'Technological Superiority of West in Military Sphere is Myth', Head of Russian Rostec Says

Sputnik sat down with the CEO of the Rostec state corporation Sergey Chemezov and discussed the capabilities of the Russian military industry to provide the Russian Armed Forces with modern weapons, the operational improvement of Russian equipment based on combat experience, the vulnerability of Western weaponry, the latest developments in the field of high-precision weapons and MLRS, and much more.

The company carefully studies captured samples of Western military equipment, which show that Russia is on the same level of technical capabilities as Western countries, and in some things even surpasses them.

"It is wrong to say that we have surpassed our opponents in everything. Of course, we have a lot to learn from them. We carefully study captured samples and take note of some decisions. At the same time, we see that the so-called technological superiority of the West in the military sphere is a myth," Chemezov said.

He continued by saying that Russia and the West have different design schools, that is, different approaches and concepts to the development of certain types of weapons and equipment. Therefore, not all Western design features are suitable for Russia and vice versa.

"The most important thing here is that the Russian army is fighting with modern, reliable and very dangerous equipment for the enemy," the CEO argued.

Moreover, according to Chemezov, Rostec is constantly improving its equipment based on combat experience: there are dedicated company specialists who work directly in the area of the Russian special military operation in Ukraine, collecting feedback from soldiers on the ground. Additionally, Rostec brings into its enterprises military personnel who have fought with the relevant equipment. They meet with the designers and describe their operational experience, share their impressions and suggestions.

When asked whether it is true that Western tanks are better protected, Chemezov gave a short and comprehensive answer:

"This is another myth. They burn very well," the head of Rostec stated.

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Chemezov also noted that this year the Corporation's enterprises completed the development of a whole "bouquet" of new artillery systems this year. These include the Koalitsiya-SV howitzer, which significantly exceeds Western artillery models in terms of firing range, the Malva wheeled self-propelled gun in 152-mm caliber, the Floks in 120-mm caliber, and the 82-mm Drok self-propelled mortar, and the Derivatsiya-PVO of 57-mm caliber anti-aircraft artillery complex.

"Each of these cars is unique in its own way. I am sure that our opponents will feel the benefits of this technology very soon," Chemezov noted.

Sputnik also discussed with the head of Rostec the Т-14 Armata tank, which participated in the battles of the special operation, but is now temporarily withdrawn from the battlefield for modernization. Chemezov believes that the Armata is much more superior to, for example, the Israeli battle tank Merkava, which was positioned as "ultra-protected", but in fact it has "protection at the level of a heavy infantry fighting vehicle." The current escalation of the conflict between Israel and Palestine confirms this.

"I will add that in the future the Armata will become an even more formidable weapon, we are continuing work that will significantly increase its potential and combat power. We will see the result soon. Therefore, the most unpleasant things for our opponents are ahead," Chemezov said.

The CEO concluded by saying that the tank-building school in Russia is one of the most advanced in the world, producing high-quality weapons which are often superior to many Western models, something that even Western experts admit.