The HQ-9 (Hóng Qí-9) missile system serves as a central pillar of China’s land-based air defense capabilities. Developed by the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC) since the 1990s, it offers strategic performance on par with the American MIM-104 Patriot and Russia’s S-300/S-400 systems.
The Orbiter-5 drone, developed by Israel’s defense company Aeronautics, is a tactical unmanned aerial system designed for multi-purpose missions in complex combat environments. Equipped with satellite communication, it offers advanced capabilities beyond those of typical lightweight tactical drones and has played a significant role in military and security operations.
In May 2025, Iran’s Ministry of Defense unveiled the Qassem Basir, a solid-fuel ballistic missile with a range of 1,200 kilometers. Like other missiles bearing the “Basir” suffix (such as Nasr Basir and Zulfaqar Basir), this new system features an optical seeker, allowing it to independently guide itself during the terminal phase without relying on external navigation systems like GPS. This capability significantly enhances its precision, making it a true pinpoint strike weapon.
Iron Beam is a directed-energy defense system classified under high-energy laser (HEL) weapons, designed to intercept and destroy a wide range of short-range aerial threats including rockets, mortars, and drones. This system has been developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems in collaboration with the Israeli Ministry of Defense and Elbit Systems. Iron Beam introduces the concept of “unlimited firing” with an operational cost of just a few dollars per shot. It serves as a crucial complement to Israel’s multi-layered missile defense architecture, which has so far relied on more expensive systems such as Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and Arrow.
The Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk is a high-altitude, long-endurance (HALE) unmanned aerial vehicle designed for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions. Capable of operating in all weather conditions, day or night, it collects comprehensive data across vast geographic areas. Its primary role is to support combat forces in a wide range of operations, including emergency situations, wartime missions, and even disaster relief efforts. Join us in this article to explore the RQ-4 Global Hawk and its successor in greater detail.
The IAI Eitan drone—known in Hebrew as “Steadfast” within the Israeli Air Force and marketed internationally as the Heron TP—represents a shift from traditional tactical border surveillance toward projecting power deep into distant territories. This evolution marks a transition from the successful Heron-1 system, a medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) UAV, to the Eitan platform, which belongs to the high-altitude long-endurance (HALE) class. The deployment of such a drone by the Israeli Air Force reflects a longstanding strategic ambition by the Israeli regime to develop capabilities for conducting long-range, high-impact missions.
The Hermes 900 drone, known in the Israeli Air Force as Kochav (meaning “Star”), is a versatile system classified as a Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) UAV. It is one of the first Israeli drones that has been documented to carry combat payloads. Like other members of the Hermes drone family, it was developed by Elbit Systems.
Griffon Aerospace, a U.S.-based defense contractor, has unveiled its latest drone, the MQM-172 Arrowhead—a design that closely mirrors Iran’s Shahed-136 loitering munition. This isn’t the first American replica of the Shahed-136; months earlier, SpektreWorks introduced its own version under the name “LUCAS.”
Raytheon’s Multi-Spectral Targeting Systems (MTS) represent a suite of advanced technologies for modern Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) operations and precision targeting. These systems are employed by the U.S. military’s three branches, NATO members, and other U.S. allies. The MTS family—which includes models such as MTS-A, MTS-B, MTS-C, MS-110, and MS-177—has accumulated nearly four million hours of operational flight time to date.
Poland’s elite JW Formoza unit is currently testing unmanned surface vessels (USVs) developed by the American startup HavocAI. These trials aim to replicate Ukraine’s successful naval warfare tactics, which have been employed by the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU), the Defense Intelligence Directorate (GUR), and other military units against Russia.
Advanced tracking technologies used by the Israeli regime in military operations are capable of identifying individuals through walls. Equipment from the company Camero is especially utilized in the suppression of Palestinians and on the battlefield, illustrating how so-called humanitarian technologies are repurposed for military objectives.
GBU-57 is a US Air Force non-nuclear bunker-busting guided bomb. It’s designed to penetrate tough, buried targets and is the most powerful non-nuclear bunker-busting bomb in the US arsenal. Currently, it can only be launched from B-2 and B-52 bombers, and later from the B-21.
