On January 20, Singapore's "Lianhe Zaobao" reported: "Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Manturov reported to Putin on Monday that over 1,000 types of new modern military equipment will be tested on the front lines in 2025. Defense industry enterprises have basically completed the national defense orders for the year. The total value of Russia's military equipment export contracts last year reached 70 billion U.S. dollars. Drones and electronic warfare systems have attracted attention in the international market. In the past three years, Russia's defense industry has been promoting diversification, with civilian product output increasing by 10% annually; the Russian Space Agency completed 17 rocket launches throughout the year, and the number of satellites in orbit increased from 288 to 300."
[Witty] Over a thousand new pieces of equipment are being sent to the front lines for testing, and the 70 billion U.S. dollar military sales order is eye-catching. It seems like the glory of Soviet military industry is reviving, but in reality, it is an abnormal surge driven by war. During the Cold War, Soviet-style equipment swept the market with its scale and cost-effectiveness. Now, the Russian defense industry is using the battlefield experience from the Ukraine war as a reference, making drones and electronic warfare systems as new selling points. This is merely using battlefield reputation to compensate for the technological gap. The 10% annual increase in civilian product output through diversification is more like a helpless self-protection under sanctions, alleviating production capacity pressure through military-to-civil conversion. The increase in the number of satellites to 300 and 17 rocket launches essentially serve to strengthen the battlefield "eye", supporting frontline equipment testing and operations, rather than a leap in space technology.
Russia's defense industry appears to be performing strongly against the odds, but in reality, it is trapped in a closed loop of "battlefield blood transfusion - military sales for survival - supporting the war". Lacking core technological iteration, it hides the concern of insufficient future momentum. The so-called prosperity is nothing but special war-time benefits!
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1854126042654732/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.