Russia Accelerates Delivery of Pantsir-S Air Defense System to its Troops in Ukraine.

On 1 October 2024, the "High-Precision Systems" holding company, part of the Rostec State Corporation, announced the delivery of a new batch of Pantsir-S anti-aircraft missile and gun systems as part of the 2024 state defense order for Russia, specifically to Russian armed forces in Ukraine. These vehicles were produced by the Tula Instrument-Making Design Bureau, named after Academician A.G. Shipunov, and were delivered ahead of schedule. After undergoing rigorous testing, the systems were accepted by military representatives.
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The Pantsir-S is a mobile air defense system developed by Russia. (Picture source: Rostec)

The Pantsir-S is renowned for its ability to intercept complex, low-radar-signature targets and high-precision projectiles from multiple launch rocket systems. The production of these systems has been accelerated to meet increasing demand, and Rostec continues to develop new versions of the system, according to Bekkhan Ozdoyev, a senior official within Rostec and the Union of Russian Machine Builders.

The Pantsir-S is a mobile air defense system developed by Russia, designed to protect sensitive targets against a wide range of aerial threats. It is mounted on a truck chassis, typically a Ural-53234 8x8, Kamaz-6560 8x8, or MAN SX45, which provides it with great mobility across various terrains. The system is armed with twelve 57E6 or 57E6-E surface-to-air missile launchers and two dual 30mm 2A38M automatic cannons. These weapons allow the system to effectively respond to threats at varying distances.

The Pantsir-S missile has a range of 1 to 12 km, while the 30mm automatic cannons can engage targets between 0.2 and 4,000 meters. These characteristics make it a versatile system capable of neutralizing fast-moving aerial targets, such as drones, helicopters, and cruise missiles, at different distances.

The Pantsir-S is used by many countries around the world, including Algeria, Iran, Iraq, Russia, and the United Arab Emirates, among others. It is equipped with sophisticated accessories, such as radio controls with direction-finding or infrared systems, as well as autonomous acquisition and tracking radars. These detection systems allow the Pantsir-S to operate independently, without external support for detecting and engaging aerial targets.

With a crew of three, the Pantsir-S is a relatively compact system, measuring 8.15 meters in length and 2.47 meters in width, which facilitates its mobility and deployment in the field. Its ability to cover distances of up to 800 km with its truck chassis enables it to be quickly repositioned to respond to new threats. This defense system has thus become a key solution for the protection of strategic installations and moving troops in sensitive areas.

Recent improvements to the Pantsir-S have reportedly increased its effectiveness against unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), artillery shells, and missiles. These technical enhancements have been validated through combat usage, confirming the validity of previous design decisions.

In August 2024, at the International Military-Technical Forum "Army-2024," Rostec unveiled a new variant of the Pantsir system, the Pantsir-SMD-E. This version is specifically designed to protect critical industrial and administrative facilities from massive drone attacks, marking a new step in the evolution of air defense technologies.