A new variant of the Pantsir air-defense system will undergo firing trials next month.
Citing a source in the Russian defense industry, IHS Jane’s reported on May 10, 2017 that the new variant, the Pantsir-SA, will see trials beginning in June of this year.
The source said, “Two [Pantsir-SA] systems will be deployed at a test range for firing trials after their demonstration at the Victory Day 9 May parade in Moscow.”
Pantsir-SA is designed specifically for use in Arctic conditions. It is mounted on the DT-30PM chassis, a two-section tracked carrier vehicle optimized for difficult geographic conditions. On roads, it can travel up to 37 kilometers per hour.
IHS Jane’s pointed out that the Pantsir-SA’s weapons configuration differs slightly from that of the base model Pantsir-S. According to the report,
“The original system’s two side-mounted 2A38 anti-aircraft cannons have been replaced by three additional containerised SAMs on each side of the target tracking radar. Thus, the system’s ready-to-launch ammunition load has been increased from 12 to 18 missiles (nine missiles on each side).”
The date of delivery to the military is unknown.
Russia has also developed another Arctic missile system variant, the Tor-M2DT, on the basis of the DT-30. Both systems were on display at the Victory Day parade held in Moscow this month and could be seen in rehearsals leading up to it.
TOR-M2DT Arctic SHORAD on DT-30PM chassis during rehearsals for the Victory Day Parade 2017 – Vitaly Kuzmin [1280×853] – #army #military pic.twitter.com/lXzgUjSmnB— Army Complex (@ArmyComplex) May 7, 2017
Tor-M2DT & Pantsir-SA pic.twitter.com/evmEAqyg9L— Derek Bisaccio (@DerekBisaccio) May 9, 2017
Both Pantsir-SA and Tor-M2DT are designed for short range defense. The Pantsir-SA carries a range of up to 12 kilometers, while the Tor-M2DT has a range of up to seven kilometers.
Military markets analyst, covering Eurasia, Middle East, and Africa.
