The effectiveness of the Russian anti-aircraft missile and artillery complex in special military operations

"The advanced Pantsir-SM air defense systems show significantly increased combat effectiveness compared to the older version of the Pantsir-S complex. The main advantage is a significantly increased range of detection, tracking and hitting targets, including complex targets such as mini-UAVs, guided artillery shells and high-speed ballistic missiles," the Sputnik interlocutor said.

There is an axiom that any weapon system can be fully tested only in real combat. The experience of using Pantsir-S in Syria and in the area of ​​special operations has revealed a number of shortcomings of this system. Primarily, this complex is not capable of self-protection, does not have a sufficient range of destruction and is not effective enough in the fight against UAVs.

In modern warfare, these two elements became extremely important for air defense forces, that is, for performing their main task - protection from air attacks. Designers had to quickly eliminate these shortcomings.

The first information about the use of the modernized Pantsir-SM in the area of ​​special military operations appeared in the media in early 2023. And at the end of the same year, official reports confirmed this.

Based on information collected from open sources, the target detection range of the advanced Pantsir-SM air defense system has increased significantly. This was achieved thanks to the Pantsir-SM being equipped with a new AFAR radar for target detection with an electronically-phased array antenna with improved characteristics in terms of air target detection range, anti-jamming capabilities and high resolution, as well as a new multifunctional guidance and tracking radar.

Now the Russian air defense complex "sees" targets at twice the distance of the previous version (75 km).

This means that the combat crew has more time to react. Pantsir-SM is capable of confidently fighting any drones, artillery shells (for example, HIMARS MLRS shells) and even short- and medium-range ballistic missiles (by the way, not all air defense systems are designed to intercept ballistic missiles).

The Pantsir-SM artillery armament includes a new guided anti-aircraft missile - now supersonic - with a range of up to 40 km and an altitude of up to 18 km. And in order not to waste a rather expensive main missile on protection against straggling bullets, the Pantsir-SM complex can use a cheap means of self-defense - the small-sized Gvozd missile. This small missile can destroy kamikaze drones at long distances that rapid-fire guns cannot reach.

The main combat vehicle of the Pantsir-SM complex carries 18 missiles - both main and self-defense missiles.

Why - "main vehicle"?

Because the modernized complex can consist of two vehicles: the main one and the transport combat vehicle. The second vehicle does not have a radar or a gun, but it has increased ammunition capacity to 24 missiles. Moreover, it is likely that three pairs of such complexes will operate simultaneously. It is obvious that a salvo of 252 missiles at long and medium ranges, along with a "rain of bullets" at short ranges, will cause a lot of difficulties for enemy aircraft: many of the destroyers will definitely not reach the target, and many of the vehicles carrying these weapons will not return to base.

By the way, Pantsir-SM does not care whether the target is visible or difficult to detect, the system is capable of taking down any product made using stealth technology.

And finally, the details of the armored protection of this combat vehicle. Experience of using Pantsir-S in combat has shown that the "conventional" KamAZ 8x8 truck chassis does not guarantee survivability. Therefore, the Pantsir-SM complex is based on the KamAZ K-53958 "Tornado" 8x8 military truck chassis with armored cab, engine and most important components.