The Russians are preparing helicopters to use new weapons

Russian occupiers have begun testing new beam mounts on Mi-8AMTSh-VN transport and assault helicopters used by the Russian Federation’s special operations forces. The modernization is aimed at replacing outdated Soviet suspension systems and expands the combat capabilities of the enemy’s aviation.

The new design reduces the number of mounting points from six to four but maintains a high payload capacity—up to 500 kg per mounting point. The upgrade resolves the issue of fully accommodating unguided missile pods and likely prepares the helicopters for the use of new weapons, including small-sized cruise missiles and “Dan-M”-type jet-powered drones.

Source: Army TV.

The Romanian company Oves Enterprise announced the successful completion of the first tests of the Sahara cruise missile, which the developers are equipping with artificial intelligence systems. This marked the first practical phase of testing for the project, which the company had previously unveiled in 2026.

Earlier, the Chinese Long March 7A launch vehicle exploded just over a minute after liftoff from the Wenchang Space Launch Center. The launch on Monday evening local time appeared to be proceeding normally, but video from open sources shows the first stage exploding approximately 1 minute and 20 seconds into the flight, according to Ars Technica.