Russian forces claim capture of American missile system - implications discussed
On Monday, the Reuters agency reported that the Russian army had acquired an intact guidance system used in American ATACMS missiles, which are part of the Ukrainian military arsenal. Reuters refers to information from Russian media.
30 Jun 2024 | updated: 1 July 2024 15:01
Many of the reports from Russian media or officials are elements of propaganda. Such reports are part of the information war waged by the Russian Federation.
According to the reports, this device was allegedly recovered from one of these missiles, which the Russians had shot down.
The Reuters agency points to a video by the Russian propaganda agency RIA.
The video shows an unidentified weapons expert with his face covered by a balaclava. The expert claims to be examining the guidance system, taken from an ATACMS missile, likely shot down by Russian forces. However, Reuters emphasizes that it was unable to verify the origin of this video.
The video shows how the expert displays labels from the GPS guidance system. These labels suggest that the equipment comes from an American military depot in Alabama. The expert emphasizes that acquiring this device will allow them to understand how American missiles are controlled during flight.
"We can reconfigure our systems"
"We can reconfigure our surface-to-air missile systems that are supposed to shoot it down, and we can reconfigure and fine-tune our electronic warfare systems against this missile," said retired Russian Colonel Viktor Litovkin in an interview with the media.
If true, this information could have significant implications for military strategy. Such a guidance system could enable the Russian army to effectively adapt its missile defence systems to shoot down American missiles.