Russia deploys S-400 missile defense battalion in Crimea
Russian air defense forces in Crimea will be equipped with a battalion of short- and medium-range Pantsir-S1 air defense missiles.
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The first generation Pantsir-S1 complex of the Russian army. Photo:Vitaly Kuzmin. |
"All air defense missile regiments stationed in Crimea are equipped with S-400 complexes. Therefore, the deployment of an additional Pantsir-S1 battalion here is already in the planning,"TASSJune 5 quoted a statement by Major General Viktor Sevostyanov, commander of the 4th Air Defense - Air Force Unit of Russia's Southern Military District.
Russia has previously deployed two units equipped with S-400, the 12th air defense missile regiment and the 18th guards air defense missile regiment, to the city of Sevastopol to protect Crimea's airspace.
General Sevostyanov emphasized that the S-400 systems have successfully completed their combat missions, ensuring the safety of Russian warships every time they go to sea.
Pantsir-S1 is a combined air defense missile-gun system developed from the 2K22 Tunguska platform, with many new features and weapons added to deal with threats in the 21st century. The main task of Pantsir-S1 is to protect infrastructure and military structures, armored and mechanized infantry regiments, as well as long-range air defense systems such as the S-300 and S-400.
A Pantsir-S1 combat vehicle consists of two 30mm 2A38M automatic cannons with a firing rate of 5,000 rounds/minute, equipped with 1,500 high-explosive fragmentation or armor-piercing rounds with a maximum range of 4 km. In addition, the Pantsir-S1 also carries 12 short-range 57E6 missiles capable of destroying targets from 20 km away.
