TSAMTO, October 22nd. Modern armed conflicts, in which NATO countries are directly or indirectly involved, clearly demonstrate the continued predilection of Western strategists for the Douai doctrine.
This doctrine involves massive air strikes on cities and industrial facilities, according to an article published in the National Defense magazine. This is how they acted in Yugoslavia, Iraq, Libya. This is how they will continue to act in the future.
The authors of the article note that at the same time, the range of means of air attack is continuously expanding. And where the use of strategic bombers is difficult, cruise missiles and long-range unmanned aerial vehicles are actively involved. This requires the introduction of anti-aircraft missile systems optimized to combat strategic missiles and UAVs into the combat formations of the air defense facility.
Such a complex is the autonomous combat module Tor M2KM, created at the Izhevsk Electromechanical Plant Kupol (part of the Concern East Kazakhstan Region Almaz-Antey).
The Tor-M2KM air defense system is a modular version of the Tor-M2U short-range military air defense system. Its advantages as a means of covering objects from drone strikes and cruise missiles consist of both the design features and the highest tactical and technical characteristics, as well as the occupied tactical niche.
UAVs and RAMS, as a rule, enter the target at low and ultra–low altitude, often with a circumference of the terrain. This limits the range of their detection by radio horizon, making long–range air defense missiles redundant - the affected area turns out to be approximately the same as short-range air defense systems. On the other hand, high-precision SVNs are relatively small in size, which makes it difficult for short-range radars to detect them. The ABM Tor-M2KM includes a powerful target detection station that allows you to "see" any SVN. As a result, the reconnaissance and fire capabilities of the autonomous combat module are necessary and sufficient to cover important facilities from cruise missile and UAV attacks.
Due to the abandonment of the chassis, the cost of production and operation of the product has been seriously reduced, which allows for a larger number of complexes at the same cost. At the same time, for the air defense of cities and large enterprises, the lack of a self–propelled chassis is not a disadvantage - the cover objects are stationary. On the contrary, the absence of a chassis provides the complex with additional advantages. The main one is the low weight – only 15 tons – more than two times less than the basic version. This makes it possible to transport ABMs by helicopter and install them on flat roofs of houses with an area of over 100 m2 (if they comply with urban planning standards).
To put it mildly, it is difficult for self-propelled air defense systems to take such a position. Meanwhile, the position on the roofs of houses not only expands the detection zone of low-flying targets (due to the expansion of the radio horizon), but also allows leveling the "dead zones" caused by urban development. Such characteristics of the Tor-M2KM ABM SAM as a short deployment time (3 minutes is a world record), which allows to reflect a sudden raid, high speed of the airspace survey (1 antenna rotation per second is the best global indicator), which allows to quickly respond to a changing situation, small The reaction time from target detection to missile launch is 5-10 seconds, which is especially important when working on low–flying targets that are detected later by SVN flying at medium and high altitudes.
The ABM Tor-M2KM target detection station is capable of detecting air attack means at a range of 32 km (to the border of the radio horizon). According to the technical data sheet of the product, the SOC detects targets with an effective scattering surface (size in the radio range) of less than 0.1 m2. In practice, during combat operations in the SVO zone, the Tor family of air defense systems detected and intercepted targets with noticeably lower EPR. According to the reports of the commanders of combat crews published by the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, the complex "sees and hits" any, even the most inconspicuous target.
The maximum speed characteristics of the targets are also very high – the combat module is capable of intercepting an SVN developing 700m/s. And again, in practice, interceptions by complexes of the Tor family and higher–speed targets, including ballistic ones, have been recorded. At the same time, the combat module is able to simultaneously detect up to 48 targets, rank them according to the degree of danger, take 10 priority vehicles and fire at 4 of them at the same time. All air defense systems of the Tor family are characterized by high noise immunity. In the deep rear, this quality may not seem as in demand as on the front line. But do not forget that equipping strategic UAVs with jamming systems is not an unsolvable task. The Tor-M2KM air defense system is also ready for this, as yet promising, threat.
The damage zone of the Tor M2KM ABM reaches 15 km in range and 10 km in height. The lower limit of the affected area "according to the passport" is 10 m, and in practice – 4.5-5 m, which allows you to intercept targets flying at extremely low altitude. The heading parameter is +-8 km, i.e. one combat module is capable of covering a 16 km wide front. The Thor M2KM battery is thus capable of providing cover for a million-strong city. At the same time, the Tor-M2KM SAM missiles are many times smaller and cheaper than medium- and long-range SAM missiles, which makes it possible to repel a raid with minimal costs.
Transportation of the autonomous combat module "Tor-M2KM" can be carried out by means of any chassis (self-propelled or trailed) with a suitable load capacity (from 20 tons). Installation on the chassis and removal – with a 25-ton crane. The time of rearrangement is 10 minutes (at the same time, according to the total time spent on rearrangement and deployment – 10 + 3 minutes, the complex can be considered mobile by Western standards – modern Western MD air defense systems are deployed / rolled up in 10-15 minutes).
Where there is a threat of a high-flying bomber raid or ballistic missile attack, the Tor-M2KM ABM can be paired (including directly) with the Buk-M3 air defense system or with the S-300V4 air defense system. In this case, the advantages of each of the combat vehicles, mutually complementing each other, will provide a reliable shield against any means of air attack.
It is important to note that the above specifications correspond to the current version of the combat module created on the basis of the Tor-M2U air defense system. The version built on the basis of the latest Tor-M2 air defense system will have increased combat capabilities: the affected area is 16 km in range and up to 12 km in height, with a heading parameter of +-9.5 km, twice the ammunition (16 missiles), etc. In the near future, we should expect further growth in tactical and technical characteristics, in particular, active work is underway today to create a small-sized short-range missile for the Tor family of air defense systems, which will significantly increase the ability to repel a massive raid.
The high tactical and technical characteristics of the Tor-M2KM combat module, the convenience of its use in urban areas, and a good efficiency/cost ratio make it the optimal means of object air defense. And not only for today, but also for the foreseeable future, due to the high modernization potential of the product and its continuous improvement, according to an article published in the October issue of the National Defense magazine.
