Ukraine has weapons that most NATO countries do not have.
(Baonghean.vn) - According to the German newspaper FAZ on August 9, Ukraine demonstrated military ingenuity in the war against Russia when on the one hand it still had to use old equipment for defense, but on the other hand it was able to develop weapons that most NATO countries do not have.
Ukraine has successfully converted its aircraft to fire Storm Shadow cruise missiles delivered by the UK in May. The German-made Taurus cruise missiles that Kiev is seeking to deliver would also have to be fired from such modified aircraft. Officially, it is unclear how the conversion would be carried out. The guided missiles are designed for Tornado, Eurofighter and Swedish Gripen fighters, but could also be fired with relative ease from the F-16 fighters that Ukraine is expected to receive.
According to industry sources, deployment on Soviet aircraft, such as those currently in service with Ukraine, is not too difficult. For example, the mechanical suspension system would have to be adapted. There is no big difference with the Storm Shadow missile, and in an emergency, the Taurus missile could also be ready for deployment within a few months. In addition, if desired, the range of missiles such as the Taurus can be limited relatively easily, for example with appropriate software. This addresses concerns about potential attacks on Russian territory. Even the French version of the Storm Shadow, called the Scalp, has apparently been fitted to Ukrainian aircraft. Over the past year, Ukraine has launched American AGM-88 HARM air-to-surface missiles from Soviet MiG-29s.
However, the Ukrainian armed forces have not only shown creativity in combining different systems, Kiev has also developed its own weapons that most NATO countries do not yet have. So-called Ukrainian-made sea drones, which are armed with explosives and detonate on impact, have been involved in several attacks on the Russian Black Sea Fleet. Recently, a Russian tanker and a landing ship were damaged by these weapons, as well as the explosion of the Crimean Bridge in July. The device looks like a small speedboat, with the latest versions weighing up to 1,000 kg, carrying a payload of up to 300 kg, having a range of 800 km and a top speed of 80 km/h.
According to one developer, the speed of this device currently exceeds any other underwater vehicle in the Black Sea region and its construction began only when the war broke out. It is very difficult for Russia to detect these small devices, which are said to be more than 5 meters long. There is also information about the successful use of Ukraine's domestically developed anti-ship missiles, new long-range drones or mobile anti-drone jammers./.
