Global defence revenues surged to a record $679 billion in 2024, driven by the wars in Ukraine and Gaza and rising geopolitical tensions, according to new SIPRI data. The world’s 100 biggest arms makers saw sales grow 5.9 percent, with strong increases in Europe and steady dominance by U.S. firms. SpaceX entered the Top 100 for the first time, while China posted a rare decline due to procurement disruptions.
The Russian Defence Ministry has announced the launch of the nuclear-powered submarine Khabarovsk from the Sevmash shipyard in Severodvinsk, designed under Project 09851 and intended to carry advanced underwater weapons and unmanned systems. Designed by the Rubin Central Design Bureau, it is reportedly derived from the Borei-class ballistic missile submarine.
As NATO races to supply Ukraine before Trump takes office, Europe is struggling to touch two percent of its GDP on defence expenditure while Russia plans to spend more than 32 percent of its national budget on its military.
Swarm drones across domains hosted by motherships will be the future of naval operations according to a top official of Russia’s Rubin Design Bureau, which unveiled new uncrewed submersible concepts at the Army 2024 defence exhibition in Moscow in August.
Russia’s Rubin Design Bureau has developed the multi-mission, unmanned submersible for surveys, mapping, search and salvage operations, monitoring and sentry duties, with potentially indefinite endurance capabilities and expandable or customisable payloads depending on mission requirements.
Russia is planning to offer its new, reformed diesel-based Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) plant concept onboard the Amur 1650 for the Indian Navy’s Project 75(I) program for six new submarines.
United Shipbuilding Corporation design bureau Rubin is offering the Amur 1650 submarine with AIP in partnership with Larsen & Toubro for the Indian Navy’s P75(I) program for six submarines.
In line with the contract worth over $900 million, the Project 971 Shchuka-B (NATO: Akula II) class sub has been leased to India’s Navy for ten years. It will be renamed the INS Chakra. The ceremony took place in the Far Eastern Primorye Territory.
