Russia’s top defense official—Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov—plans to observe the Russia-China military maneuvers up close and personal beginning Wednesday, according to the Russian News & Information Agency. Ivanov is scheduled to meet up with his Chinese counterpart, Col. Gen. Cao Gangchuan, as well as ministers from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
A yearslong effort to find an affordable way to turn cargo planes into strike platforms is now an official program with anticipated fielding in 2027.