Author: Michael

The Russian state run United Aircraft Corporation has begun work on the first flight prototype commissioned for the S-75 Checkmate fifth generation fighter program, according to the corporation’s CEO Vadim Badekha. Local sources report that the aircraft, which was unveiled in 2021, is expected to fly as early as 2027, which would still place it several years behind schedule. At the time of its unveiling, the aircraft was projected to be ready for service entry in 2026, indicating a first flight scheduled for 2023 or earlier.

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The Russian Navy on June 1 deployed the heavy nuclear-powered battlecruiser Admiral Nakhimov for the final phase of its sea trials, bringing a much stalled program that has lasted for close to 30 years to its final stage before the warship reenters frontline service. The Admiral Nakhimov is one of two Kirov class cruisers in service, and for the first time in 28 years began to set sail under its own power in August 2025. This followed the warship’s re-floating on July 25 that year.

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On May 8, Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan broke a grueling six-month stalemate by passing a landmark $25 billion defense budget, catching many observers off guard. The vote brought sudden end to an agonizing legislative deadlock that had pushed U.S.-Taiwanese relations to the edge. For months, long-simmering frustration in Washington over Taiwan’s defense trajectory has threatened to boil over, catalyzed by an unprecedented bipartisan open letter from U.S. senators, demanding that Taiwan authorize the pending defense packages.

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