Russia has allegedly obtained a key component of America’s highly-touted Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) being used in Ukraine.
State-owned RIA news agency recently published a video showing a weapons expert examining what was said to be an intact guidance and flight correction system from the US-manufactured weapon.
It claimed that the cutting-edge technology was obtained after Moscow’s forces shot down a long-range ATACMS missile fired from Ukrainian territory.
In the video, the unidentified weapons expert showed the label on the back of the alleged GPS guidance system, which indicated that it came from a US Army store in Alabama.
He said that the seized ATACMS component will allow Russia to study how the missiles are controlled mid-flight.
Identifying Weak Spots
Retired Russian Army officer and military analyst Viktor Litovkin said reverse-engineering the alleged ATACMS component could allow Russia to identify the weapon’s weaknesses.
This could also provide the invading forces with enough data to develop an effective countermeasure.
At the end of the analysis, Litovkin disclosed that Russian scientists may be expected to issue recommendations on improving the country’s missile defense systems or its jamming capabilities.
“The military will use this information to attack these missiles and the launchers that fire these missiles. It is possible that after studying this missile, [Russia] would be able to discover the launch areas and location of these missiles faster,” he added.
‘No Longer a Secret’
The US has provided Ukraine with ATACMS to strike Russian facilities and troop concentrations hundreds of miles away from the frontline.
The decision was not easy, as Washington had long been reluctant to provide Kyiv with sophisticated long-range weapons over concerns that they could be used to target deep into Russia or that the invading forces could capture and reverse-engineer them.
But with Moscow’s recent claim, Litovkin said the European nation may be sending a strong message that Western military technology “is no longer a secret for us.”
“We have shown everyone that we have found an ‘antidote’ to the most vaunted and promoted Western types of military equipment, and we are using it effectively,” he stated.