The captured Pantsir-S1 in Libya before shipment to Ramstein Air Base in Germany (Picture source: Twitter account of Tango III's Military News @IiiTango)
National Interest, Pantsir: How America Got Its Hands on Russia's Killer Air Defense System
This is a wild tale of Russian mercenaries, Libyan rebels, and clandestine flights to Europe.
The U.S. Air Force transported a Russian-made Pantsir air defense system out of Libya last summer, The Times reported, stating that an Air Force C-17 Globemaster flew to Zuwara airport, west of Tripoli, loaded the Pantsir, and flew onward to Ramstein Air Base in Germany.
Intelligence Value
Though the immediate reason for removing the Pantsir from Libya was likely to ensure the air defense system didn’t fall into nefarious hand and be used against targets like civilian airliners, there could also be an intelligence incentive for the United States.
“Export versions, such as the one captured in Libya,” The Times explained, “are supposedly stripped of a carefully guarded identification friend or foe database with the transponder codes for all Russian air force jets.
The system is capable of engaging multiple targets from low altitudes up to 50,000 feet and has a range of about 20 miles.”
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More News On How The US Secretly Moved Russia Air Defence System From Libya
US secretly moved Russia air defence system from Libya, report reveals -- Middle East Monitor
Pantsir in US hands is terrible news but not a tragedy -- Army Recognition
The Times: US flew Russian air defense system from Libya to Germany -- Libya Observer
