Russian army employs Tor-M2 air defense systems as C-UAV assets


A tank brigade of Russia’s Western Military District (ZVO) tank army trains to operate Tor-M2 surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems as counter-unmanned aerial vehicle (C-UAV) assets, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD).
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Tor-M2 air defense system (Picture source: Army Recognition)


“The [brigade’s] air defense units detected, recognized, and engaged simulated enemy’s aerial targets. The combat was simulated by electronic launches. The crew of a Tor-M2 system tracked up to four targets and saw the destruction of a target in real-time mode,” said the MoD in a news release. During the exercise, the crews destroyed some 40 simulated unmanned aerial vehicles and fixed-/rotary-wing aircraft. The launches and the targets were simulated by special software. According to the MoD, some 120 servicemen and approximately 30 weapon systems were involved in the exercise.

The Tor missile system is an all-weather low- to medium-altitude, short-range surface-to-air missile (SAM) system designed to destroy airplanes, helicopters, cruise missiles, precision-guided munitions, unmanned aerial vehicles and short-range ballistic threats (anti-munitions). Originally developed by the Soviet Union under the GRAU designation 9K330 Tor, the system is commonly known by its NATO reporting name: SA-15 "Gauntlet". A navalized variant was developed under the name 3K95 "Kinzhal", also known as the SA-N-9 "Gauntlet". Tor was also the first air defense system in the world designed from the start to shoot down precision-guided weapons like the AGM-86 ALCM day and night, in bad weather and jamming situations. Tor can detect targets while on the move. The vehicle must stop intermittently when firing, although trials are being conducted to eliminate this restriction.