, emphasized the risk presented by Russia's new weapon, while on the other hand, they sought defects in the classified weapon. In most documents, "Zircon" is referred to as the primary threat to the US Navy's aircraft carrier strike groups. A hypersonic missile, along with potential anti-aircraft missile systems, is also thought to be one of the instruments for constructing "umbrellas" that will protect the occupied Crimea and the Baltic Sea.
At the same time, the intensity of development of hypersonic weapons has intensified in the United States. The AGM-183A ARRW (Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon) hypersonic cruise missile with a guided warhead began testing in 2021. Three attempts to fire the rocket from the B-52H bomber were unsuccessful. The causes of the failures have yet to be determined, and US Air Force officials can only hope for an early restart of launches.
The United States made further progress in the installation of land-based hypersonic weapons in 2021. Long Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW) "Dark Eagle", an experienced battery of hypersonic missile weapons, was made available to American gunners in October. They detailed the system's capabilities even before the complex was deployed to troops in the United States. For example, Ryan McCarthy, Secretary of the United States Army, a civilian post in the United States Department of Defense, confirmed the great accuracy of the hypersonic glide unit, and defense media Popular Mechanics speculated that the LRHW missile would be able to reach targets in Moscow from London.
Against this backdrop, the tests in China and North Korea appear routine. For example, in China, a rocket was launched, which American experts ascribed to a hypersonic weapons test. China, on the other hand, has disputed that the testing is related to the military. Pyongyang did not dispute North Korea's hypersonic weapon testing, although several analysts questioned the North Korean industry's capacity to succeed in hypersonics. All of these incidents show that the speed of the arms race in the new sport is only going to pick up.
Leading nations are not just developing hypersonic weapons, but also measures to fight the new danger. Russian anti-aircraft and anti-missile defense units conducted drills in October. They rehearsed fighting cruise missiles, hypersonic targets, and stealth planes during the drills. On August 25, experts from the US Congressional Research Service released an updated study titled "Hypersonic Weapons: Background Information and Questions for Congress." It was mentioned that in the Ministry of Defense's fiscal year 2021, the US has requested $3.2 billion for the development of hypersonic weapons, with plans to expand spending by 18.8% next year. All of this suggests that the role of hypersonic weapons as a primary argument of power will only expand in the coming years.
Space War
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At the end of 2021, the biggest space scandal in history was on the verge of becoming a reality. On November 15, cosmonauts on the International Space Station (ISS) were offered a transfer to the Soyuz-19 spacecraft to avoid space debris. On the same day, the US State Department accused Russia of irresponsible anti-satellite weapon testing, which purportedly resulted in the appearance of deadly space debris.
The Russian Ministry of Defense later acknowledged that tests were conducted on November 15, as a consequence of which the inoperative Tselina-D satellite, which had been in orbit since 1982, was shot down.
Meanwhile, even before the Russian experiments, the ISS had to perform a move to avoid the wreckage of the Chinese satellite Fengyun-1C, which was shot down by the Chinese military in 2007. Furthermore, China was suspected of testing anti-satellite missiles in July. According to a US Space Force official, Beijing is testing a partly orbital bombardment system. In addition, in 2021, China tested a robotic device capable of deactivating satellites.
In 2021, the United States would have to settle for criticizing competitors' space weaponry. According to Breaking Defense sources, the United States is developing new anti-satellite missiles. The unidentified technology, which was intended to be unveiled in August, is thought to be capable of destroying spaceships using a microwave cannon, laser, or jammer. Actually, the technology was not displayed at the scheduled time, lending credence to the notion that the US was falling behind in the space arms race.
UAVs
The year 2021 showed new aspects of the usage of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). For the first time in history, the prototype of the American drone MQ-25 Stingray performed air refueling of the aircraft. The US Navy's fighter F / A-18F Super Hornet got around 150 kg of fuel. A prototype of the Boeing Loyal Wingman slave drone flew for the first time in March.
In addition, the greater focus on ground and air unmanned platforms can be recalled from the previous year. New drones were displayed at exhibits as well as training fields. The "West-2021" strategic exercises of Russia's and Belarus' armed forces are one example of this tendency. During the drills, the Pacer drones did surveillance and attacked targets with guided missiles, while the Forpost-R UAV dropped bombs on a ground target. Despite the fact that these are simply prototypes, they clearly present a vision of the near future, in which autonomous platforms will compete with manned vehicles.
It is also worth mentioning the advancements in the creation of heavy assault drones. The Russian Ministry of Defense inked a deal in February 2021 to acquire the first batch of heavy drones, Altius UAVs. The military department reported the first use of weaponry from a prospective unmanned platform this summer. At the end of the year, Russia released the deadly S-70 Okhotnik drone with a flat nozzle.
Meanwhile, Turkey has deployed the first heavy assault unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). Baykar, the company behind one of the most talked-about drones of 2020, has finished testing of the Akinci. The manufacturer believes that the hefty equipment will be capable of launching air-launched cruise missiles. Nonetheless, work on promising prototypes indicates that the distinction between attack aircraft and drones may become even more blurred in the near future.
The year 2021 has become a postponed revolution and the cornerstone for numerous potential technologies that might be operational shortly. Those drones that are being tested today will be required to refuel flights, secure critical infrastructure, and help troops in the near future.
Air Defence Technology
The Russian S-400 Triumph and S-500 Prometheus anti-aircraft missile systems were among the most popular in the previous year. While the former was more frequently referenced in the context of international affairs and the weapons market, the new S-500 drew the attention of specialists due to its features. The new system conducted successful live shooting in July.
During a meeting of the Military-Industrial Commission, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that the S-500 is one of Russia's weapons systems that outperforms its foreign rivals. Some international newspapers agreed, calling the technology a challenge to NATO and a menace to current stealth aircraft pilots. However, there was a silver lining: the promising American B-21 Raider bomber was declared invulnerable to S-500 missiles by the National Interest magazine.
Meanwhile, the United Kingdom has deployed the new Sky Saber air defense system. The new complex took the place of weaponry that had been in use since the 1970s. According to British reports, the Sky Saber can launch 24 missiles, each of which can hit a target the size of a tennis ball.
Arms business and politics
Weapons became a source of contention in 2021, affecting interstate ties. The US did not stop its efforts to persuade Turkey, which purchased Russian S-400 air defense systems, to upgrade. The US offered Erdogan an undisclosed option in exchange for his refusal to employ Russian air defense systems, but this had no effect. In September, the Turkish president revealed his desire to purchase additional S-400s.
Turkey was kicked out of the F-35 program in October 2019, sparking geopolitical instability in the region. As a result, the business that manufactures aircraft engines stated that Turkey's departure from the project will result in an increase in the cost of the Pratt & Whitney F135 power unit. At the same time, Turkey's loss of the F-35 sparked hope among the Russian expert community. Russian jets Su-35 and Su-57 were examined as alternatives to American planes. Nonetheless, Turkey continued to haggle with Washington about planes. In addition, Istanbul negotiated the purchase of US F-16 fighter jets.
Another argument, this time about weaponry, did not go so well. It was revealed in September that Washington, London, and Canberra had signed a defense deal. The AUKUS group, whose professed objective was to preserve Indo-Pacific interests, also had an impact on defense contracts. As part of the arrangement, Australia would get nuclear submarine-creation technology, allowing Canberra to withdraw from the agreement with the French business group.
Australia and France's biggest deal includes the building of 12 Attack class submarines. Skeptics in the United States considered AUKUS as a danger to their own naval forces. The Hudson Institute thought that building 12 submarines for Canberra would deprive the US shipyards of the potential to build boats for the US Navy. According to Defense News, the new balance of power would force China to acquire submarines from Russia in return for aircraft carriers. The potential has been dubbed the deal's "frightening legacy." However, neither Beijing nor Moscow appear to be in a rush to fill shipyards with reciprocal orders.
In this context, India and Russia's collaboration in the arms sector is hopeful. Countries inked contracts in December to produce over 600,000 AK-203 assault weapons. Machine manufacturing began at the Indo-Russian Rifles Private Limited joint venture in the city of Corva. Earlier this month, Indian Ambassador to Russia Bala Venkatesh Varma stated that Delhi will also buy MiG-29 and Su-30MKI jets, assault weapons, and T-90 tanks from Russia.
After the surprising survival from the deadly claws of COVID-19 pandemic, the year 2021 has been a phenomenal and far more profiting for defence industry despite the continuous threats of pandemic. Fueled by worldwide vaccination programmes further acceleration and survival of defence industry is under grievous threat posed by new COVID variants.