Foreign tech found in Russian missiles despite sanctions
A report published by the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine indicates that the Russian Tornado-S missile system uses several foreign components. These components originate from various countries, including the United States, which has officially joined the sanctions against Moscow.
The Defense Express portal, which specializes in military topics, explains that the Russians use a dual gyroscope in these missiles, presumably to improve the accuracy of attacks. While one of these gyroscopes is produced by the Russian company Optolink, the analysis of the second led to conclusions that it is a mysterious foreign device with seals in Chinese.
Tornado-S rockets contain foreign components
Moreover, this mysterious device is part of a module using a microcontroller from the Swiss company STMicroelectronics. The Russian module, in turn, incorporates components from the United States (Analog Devices, National Semiconductor, Maxim Integrated), China (Panwoo Equipment Consulting, Mornsun), and the United Kingdom (Golledge Electronics).
Defense Express emphasizes that such findings "highlight the weaknesses in the supply chain, which is not adequately protected by sanctions and allows the Russians to integrate foreign technologies into their precision-guided munitions."
Another example of failing sanctions
This is not the first, but rather another similar example. In recent weeks, foreign components have been discovered in the latest modifications of Shahed-136 drones. At the end of last year, investigations revealed that Russians, despite sanctions, continue to operate Su-30SM and face no problems obtaining components for electronic warfare systems.
The Tornado-S system is one of the newer weapons in the Russian arsenal and is considered an equivalent of the American HIMARS. It is a modified BM-30 Smiercz rocket system adapted to launch projectiles with a caliber of 300 mm (approximately 26 feet long) at distances of up to 125 miles, with precision targeting within a few yards.
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