According to Officer Anatoliy Matviychuk, Russia has made significant strides in the field of reverse engineering by successfully analyzing and understanding various NATO military equipment that they have captured.
According to Anatoliy Matviychuk, a Russian military intelligence officer, President Putin has reportedly expressed his intention to reverse-engineer advanced Western military equipment seized by Russian forces in Ukraine and subsequently recovered. Matviychuk claims that Moscow has achieved significant success in this endeavor.
Matviychuk, who serves as both a military intelligence officer and an analyst specializing in military history, emphasized the value of acquiring trophy devices from the battlefield. He stated that such devices provide valuable insights into design features and specific components, enabling Russian engineers to study and analyze them.
Citing the example of the Leopard tank, Matviychuk highlighted the Russian interest in studying the tank’s armor and fire control system, as well as the Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV) and its ammunition used in the 25mm cannon.
The obtained equipment undergoes meticulous examination by Russian military engineers. They carefully compare it with their own equipment and promptly provide methodological recommendations for countering it effectively on the battlefield.
Matviychuk further suggested that in the future, certain elements of the acquired equipment could even be integrated into Russian devices, potentially enhancing their capabilities.
According to Anatoliy Matviychuk, there is compelling evidence demonstrating the success of Russian forces in leveraging the analysis of captured NATO equipment, particularly in the realm of missiles.
Matviychuk specifically mentioned the effectiveness of reverse engineering HIMARS shells, which were previously able to evade Russian Pantsir air defense systems. However, through their analysis, Russian engineers identified the vulnerabilities of these shells, including their system frequencies and controls. As a result, their air defense systems have now been able to successfully neutralize HIMARS shells with remarkable efficiency.
Furthermore, Matviychuk highlighted the case of the Storm missile, known for its stealth capabilities. Reports from the Department of Defense indicate that approximately 90% of these missiles were intercepted and destroyed by Russian air defense systems.
In summary, Anatoliy Matviychuk revealed that the Russian forces have effectively utilized their analysis of captured NATO equipment, specifically in the missile domain. Their discoveries and subsequent adaptations have led to significant improvements in countering HIMARS shells and intercepting the stealthy Shadow Storm missiles.
In January, the Russian air defense forces confirmed that their Pantsir system had undergone significant enhancements, including the integration of new thermal imaging equipment and a software update. These improvements were specifically aimed at boosting the interception rate of HIMARS missiles.
The leader of Rostec, a prominent Russian technology group, emphasized the remarkable effectiveness of the upgraded Pantsir missile/gun systems against HIMARS missiles on the battlefield. In certain cases, these systems achieved a 100% success rate in countering the HIMARS attacks.
The leader of Rostec further highlighted the ongoing process of modernizing and improving weapons based on their combat usage. In response to the deployment of HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems by the enemy, experts from High Precision Systems upgraded the Pantsir system to effectively intercept these missiles.
Several instances were cited where Russian surface-to-air gun/missile systems successfully intercepted HIMARS missiles. Notably, there was a particular incident where all 12 missiles launched from a US HIMARS complex were shot down.
The primary challenge now lies in equipping a sufficient number of upgraded air defense systems along the 1,000-kilometer front line. This is crucial as Ukrainian forces have been utilizing Western-supplied equipment not only to target Russian military forces but also to attack civilian areas, particularly in the Donbass region.
