Soviet Weapons Collected by the US Gain Attention Amid Ukraine War... "Crucial for Understanding Russian Military Capabilities"

Due to aging, practical use is impossible... Only two tanks can move on their own
Russian forces spotted using 50-year-old old model tank 'T-62'

Soviet-made weapons displayed at Nellis Air Force Base in the United States. Photo by Nellis Air Force Base website, Yonhap News Agency

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Se-eun] Soviet-made weapons, which the U.S. military had stockpiled to counter the Soviet Union in the past, are gaining renewed attention amid the Ukraine war.

On the 28th (local time), The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that Soviet weapons collected by the U.S. military from around the world are on display at the "Threat Training Facility" at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, USA.

The collection includes everything from the MiG-29, once a state-of-the-art fighter jet, to the SA-13 mobile surface-to-air missile that played a key role in the First Gulf War, and the Mi-24 Hind helicopter used against Afghanistan.

At the time, the U.S. gathered these weapons for tactical development purposes to counter the Soviet Union, but over time, they became outdated and lost their significance.

Visitors to the exhibition could actually see and touch the weapons, earning the facility the nickname "petting zoo."

Now, decades later, as the U.S. and the West seek Soviet-made fighter jets and air defense systems to support Ukraine, which is familiar with Soviet weaponry, the old Soviet weapons gathered at the facility are drawing attention.

However, the weapons and equipment here are too old to be operational. The tanks cannot fire, and only two can move under their own power.

Nevertheless, WSJ reported that these weapons still serve an important function by allowing the U.S. military to understand the armament levels of Russia before facing them on the battlefield.

In fact, Russian forces have been spotted deploying the outdated T-62 tank, which is over 50 years old, on the battlefield.

The U.S. military has acquired Soviet weapons through various means.

For example, Mi-24 helicopters were obtained from Iraqi forces defeated in the First Gulf War, and some were acquired from Cold War-era spies who stole them or from defectors of enemy forces.

Additionally, when struggling against Soviet fighter jets during the Vietnam War, the U.S. secretly brought fighter jets into the facility to analyze the causes.