The Ministry of Defense has published a video of a well-camouflaged and guarded air defense complex. Experts have identified it as an anti-aircraft missile and cannon mobile complex "Pantsir-SM".
This deeply modernized military air defense system has become a real thunderstorm for the most modern and small-sized drones, as well as multiple launch rocket systems. That is, those goals that are most difficult to detect and hit in a timely manner.
Work on the creation of the first version of the "Shell" was completed in 1994. In 2012, it was adopted under the name "Pantsir-C1". What are its features and advantages?
First of all, this is a combined rocket and cannon armament. It creates a continuous zone of destruction at a range of up to 20 kilometers and at an altitude of up to 15 kilometers. Moreover, the complex actually begins to destroy targets from ground level and a range of 200 meters. This makes it possible to fire not only air, but also ground, as well as surface targets.
The cannon armament consists of four 30-mm 2A38M automatic rapid-firing guns, considered the best in the world in their class. The total rate of fire is 5000 rounds per minute, ammunition - 1400 shells.
According to experts, the anti-aircraft guided supersonic missile is also one of the best, worthy analogues in the world. It is highly maneuverable, its flight speed is 1300 m/s. A special feature is the bicaliberal scheme. The large-caliber upper stage is fired shortly after launch, the caliber of the rocket decreases sharply, which reduces losses from aerodynamic drag, providing high speed throughout the flight path. The weight of the warhead is 16 kg. On the "Shells" of all modifications, 12 missiles are installed in transport and launch containers.
The fire control system includes a modern detection radar, built on the basis of phased array antennas, and a tracking radar. These radars accompany both targets and missiles launched by the complex. In addition to radars, the fire control system includes an optoelectronic complex.
The interval between missile launches and the capture of new targets is only one and a half seconds. This indicator is considered a kind of world record.
Only three people manage the most complex complex, and its deployment time is five minutes.
Rocket-gun modules can be installed on almost any chassis: wheeled, tracked, specially designed, on the decks of surface ships and on the roofs of buildings.
It can be argued that the defense of the "Shell" today is unlikely to be able to break through any means of air attack.
In the photos released by the Ministry of Defense, the new radar complexes are clearly visible. It is they who give the "Shell-SM" qualitatively new properties. In addition, it is planned to update and improve the missile component of the complex.
As reported in the open press, the Pantsir-SM is capable of detecting and destroying all types of even promising means of air attack, primarily high-precision weapons with flight speeds up to 1000 m/s.
Sensitive radars see flying objects with a minimum effective reflecting surface - only 0.03 square meters. meters at a distance of tens of kilometers. The probability of destroying the most "invisible" drone or a large-caliber missile, for example, the Smerch system, is 0.7 with one missile. And such a target as the warhead of the "Point-U" for the "Shell-SM" is considered quite easy prey.
As the developers of the complex stated at one of the recent military-technical forums "Army", a variant of strengthening missile protection in the short range has already been developed.
Whole packages of small missiles with a range of up to 7 km will be installed on the "Shells" of the latest modifications. They are designed to combat small-sized kamikaze drones, including low-speed and barrage drones.
In the event of a threat of massive use of such very dangerous drones, the ammunition of one "Shell" installation can be brought up to 48 missiles.
Sergey Ptichkin
