We tell you about the features of the family of anti-aircraft missile systems (SAM) "Tor" from the concern of aerospace defense (EKO) "Almaz-Antey"On April 9, Russia celebrates the Day of the Air Defense Forces (Air Defense).
It was established by the decree of the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin of May 31, 2006 and is celebrated annually on the second Sunday of April. Currently, the Russian Aerospace Forces are equipped with modern air and missile defense systems and complexes that allow them to intercept targets from small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) near the ground to ballistic missiles at hypersonic speeds high in the stratosphere. One of such means of short—range interception is the family of anti-aircraft missile systems (SAM) "Tor" developed by the concern of aerospace defense (EKO) "Almaz-Antey".TASS has collected information about this complex with unique technical solutions and characteristics, as well as its export potential.
What was done for the first time on the SAM
Work on the military tactical air defense system began in the mid-1970s after the adoption of the Osa short-range complex, which became the first domestic autonomous mobile anti-aircraft missile system, where reconnaissance and firing means were placed on one combat vehicle. Izhevsk Electromechanical Plant (now IEMZ Kupol, part of the concern of East Kazakhstan Region Almaz—Antey) was appointed the head manufacturer. The complex was designed to respond to new threats that appeared on the battlefield at that moment — anti-radar and low-flying cruise missiles, guided aerial bombs and other modern means of air attack. To defeat such complex targets, the minimum reaction time of the complex to emerging threats was required, the presence of a powerful high-performance radar station (radar), automation of combat work, a high-speed anti-aircraft guided missile with an effective warhead.
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| The work of calculations of tactical anti-aircraft missile systems "Tor-M1" of the Western Military District, performing tasks during a special military operation. |
| Source: Photo: TASS/Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation |
The complex, codenamed "Tor", adopted in 1986, fully complied with all these requirements. The layout of the vehicle became revolutionary: for the first time in world practice, vertical launch of anti-aircraft missiles was implemented, for the first time, ammunition was stored inside a combat vehicle. Subsequently, in 2016, the Tori became the world's first air defense systems capable of firing in motion.
Just like in the previous Osa complex, the Tor air defense system combat vehicle was an autonomous combat unit. Target detection radar, guidance radar with phased array antenna and electronically controlled beam and launcher were integrated into the antenna launcher (APU). The engine compartment, hardware, ammunition and places of work of the calculation had anti-shatter protection.
The innovative solutions applied in the creation of the complex determined its high modernization potential. During the operation of the Tor, three waves of its serious improvements have passed — in 1991 to the level of the Tor-M1, in 2009 to the Tor-M2U, in 2016 to the Tor-M2. Each upgrade significantly (in a number of parameters — several times) improved the tactical and technical characteristics compared to its predecessors.
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| Short-range anti-aircraft missile system (SAM) "Tor-M2U". |
| Source: http://sadko.biz/ |
"Tor" is designed to cover the first echelons of ground formations from strikes by anti-radar and cruise missiles, planning aerial bombs, airplanes, helicopters and UAVs, including those united in a swarm. Moreover, the "Tori" of the second level of modernization, starting with the "Tor-M2U", are able to do this, moving at speeds up to 40 km / h together with the protected forces on the march or in mobile types of combat, without limiting their maneuver.
The SAM can independently control the airspace in its area of responsibility and shoot down all air targets not identified by the "friend—foe" system. The ammunition of the latest modification, the Tor—M2, contains 16 anti-aircraft missiles with a range of more than 16 km and an altitude range from 10 m to 12 km. The upgraded radar of the complex is capable of detecting aerial targets at a distance of up to 32 km, and the radar "sees" even aircraft created using radar visibility reduction technology ("stealth"). Thanks to the accuracy of guidance, modern air defense systems of the Tor family work on the principle of "one target — one missile", which, combined with impressive ammunition, allows you to repel a massive raid.
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| SAM "Tor-M2". |
| Source: https://kupol.ru/ |
"The combat vehicle of the Tor complex is an outstanding embodiment of engineering. The features of the design solutions made it possible to achieve high ergonomics, as well as to place the means of destruction themselves inside the combat vehicle. Thus, it is more difficult for the means of reconnaissance of a potential enemy "Tor" to be defined as an air defense vehicle," a representative of the Almaz—Antey concern told TASS at the international exhibition Aero India 2023, held in February in Bangalore, India.
Universal platform
"Tor" is available on a wide range of chassis. Initially, the combat vehicle was created on a tracked track, but a wheeled version is also produced — the "Tor-M2K". In the summer of 2020, the head of the military air defense of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, Lieutenant General Alexander Leonov, in an interview with the National Defense magazine, said that Russia was developing a modification of the Tor-M2 air defense system on a wheeled chassis with the ability to overcome water obstacles by swimming.
The Arctic version of the Tor-M2DT is made on the basis of a two-link tracked all-terrain vehicle DT-30PM Vityaz, which, due to its low specific pressure on the ground, is able to move in conditions of complete off-road and conditions of the Far North. This was confirmed during a run along the Tiksi — Kotelny route through the ice hummocks of the Arctic Ocean.
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| SAM "Tor-M2DT". |
| Source: © Olga Smolskaya/TASS |
Another modification is the "Tor-M2KM". This is an autonomous combat module that can be placed on any object or carrier: on a chassis of suitable payload capacity, the roof of a building, a railway platform and even the deck of a ship. In particular, in 2016, the Tor-M2KM autonomous combat module was tested in the open sea. The module installed on the helipad of the Admiral Grigorovich frigate, traveling at a speed of 10 knots, successfully hit air targets — a high-speed, as well as an imitation anti-ship cruise missile. According to experts, the appearance of the marine "Torus" will significantly improve the air defense system in the Russian naval grouping.
Export potential
Russian air defense systems have always aroused and continue to arouse great interest of potential foreign customers. So, in 1997, 13 Tor-M1 complexes were first delivered to China, and in 2000, 21 SAM systems were received by the NATO country Greece. In 2006, Sergey Chemezov, at that time the head of Rosoboronexport, said that Russia had fully completed the delivery of the Tor-M1 air defense system to Iran, the Islamic Republic received a total of 29 complexes. Armenia received one battery of four Tor-M2KM SAM launchers. Tor-M2K supplied to the Republic of Belarus covered the area of the Belarusian nuclear power plant during its construction.
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| The Tor-M2K anti-aircraft missile system. |
| Source: https://kupol.ru/ |
In 2013, demonstration shooting took place at the Kapustin Yar landfill near Astrakhan as part of a tender for foreign sales of the Tor-M2KM complex, which confirmed its characteristics. The press service of the concern of the East Kazakhstan Region Almaz-Antey reported that the SAM showed one hundred percent efficiency, hitting all designated aerial targets with the consumption of one missile for each target.
In 2019, it became known that Russia received a number of applications from foreign customers for the supply of air defense systems "Tor-E2". What specific countries were not reported. In February 2023, at the Aero India 2023 exhibition, Rosoboronexport CEO Alexander Mikheev told TASS that Russia is conducting technical consultations with India on the production of the Tor-M2KM SAM there. By the way, there was a lot of interest in the modular version of the Tor-M2KM at this Indian exhibition.
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| The layout of the Tor-M2KM SAM. |
| Source: Marina Lysseva/ TASS |
The Tor-E2, Tor-M2K and Tor-M2KM sams were demonstrated at the Russian pavilion of the international arms exhibition IDEX 2023 in Abu Dhabi. Despite the foreign policy situation, more than 30 delegations from a dozen and a half countries visited the exposition of the Almaz-Antey concern, representatives of the Middle East states showed the greatest interest. Potential Middle Eastern foreign customers were attracted by the modular version of the Tor, since it is convenient to use it to protect oil rigs from air attack. For example, Russian air defense systems could reliably protect the oil refining facilities of Saudi Aramco, which have been repeatedly attacked by kamikaze drones and cruise missiles of the Yemeni Houthis.
At the IDEX 2023 exhibition, the official representative of the Almaz-Antey concern of East Kazakhstan Region told TASS that the Tor-A air defense system (the export version of the Tor-M2DT) can carry a doubled BC of anti—aircraft guided missiles - 16 on the APU and another 16 in reserve. Export versions of the Tor-M1 air defense system had eight missiles of ammunition, and the Tor-E2 had 16.
It was reported that the modification of the Tor-E2 can be directly coupled with both the higher—level Buk-M3 air defense systems and the lower—level air defense systems — SAMs and short-range anti-aircraft artillery complexes and MANPADS - by means of a communications kit upgraded in 2020. Experts also note that the cost of Thor missiles is lower than that of other SAMs.
The effectiveness of the "Torus" is confirmed in battle
The "Torahs" took and continue to take part in the fighting, where they showed themselves from the best side. Viktor Murakhovsky, editor-in-chief of the Arsenal of the Fatherland magazine, called the Tor-M2KM complexes supplied to Armenia the only effective means of firing drones during the military conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh in 2020. "In the absence of external targeting and centralized control of anti—aircraft combat, they were forced to act autonomously, in dispersed combat formations of small units," Murakhovsky said. The expert noted that the calculations of the Tor-M2KM air defense system destroyed over 60 aircraft, including six Turkish Bayraktar TB2 reconnaissance and strike drones, while the coefficient of missile consumption per target was 1.1-1.2, that is, almost every anti–aircraft missile hit the target.
Since the beginning of the special military operation (SVO) in Ukraine, the complexes of the Tor family have been on a round-the-clock combat watch, protecting civilians, combat positions of Russian troops and strategically important objects from the means of air attack of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU). They also serve as a cover for longer—range Russian air defense systems - for example, the Buk-M3. The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation has repeatedly demonstrated footage of the combat work of the "Torus", calling the complex "an ultra-reliable shield against the attack of enemy air objects."
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| SAM "Tor-M2U". |
| Source: http://sadko.biz/ |
Thanks to the work of Russian anti-aircraft gunners, the Bayraktar TB2 UAVs, widely advertised in foreign media, practically ceased to appear over the battlefield already in the first months of its implementation. "We were scared: "Bayraktar", "Bayraktar". It turned out to be one of our simplest goals. It flies in a straight line, at the same speed, at a certain height. Therefore, this is the simplest goal for us," the Russian military department quoted the words of a soldier from the calculation of "Tor", who shot down a Turkish drone on the second day of the SVO.
Subsequent publications of videos and messages of the military department only confirmed the high efficiency of its combat use. So, in one of the comments of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation it was said that the calculations of "Tor-M1" discovered and destroyed UAVs launched by the enemy under the cover of balloons. On November 24, 2022, footage was shown of how the Tor-M2U destroyed fairly large Ukrainian reconnaissance UAVs.
During the battles, the calculations of the SAM have to change positions several times per shift, because the intelligence of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is a real hunt for complexes. However, the ability to combine the marching and combat modes of the installation reduces the danger to a minimum.
There are no limits to perfection
According to the results of combat use, the Tor complexes are continuously improving. So, in February 2023, Ilya Rykov, Deputy chief designer for the repair and modernization of the Kupol IEMZ, said that thanks to the refinement of the SAM, he was able to more effectively intercept the shells of the American HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems.
In March, Fanil Ziyatdinov, general director of the IEMZ Kupol, told TASS that further modernization of the Tor-M2 will allow Russian troops to hit air targets that are still under development. According to him, the applied technical solutions will significantly improve the characteristics of the air defense system for detecting small-sized targets, and further automation of the complex in the future will ensure the fulfillment of tasks practically without the participation of the operator. "He will only have to press the start button, Tor will do the rest himself," Ziyatdinov said.
Thanks to continuous upgrades for several decades now, the Tor family of air defense systems have remained one of the best air defense systems in the world. And the military special operation conducted by Russian troops in Ukraine is a clear confirmation of this.
Victor Bodrov, Roman Azanov
