According to the list of Vietnam's purchases of Russian defense products in recent years listed by Sputnik, there are Kilo submarines, Su-30MK2 fighters, S-300PMU1 systems... And especially, this list includes Tor-M2 and Buk-M2 air defense systems.
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| It is known that this is the second time Sputnik has mentioned this information. At the end of 2014, this source also announced that Vietnam is possessing a number of weapons that have never been made public, namely the Tor-M2 and Buk-M2 air defense missile systems. These systems are superior to the S-75 complex that the Soviet Union provided to Vietnam. |
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| According to the Russian introduction, Tor (NATO designation SA-15 Gauntlet) is a low-altitude air defense missile system equipped for mechanized infantry divisions or combined arms troops that can shoot down targets at low to medium altitudes in all weather conditions. |
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| Tor can destroy fighter jets, helicopters, cruise missiles, bombs, glide bombs, drones... In particular, the Tor-M2 variant, put into service since 2008, has enhanced combat capabilities against enemies in conditions of strong electronic interference. |
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| The Tor-M2 variant has been developed with several variants using different chassis including: Tor-M2E using tracked chassis; Tor-M2K using wheeled chassis and Tor-M2KM using TATA Motors wheeled chassis for export to India. The Tor-M2 system is equipped with missiles capable of destroying targets at ranges from 1 - 15 km, altitudes from 10 m to 10 km, simultaneously attacking 4 targets at the same time, using radio guidance. |
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| While Tor-M2 is a short-range air defense system, Buk-M2 is considered an extremely powerful medium-range air defense system developed from the Buk variant, officially accepted for equipment since 2008. Buk-M2 is capable of intercepting most aerodynamic targets, including ballistic missiles. The missile complex has a range of 3 - 50 km, target drop altitude of 10 m to 25 km, and can shoot down 24 targets at the same time. In the photo: Tor-M2 system fires. |
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| To be able to complete the above mission, the Buk-M2 system is designed with a target search radar and a fire control radar, both equipped with phased array antennas, microprocessors, and digital control computers, helping the Buk-M2 have very high combat performance. Specifically, the probability of destroying F-15 fighters is from 90 - 95%, ground attack cruise missiles from 70 - 80%, ballistic missiles from 60 - 70%, helicopters, and UAVs over 90%. |
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| In addition to the above-mentioned short- and medium-range air defense systems, Vietnam is currently equipped with the S-300PMU1 missile, which is considered one of the most powerful long-range air defense missile systems in the world, capable of simultaneously destroying 24 aircraft within 200 km or intercepting 16 short- and medium-range ballistic missiles. |
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| Each target can be destroyed with a single missile or in a salvo of two missiles. In a salvo, the first missile is launched by the operator, and the second is launched automatically. |
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| Compared with the US Patriot missile, the S-300PMU1 is superior in 3 important points: Shorter combat deployment time (5 minutes compared to 15 minutes), launch method (vertical compared to inclined launch). Can control 2 missiles at the same time to a target (Patriot can only control 1). In particular, the target shooting rate of the S-300PMU1 is always highly appreciated. |
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| If the information posted by Sputnik is correct, Vietnam's air defense force will be greatly strengthened with multi-layered fire: short-range, medium-range and high-range. In the photo: Buk-M2 system. |
According to Baodatviet
