Faulty Gyroscope Blamed for Inaccuracy of Russia’s Orieshnik Missile

Shortcomings in Russia’s Orieshnik Ballistic Missile

According to Главком: A defective gyroscope-deemed unsuitable even for modern Ukrainian rockets-has severely compromised the precision of Russia’s medium-range ballistic missile, the Orieshnik. This assessment comes from Denys Shtilerman, co-founder and chief designer at Fire Point, who emphasized the gyroscope’s poor manufacturing quality. The component is critical for determining the missile’s orientation in flight and making necessary course corrections.

Recent Deployment and Consequences

During the Orieshnik’s latest use, two missiles were launched toward Kyiv. One crashed into the temporarily occupied city of Donetsk, while the other landed near garages in Bila Tserkva, a town in the Kyiv region. Shtilerman remarked,

“I would be ashamed to install such a gyroscope in any missile of mine-it was obvious this rocket would never hit its target.”

He added,

“Something would explode 90 kilometers from the intended target. What would happen to the target? Nothing.”

Analysts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) point to a decline in the quality of Orieshnik production, driven by the Kremlin’s haste and a disregard for quality control standards. As a result, these missiles miss their targets by tens of kilometers, raising serious doubts about their effectiveness.

This situation highlights deep-seated challenges Russia faces in manufacturing advanced weaponry. Substandard gyroscopes and a general lack of quality assurance could significantly undermine military performance, especially in modern warfare where strike precision is paramount. The deteriorating accuracy of these missiles may force the Kremlin to reconsider its strategies and seek improvements to its arsenal.

The issues surrounding the Orieshnik missile are compounded by the fact that Russia's stockpile is dwindling. With only a single operational missile remaining, the Kremlin's reliance on this flawed technology raises questions about its overall military strategy. To understand the implications of this depletion on Russia's ballistic capabilities, read more about the current state of their remaining arsenal in our detailed analysis of Russia's dwindling missile inventory.