Ptitselov air defense missile system to equip Russian Airborne Forces


According to Anna News, the newest Russian airborne short-range anti-aircraft missile system called Ptitselov will go into service with the 98th and 106th Guards Airborne Divisions of the Airborne Forces. It consists of the chassis of a BMP-3 IFV armed with 12 Sosna-R air defense missiles.
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The "Ptiselov" air defense system consists of Sosna-R air defense missiles mounted on the chassis of a BMP-3. (Picture source: Army Recognition)


This was reported by the Izvestia newspaper in the article “Shadow of a paratrooper: paratroopers will be armed with Bird Catchers”, citing information from their sources in the Russian military department. “Ptitselov anti-aircraft missile systems will go into service with Russian paratrooper divisions. These air defense systems are considered among the most effective short-range air defense systems. They can be dropped with a parachute or delivered by helicopter to the rear of the enemy, where they will protect the paratroopers from air strikes, drones and cruise missiles, ”the newspaper says.

The latest short-range airborne anti-aircraft missile system "Ptitselov" was developed by the Tula Instrument Design Bureau. The new system is made of two blocks of six Sosna-R anti-aircraft missiles mounted on the chassis of a BMP-3. The Ptitselov can destroy air targets at a distance of up to 10,000 m and an altitude of up to 5,000 m.

BMP-3 IFV

The design of the BMP-3 or Obyekt 688M can be traced back to the Obyekt 685 light tank prototype with a 2A48-1 100 mm gun from 1975. The prototype did not enter series production, but the chassis, with a new engine, was used for the next-generation infantry combat vehicle Obyekt 688 from A. Blagonravov's design bureau. The Ob. 688's original weapon configuration consisting of an externally mounted Shipunov 2A42 30 mm autocannon, a 7.62mm PKT machine gun and twin 9M113 Konkurs ATGM launcher was rejected; instead the new 2K23 armament system was selected. The resulting BMP-3 was developed in the early 1980s and entered service with the Soviet Army officially in 1987. It was shown for the first time in public during the 1990 Victory Day parade and was given the NATO code IFV M1990/1. The BMP-3 is designed and produced by the Kurganmashzavod (Kurgan Machine Building Plant). Some variants however are built by the Rubtsovsk Machine Building Plant (RMZ), for example, the BRM-3K.

Sosna-R missile

The 9M337 Sosna-R (Pine) (SA-X-25) is a radar and laser-guided supersonic (Mach 2.6) two-stage missile. It is used in Sosna-R short-range air defense missile system designed to protect military units from air attacks in all types of combat situations, including on the move. In 2017, official tests of the newest air defense missile system Bagulnik (domestic variant which is currently named Strela-10ML) were successfully completed. In May 2019, the Russian Defence Ministry decided to introduce the system into service. Sosna-R is now mounted on BMP-3 to form the "Ptiselov" SHORAD system.


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The Ptitselov can destroy air targets at a distance of up to 10,000 m and an altitude of up to 5,000 m (Drawing source: Anna News)