The Belarussian armed forces created an antiaircraft missile regiment armed with Russian Tor-M2 missiles, Belarussian Air Force and Air Defense Commander Igor Golub said.

The Belarusian Tor-M2 (Picture source: BMPD Blog)

"Separate batteries which were a part of antiaircraft regiments and were armed with other weapons did not fully fulfil the assigned functional tasks," Golub was quoted as saying by BelTA news agency. It was decided to create "a single antiaircraft missile fist to reliably protect assigned areas," he added. Next year the new regiment will train live fire at the Russian Ashuluk range. The regiment is manned with servicemen who are already trained to operate Tor-M2 bought in Russia.

The first Tor-M2 batteries were supplied to the 120th air force and air defense missile brigade in 2011-2012. In early 2014 the brigade formed a Tor-M2 missile battalion of three batteries. Late last year the weapons were supplied to the 740th antiaircraft missile brigade. In September 2017 the fourth Tor-M2 battery was delivered to Belarus. The Belarussian Defense Ministry said in October a contract for the delivery of another Tor-M2 battery was signed with Almaz-Antey Concern.

The latest variant of Tor-M2 features improved fire control radar coverage, and four guidance channels, allowing up to four missiles to be guided at any one time. The Tor-M2E also offers the option of a wheeled chassis, as well as a new digital computer system and all weather optical tracking system. The TOR-M2 / M2E is designed to attack aircraft, helicopters, aerodynamic UAVs, guided missiles and other components of high precision weapons flying at medium, low and extremely low altitudes in adverse air and jamming environment. The Tor-M2 can engage a target at the range from 1,000 to 12,000 m and to an altitude from 10 to 10,000 m.

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