Breaking news
Ethiopia upgrades its S-75 surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems Tass 50605163.
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Defence & Security News - Ethiopia
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| Ethiopia upgrades its S-75 surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems | |||
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Ethiopia is upgrading S-75 Dvina (NATO reporting name: SA-2 Guideline) long-range surface-to-air missile (SAM), systems, as the local newspapers report.
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 S-75 surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems |
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The upgraded system is based on the T-55 main battle tank (MBT). Hence, Ethiopia has converted a batch of stationary Dvina SAMs in the self-propelled ones. The system is supposed to have retained the organic Soviet SAM. Self-propelled S-75 launching units are all-terrain, being able to deploy rapidly in remote areas. Ethiopian Gafat Armament Industry (a subsidiary of the military-run Metals and Engineering Corporation, METEC) is supposed to have developed the mobile S-75 launchers. Local media outlets do not report, whether Russian defense industry (namely, JSC Almaz-Antey and its subsidiaries) participated in such development.
Previously, Cuba and North Korea revealed S-75 mobile launchers upgraded in the same manner. Nevertheless, there is no firm evidential connection between Ethiopian and Cuban/North Korean Dvina programs. Despite its age, S-75 Dvina still remains in service with various national armies all over the world. As of May 2016, Angola (40 launchers), Egypt (280 launchers), Kazakhstan (100 launchers), North Korea (180 launchers), Syria (320 launchers), Sudan (90 launchers) are the largest S-75 operators. In the early 2000s, JSC Almaz-Antey developed the latest S-75 modification designated as S-75M-2 Volga-2A. It received digital fire control system with integrated components of S-300PMU-1 (SA-20 Gargoyle) air defense system (ADS) and upgraded 5Ya23 SAM. Volga-2A has a maximum firing range of 27-60 km (depends on target`s altitude) and a firing altitude of 30 km. Such modification bring venerable Dvina to the level of modern SAM systems. |
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