Belarus to receive fifth battery of Russian Tor-M2 air defense missile system.

Belarus will receive from Russia the fifth battery of Tor-M2 anti-aircraft missiles and four Yak-130 combat-training aircraft by the end of the year, Belarussian Defense Minister Andrey Ravkov said. "We signed contracts and provided financing to procure the fifth battery of Tor-M2 anti-aircraft missile complexes and four Yak-130. We made upfront payments and expect the deliveries of the arms to be completed by the end of the year," he said.

Belarus will receive from Russia the fifth battery of Tor-M2 antiaircraft missiles (Picture source: www.sb.by)

The supplies of multirole Su-30SM fighter jets are expected in 2019-2020. "There are problems on the Russian side and we have to wait," Ravkov said.

Belarus has already received four batteries of Tor-M2 antiaircraft missile complexes (in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2016). It was reported that Belarus and Russia signed a contract for the delivery of 12 Su-30M worth 600 million dollars.

The Tor-M2 is an upgraded version of the Tor-M1 short-range air defense missile system. The TOR-M2/M2E is designed by the Russian Defense Company Almaz-Antey. The TOR-M2 was presented for the first time to the public during the Moscow Air Show, MAKS in 2007. The latest variant of TOR-M2 features improved fire control radar coverage, and four guidance channels, allowing up to four missiles to be guided at any one time. The Tor-M2E also offers the option of a wheeled chassis, as well as a new digital computer system and all weather optical tracking system.

The TOR-M2 / M2E is designed to attack aircraft, helicopters, aerodynamic UAVs, guided missiles and other components of high precision weapons flying at medium, low and extremely low altitudes in adverse air and jamming environment. It can be mounted on wheeled or tracked chassis. The Tor-M2 doubles the number of targets that can be engaged simultaneously by a single combat vehicle to four.