Russia showcases upgraded Pantsir-S1M SPAAGM
By Dmitry Fediushko
The Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) unveiled the upgraded Pantsir-S1M (M for Updated: Modernizirovanniy) self-propelled anti-aircraft gun-missile (SPAAGM) system designed by the Tula-based Instrument Design Bureau (KBP, a subsidiary of Rostec’s holding High-Precision Weapons). The new SPAAGM made its debut at the Army 2019 defence show held in Kubinka near Moscow in late June.
During the show, the MoD announced some specifications of the new system. The Pantsir-S1M is designed to protect small military and military industrial infrastructures engaging aerial targets flying at low and very low altitudes: according to the military, the SPAAGM can engage an air platform flying at a speed of up to 2,000 m/s at an altitude of up to 15 km. The system’s new surface-to-air missile has a target engagement range of some 30-40 km, while the Pantsir-S1M has four guidance channels.
Unlike the baseline Pantsir-S1 ‘SA-22 Greyhound’, the modernised SPAAGM is mounted on the chassis of the Tornado K-53958 mine-resistant ambush-protected 8×8 truck developed by the Remdiesel company. The fully loaded K-53958 weighs 42.3 tonnes and can transport a 24.0 tonnes payload. The truck can reach a top speed of 100 km/h and has a cruising range of no less than 1,000 km.
The Pantsir-S1M is now being intensively developed. According to Russia’s Defence Minister, General of the Army Sergei Shoigu, the development of the updated SPAAGM is to be finished by 2021.
Photo by Dmitry Fediushko