The disclosure that the Russian Pantsir air defence missile system successfully intercepted four SCALP missiles simultaneously during combat operations in the Ukrainian territory of the Russian special operation has attracted substantial attention from international observers. Currently, Russian gunsmiths are actively engaged in advancing their capabilities. Recently, the official spokesperson for High-Precision Complexes JSC, responsible for creating missile systems for the domestic air defence system, announced that hypersonic anti-aircraft interceptor missiles had been successfully developed and integrated into the Pantsir system. When manoeuvring in the air, these missiles have phenomenal speed at their disposal.
The manufacturers state that the improved version of Pantsir exhibits a rate of efficacy of one hundred per cent when used to defeat the HIMARS MLRS. HIMARS has various types of missiles in its arsenal, flying at different ranges and speeds. In addition, the system’s effectiveness in intercepting missiles such as Storm Shadow and SCALP EG is greatly improved. To protect Crimea against Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), the earlier iteration, the Pantsir-S1 air defence missile system, is currently being used.
Hypersonic missiles and regular, non-hypersonic missiles are both considered standard combat assets by the Pantsir system, according to the press service of “High-Precision Complexes.”
In addition, during the ongoing “Army 2023” military-technical conference, the holding company announced that the testing phase for the most recent iteration of the Pantsir-S system, known as the Pantsir-SM-SV, has been completed.
Shooting Down Scalp Missile
On August 15, Russian forces stated that they had successfully intercepted “SCALP-EG” missiles that were flying in close proximity to them. The Tula Design Bureau of Instrument Design (KBP) was responsible for developing the Pantsir-S1 anti-aircraft missile-gun system, which was utilised to complete this interception successfully. Additionally, the self-propelled firing units 9A317M of the Buk-M3 air defence systems, made by V.V. Tikhomirov NIIP, were deployed in this operation.
The complexity of intercepting long-range missiles like the “SCALP-EG” is nearly the same as that for the “Storm Shadow” cruise missiles since the radar cross-section (0.02 – 0.05 sq. meters) and IR signatures of both missile types are identical, as well as their characteristics and flight profiles. For timely detection and targeting by anti-aircraft missile systems, using low-altitude detectors like the “Podlyot-K1” and optoelectronic complexes with mid- and long-wave infrared channels for sighting on universal towers is a priority.
It’s worth reminding that the long-range “SCALP-EG” missiles can strike targets at distances of up to 500 kilometres and reach speeds of up to 1000 kilometres per hour. In the Western press, they have been called “invulnerable” multiple times.
Pantsir-SM-SV version
Adapting the “Pantsir-SM-SV” anti-aircraft missile-gun system for the Ground Forces requires the incorporation of two distinct variants of guided anti-aircraft missiles and an increased engagement range. The combat vehicle’s anti-aircraft gunner crew may employ currently available MANPADS systems, such as “Igla,” “Igla-S,” and “Verba,” as well as the anticipated next-generation MANPADS known as “Metka.”
In addition, the newer ‘Ptitselov’ surface-to-air missile (SAM) system consists of two distinct missile variants employing different guiding techniques, namely infrared homing and laser guidance.
