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Serbia Unveils MTU-4M MANPADS Quad Launcher Mounted on Hajduk Vehicle for Mobile Short-Range Air Defense.
Serbia showcased the MTU-4M quadruple MANPADS mounted on Zastava’s Hajduk 4×4 at PARTNER 2025, offering mobile, networked short-range air defence for maneuver unit.
During Partner 2025 in Serbia the MTU-4M quadruple short-range missile launcher mounted on the off-road Hajduk vehicle was displayed, highlighting a pragmatic approach to low-altitude air defence. Presented against a backdrop of rising demand for mobile short-range solutions, the system’s integration of sensors, datalinks and firepower offers immediate tactical value to maneuver units. The demonstration attracted attention because it combines legacy man-portable missiles with vehicle-level processing and crew interfaces, a configuration that can change short-range engagement options for deployed forces.
The MTU-4M as exhibited on the Hajduk platform at Partner 2025 demonstrates a pragmatic path to short-range air defence that prioritizes mobility, sensor integration and use of existing missile stocks (Picture source: Army Recognition Group)
The MTU-4M is a vehicle-mounted launcher designed to fire two types of infrared homing short-range surface-to-air missiles: the 9K32M Strela-2MA and the 9K38M Silo. The launcher carries four missiles and is fitted on the Hajduk off-road platform alongside a 12.7 mm machine gun for self-defence. The system’s sensor and command package includes a thermal camera for target acquisition and tracking, a global navigation satellite system, an inclinometer, a Thales radio device for communications, and operator displays consisting of a tablet and monitor. Target data are received from the Giraffe radar and processed digitally: corrections are applied for radar signal delay, linear tracking is used to predict target motion, and calculations deliver target distance and azimuth to the launcher. Together these elements provide the fire control function required to cue the launcher and present engagement solutions to the crew.
Technical data supplied for the two compatible missiles define the MTU-4M’s engagement envelope. The 9K32M Strela-2MA operates between 500 and 4,200 metres in range and between 50 and 2,300 metres in altitude, with a mean rocket speed of 500 m/s, a launcher length of 1,500 mm, rocket length of 1,440 mm, 72 mm caliber, mass 9.8 kg and maximum target relative speeds at launch/reach of 260/150 m/s. The 9K38M Silo extends reach to 5,200 metres and altitude to 3,500 metres, with a mean speed of 570 m/s, launcher length 1,708 mm, rocket length 1,574 mm, caliber 72 mm, mass 10.6 kg and maximum target relative speeds at launch/reach of 400/320 m/s. These figures set a clear performance band for the MTU-4M: an engagement capability against low-flying aircraft, helicopters and certain classes of unmanned aerial systems within a few kilometres of the firing vehicle.
The MTU-4M’s development and operational concept rest on integration rather than on a new missile family. By coupling existing missile types with digital processing supplied by the Giraffe radar feed and modern operator interfaces, the system modernizes engagement workflows without requiring new warhead or seeker development. Its vehicle integration on the Hajduk platform and inclusion of communications and navigation suites indicate a design emphasis on mobility, rapid deployment and networked operation. The presence of a crew display ecosystem and a thermal camera suggests the MTU-4M was developed to operate in degraded visual conditions and to shorten sensor-to-shooter timelines compared with stand-alone, manually cued launchers.
When compared with traditional man-portable air defence systems, the MTU-4M provides several operational advantages. Vehicle mounting increases magazine capacity to four ready rounds, adds a stabilized firing platform and furnishes additional on-board sensors and datalinks that improve situational awareness and target tracking. The integration with Giraffe radar and digital correction for signal delay enable more precise cueing and prediction than isolated shoulder-fired engagement procedures. Historically, similar evolutions moved missile systems from dismounted MANPADS to vehicle-integrated short-range air defence to gain mobility and protection for the crew; the MTU-4M follows that trajectory by marrying legacy missile performance to contemporary processing and networking. At the same time, reliance on older missile seekers and subsonic engagement speeds means that the system remains best suited to low-altitude threats and will face limitations against very high speed or highly maneuverable targets unless paired with complementary sensors or interceptors.
Strategically, the MTU-4M enhances a force’s ability to protect maneuver elements and critical sites against immediate low-altitude aerial threats without the cost and complexity of larger air defence systems. For Serbia and regional operators, fielding a vehicle-mounted quadruple launcher improves tactical flexibility: patrols and convoys can deploy organic short-range air defence, and rear area forces gain a rapid local response option. Geopolitically, the system’s configuration, leveraging widely available missiles and established radar inputs, lowers barriers to adoption and may appeal to states seeking incremental improvements in air defence without large procurement programs. On the military level, the MTU-4M contributes to layered defence concepts by plugging gaps at short ranges and integrating into broader sensor networks, thereby complicating an adversary’s planning against low-altitude air threats.
The MTU-4M as exhibited on the Hajduk platform at Partner 2025 demonstrates a pragmatic path to short-range air defence that prioritizes mobility, sensor integration and use of existing missile stocks. For operators seeking a rapid, vehicle-based solution to protect formations and fixed points from low-altitude threats, the system offers a clear set of capabilities and operational logic. Its value will depend on employment doctrine and integration into wider air defence architectures, but the MTU-4M clearly responds to an enduring operational need for mobile, networked short-range air defence at the tactical level.
Written by Teoman S. Nicanci – Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group
Teoman S. Nicanci holds degrees in Political Science, Comparative and International Politics, and International Relations and Diplomacy from leading Belgian universities, with research focused on Russian strategic behavior, defense technology, and modern warfare. He is a defense analyst at Army Recognition, specializing in the global defense industry, military armament, and emerging defense technologies.