The United States has stolen a Russian "Shell" in Libya»
Russian air defense system "Pantsir-S1" was at the American base Ramstein in Germany, write the British media. The US military removed the complex last summer from Libya. It is assumed that in this way they wanted to protect civilian aircraft from an attack by terrorists who could take possession of the installation. On the other hand, American journalists believe that the United States could have stolen it for a more detailed study. Is there any sense in such an operation-I understood it "Газета.Ru".
In the summer of 2020, the US military removed the Russian-made Pantsir-S1 anti-aircraft missile system (SAM) from the territory of Libya, The Times writes, citing its own sources.
According to the publication, the United States feared that "the Pantsir-S1 missile battery, which can easily shoot down civilian aircraft, would fall into the hands of militias or arms smugglers" in the North African country, where the civil war was escalating at that time (at the moment, a truce is in effect in the country, although a political solution to the conflict has not yet been found).
According to British journalists, the Russian air defense system "safe and sound" was taken by an American C-17A Globemaster III transport aircraft to the Scha Ramstein air base in Germany. At the moment, according to The Times, "Pantsir-C1" is still there.
The publication believes that the study of the "Vortex-C1" can give the American side " useful information about the current industrial capabilities of Russia."
The journalists suggested that this weapon could be used in the future during the exercises - to develop tactics of actions with the equipment of a potential enemy. At the same time, the American media notes that the exported weapons were damaged.
"What became of the Pantsir-C1 after arriving in Ramstein is unclear," writes The Drive, specifying that the SAM was mounted on the chassis of a German MAN SX truck.
The Libyan National Army (LNA), which is led by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, received Russian air defense systems from the UAE. The United Arab Emirates purchased more than 50 such air defense systems from Russia in 2009-2013.
But in the spring of last year, it became known that the forces of the Government of National Accord (PNS), which is supported by Turkey, captured at least three "Pantsir-S1", two of which were severely damaged, reports "Rossiyskaya Gazeta". It was one of them, according to the American media, that was taken out by the United States.
The Times notes that Moscow already knows about the incident. The media claims that this SAM is unlikely to be of value to the US military, as they could have studied it even during the supply of Russian weapons to the UAE.
A similar opinion is shared by a military analyst, a member of the Public Chamber under the Ministry of Defense, Ruslan Pukhov. "I am tormented by vague doubts. Why would the Americans steal anything when Russia once supplied the "Shell" to the UAE, and they are US allies in the Middle East. I think that the same UAE could have handed over one of the "Shells" to its allies for study, "he said in a comment "Газете.Ru".
The expert recalled that " since the Cold War, all countries have been trying to get samples of the equipment of a potential enemy for study, this is a normal practice."
"Shells", like most other weapons systems, are constantly being improved. For example, the "Shell" that is delivered in the UAE is significantly different from those "Shells"that are in our service. One of its main features is the SOTS (target detection stations. - "Newspaper.Ru") - has undergone significant changes, " - drew the attention of Pukhov.
At the same time, the chief editor of the site MilitaryRussia.ru Dmitry Kornev, in a conversation with Izvestia, suggested that the sample obtained by the United States would allow American specialists to completely disassemble the car and find its vulnerabilities. This information, according to the expert, can be used both in combat and in order to spoil the image of Russian military equipment at the world level.
"Americans may be interested in the level of technology, the production of components and parts. Such things at the exhibition or even on the basis of the friendly UAE, American specialists will not be able to study enough, for example, to disassemble unassembled blocks. Having received a real sample, you can completely disassemble it, " the publication quotes him as saying.
At the same time, he stressed that the current "Shells" are noticeably different from that sample.
Angelina Milchenko
