At the Drone Expo 2026 exhibition in Kazan, a Russian UAZ vehicle with protection against FPV drones and new armor was showcased. In addition to anti-drone spikes, the UAZ is also equipped with composite hardening armor. The same protective solutions as standard military body armor were used in the creation of the armor. Resin-based armor elements were embedded in a reinforcing base and applied to the vehicle. As explained by the managing partner of NPO Photopolymer, the resin polymerizes under ultraviolet light and rigidly holds its shape, allowing this armor to be applied to any surface. Tests have shown that the composite armor meets protection classes Br5 (against 7.62mm bullets) and C2 (against fragments). The material maintains its properties under extreme conditions.
At the Drone Expo 2026 exhibition in Kazan, the Russian corporate group Groza unveiled the new "Night Witch" hexacopter. The heavy-lift "Night Witch" drone is designed for aerial minelaying, bombing enemy positions, and delivering supplies to hard-to-reach areas. The drone has a maximum payload capacity of 15 kg, with which it can cover a distance of 7 km and fly for up to 20 minutes. With an optimal payload of 10 kg, the drone's performance improves: its operational range extends to 20 km, and its flight time increases to 45 minutes.
Search-and-rescue exercises were conducted by Russia's Pacific Fleet. The drills featured rare footage of the AS-40 deep-submergence vehicle docking with a submarine, as called for in the exercise plan. The AS-40 "Bester-1" (Project 18271) deep-submergence rescue vehicle was built at the Admiralty Shipyards in St. Petersburg in 2016. The AS-40 is air-transportable and can be deployed from various rescue vessels. It communicates with the mother ship via radio; if the radio fails, the "Bester" deploys a special cable overboard to transmit signals. The vehicle can rescue personnel from a distressed submarine using a "dry" transfer method via a special docking chamber. Constructed from titanium, the AS-40 can dive to depths of up to 750 meters and evacuate up to 22 people. Specifications for the AS-40 include a submerged displacement of 39.5 tons, an endurance of 3 days, a speed of 3 knots, an operating range of 11.5 nautical miles, and a crew of three.
