Foreign tech loopholes expose cracks in Russia sanctions
A report published by the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine indicates that the Russian Tornado-S missile system uses several foreign components. These components originate from various countries, including the USA, which officially joined the sanctions against Moscow.
The Defence Express portal, which specialises in military topics, explains that the Russians use a dual gyroscope in these missiles to enhance attacks' accuracy. While one of them was produced by the Russian company Optolink, the analysis of the second led to conclusions that it was 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, included components from the United States (Analog Devices, National Semiconductor, Maxim Integrated), China (Panwoo Equipment Consulting, Mornsun), and the United Kingdom (Golledge Electronics).
Defence Express emphasises that such a discovery "highlights the weaknesses of 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 yet another similar example. In recent weeks, foreign components have been discovered in, among other things, the latest modifications of Shahed-136 drones. At the end of last year, investigations proved that Russians, despite sanctions, are flying Su-30SM and have 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 Smerch rocket system adapted to launch projectiles with a calibre of 300 mm (approximately 8 metres long) at distances of up to 200 km and precision target within a few metres.
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