Ukrainian decoys foil Russian attack on Western missile systems
The Russian military released a video purportedly showing the destruction of an M270 MLRS rocket launcher. This time, however, the Ukrainians were more cunning as they put up a rubber mock-up of the vehicle. We describe the capabilities of the real equipment.
The war in Ukraine continues with no end in sight. Despite the passage of time, the conflict remains intense, with military actions ongoing, bringing further destruction and suffering to the civilian population.
Ukraine has received a significant amount of Western military equipment, which is extremely valuable but also attracts the enemy’s attention. To minimize losses, Ukrainian soldiers use mock-ups designed to deceive the enemy and divert attention from real targets.
They outsmarted the Russians
The Russian military identified a Ukrainian M270 MLRS rocket launcher that had fired a salvo of GMLRS missiles. Observers lost visual contact with the equipment, but a few kilometres away, they discovered a firing position. The published video supposedly shows the destruction of the M270 MLRS launcher using an Iskander-M missile.
The video was mocked by weapons experts. The Ukrainians once again outsmarted the opponent and used a rubber mock-up of the launcher. A missile worth about $3 million was wasted on an imitation of the equipment.
Why are the Russians targeting the M270 MLRS launchers?
The M270 MLRS (Multiple Launch Rocket System) launchers were supplied by the United Kingdom and the United States. The launchers have turned the tide of the war and are therefore at the top of the Russian target list.
The M270 MLRS is a system of multi-launch rocket launchers that fires 227-mm surface-to-surface missiles. These powerful machines are mounted on a tracked chassis, and their history dates back to the 1980s.
One M270 MLRS launcher can carry 12 227-mm rockets, which is an impressive number. Alternatively, it can carry two MGM-140 ATACMS ballistic missiles, with a range of up to 300 kilometres. It is worth noting that these values are twice as great as those offered by the smaller and lighter wheeled M142 HIMARS systems.
These systems are incredibly effective, allowing for striking targets at a distance of up to 80 kilometres using GMLRS rockets. This distance can be increased to 150 kilometres by using the GMLRS-ER or GLSDB variant. In Ukraine, only GMLRS missiles in the M31A1/2 variant have been observed so far. These missiles are equipped with a 90-kilogram high-explosive fragmentation warhead, known as "unitary," and the M30A1 with the Alternative Warhead, which showers the area with tungsten fragments.
