Footage of Russian servicemen training on Chinese-made Desertcross 1000-3 buggies, which we previously covered. Desertcross 1000-3 all-terrain vehicles weigh 1,050 kg and have a load capacity of 550 kg. Servicemen learn to ride all-terrain vehicles on difficult road sections, master first aid techniques, and evacuate the wounded.
The first footage of the launch of the Russian reconnaissance UAV "Merlin-VR" has been published. The drone "Merlin-VR" was developed by the Smolensk Research Institute of Modern Telecommunication Technologies, based on the UAV "Merlin-21BM". The UAV "Merlin-VR" is one of the largest UAVs of the Russian army, its wingspan reaches 5 meters. The UAV can fly in automatic and semi-automatic modes, the flight time is up to ten hours. The drone's payload is 6.5 kg, it is capable of carrying various reconnaissance equipment and adjusting artillery. The drone's camera operates in the visible and infrared ranges at a distance of up to 30 km. The UAV uses a hybrid engine and can rise to an altitude of up to 5 kilometers.
Russian long-range aviation received modernized aircraft. The modernized aircraft received improved navigation systems and modern on-board equipment in 2024. The main representative of Russian long-range aviation for many years has been the Tu-95MS, these are aircraft carriers of the Kh-55 and Kh-555 cruise missiles. In the 2010s, a program was launched in Russia to modernize Tu-95MS aircraft to the Tu-95MSM level. The Russian supersonic long-range bomber-missile carrier Tu-22M3 is also being modernized to the Tu-22M3M level. The Tu-22M3M received a new set of equipment and a modern cockpit, the aft artillery mount was replaced with an electronic warfare system, and the weapons system was radically updated. The Tu-22M3M can use the new Kh-32 cruise missiles and other weapons. Under the modernization program, the Kazan Aviation Plant plans to modernize 20 Tu-22M3 aircraft. In 2015, Russia began a program to resume production of the Tu-160 strategic bomber. The Russian Air Force has already received the first new Tu-160 strategic bombers over the past couple of years, and in December 2024 it was announced that long-range aviation would receive four Tu-160M aircraft in 2025.
