Russia has once again demonstrated its tendency to copy Ukrainian military innovations with the introduction of a remotely controlled machine gun turret named “Chapai,” the Defense Express reports. This development was first showcased at the “Army-2024” defense forum currently taking place near Moscow.

The “Chapai” turret, presented by the “Era” investment fund which finances Russian arms developers, bears striking similarities to Ukraine’s “Shablia“ turret. The Ukrainian turret has been contracted for the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) since September 2023, although it has been deployed on the frontlines since the early days of the 2014 war in eastern Ukraine.

The Russian “Chapai“ appears to have replicated both the concept and implementation of the Ukrainian “Shablia.“ Key features include remote control via wires and the use of an optical-aiming module. Like its Ukrainian counterpart, “Chapai“ is adaptable to various machine guns, including the 7.62mm PKM or the 12.7mm NSV “Utes“ and “Kord”.

Ukraine’s “Shablya“ turret has received numerous positive reviews from soldiers and is contracted for use by the AFU. It’s not only used as a standalone turret but also integrated into ground drones.

This is not the first instance of Russia copying Ukrainian military technology. Previously, they’ve attempted to replicate the remote control principle of the Ukrainian “Stugna“ anti-tank guided missile system and are gradually modernizing old Soviet complexes like “Fagot“ with remote control modules.

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