Russia captured intact missiles to attack Syria, is the US worried?
Russian experts say they don't need to copy US missile technology but need something more important.
 |
| US fires Tomahawk from submarine. |
On April 14, the US and its allies suddenly launched 100 cruise missiles at multiple targets in Syria. This was considered a "warning" move after the Syrian government was accused of using chemical weapons against civilians.
The Russian military said two-thirds of the missiles were shot down and only a few hit their targets, while the US side said all the missiles hit their targets. Viktor Murakhovsky, a member of the Advisory Council of the Russian Military-Industrial Commission, said some missiles failed to explode when they entered Syrian territory and were handed over to the Russian military.
“Finding this missile is very important for Russia. Russian specialists do not copy this design because we have our own development strategy. However, it is very necessary for us to know how far the West is progressing. This information is also very necessary to adjust the defense system.”
 |
| Tomahawk missiles fly at subsonic speeds. |
PressTV news site said the captured missiles could not be determined to be American, British or French. However, it is highly likely that these were two American missiles, as Britain and France only fired about 20.
“The research into this modern missile is really useful for air defense and electronic warfare systems,” Viktor said. Russia is currently placing the S-400 “fire dragon” system around Syria and is guaranteed to destroy any vehicle that intends to attack.
