Image source: topwar.ru
Buk-M2E air defense system
One of the rather unique types of weapons used in the Ukrainian conflict is the FrankenSAM air defense system. This system was captured only a few times, representing a rather rare product, including when it was hit by a drone this month. Now she was seen in a photo taken by the soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, being covered with a camouflage net.
FrankenSAM is a "hybrid" created by adapting the Soviet Buk air defense system to the use of American AIM–7 Sparrow anti-aircraft missiles with radar guidance and RIM-7 Sea Sparrow with semi-active radar seeker, as well as AIM-9M Sidewinder thermal guided missiles.
- it is noted in the Western press.
It is widely believed in the West that the transformation of Buk into FrankenSAM is carried out by American specialists. However, most likely, it is carried out by the countries of Eastern Europe, since the possibility of integrating Western weapons of destruction with Soviet air defense systems was previously studied in Poland and the Czech Republic, where attempts were made to install RIM-7 and RIM-162 ESSM missiles on the Kub air defense system - an export version of the Buk.
Image source: topwar.ru
Judging by the published images, FrankenSAM retained both the original rocket launch mechanism and the previous radar equipment, although perhaps the main frequencies and modulations required adjustments.
Adaptation to RIM-7 missiles has significantly reduced the range of the Buk.from 30 km, which were covered by a typical 9M38 missile defense system, to 20 km.
- it is believed in the Western press.
