A recent report by Ukrainian analysts detailed that the glide bombs Russia is using against Ukraine include components produced by a Taiwanese company. The Taiwanese auto parts manufacturer allegedly provided parts that are integrated into the servomechanisms of UMPK kits, which are used to enhance the precision of bombs employed by Russian Aerospace Forces.
According to the Ukrainian defense news site Militarnyi, Ukrainian analyst Vadim Labas recently revealed that the Taiwanese company in question is “TRC-Auto” or Rongcherng Suspenparts. The Taiwan-based company reportedly modified and supplied components “…allegedly used to produce precision-guided bombs at the request of the Russian military….”
A critical component of the glide bombs used by Russian combat aviation is the servomechanism, which deploys wings in modules attached to UMPK kits. “…A document shared by Labas details modifications made to a ‘servo controller’ product with model number CP500-130-01-M. The modifications allegedly strengthened the device to support the weight of the wing module after previous versions were deemed too fragile….”
Labas’ findings are significant, as one of the strengths of the Russian Armed Forces over the past year has been the use of glide bombs equipped with UMPK kits. This system has allowed Russian Aerospace Forces’ attack aircraft to significantly increase their precision and stand-off capabilities.
In a conflict characterized by extensive use of fixed positions, the development and refinement of these glide bombs have provided Moscow with a new tool to degrade Ukrainian defenses with precision and at long ranges. This has reduced the losses of Russian fighter-bombers and attack aircraft, which now operate outside or at the edge of Ukrainian air defenses’ range.
Regarding the recent report, the Ukrainian analyst also claims that Russia bypassed U.S. and Taiwanese sanctions through an intermediary company based in Kazakhstan. “Over the past year, TRC has reportedly made five modifications to the product at the request of the Russian client.”
In his social media post, Labas urged U.S. and Taiwanese authorities to investigate the company’s activities and prevent its components from reaching Russia.
Illustrative cover image. Credits: Russian MinDef
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