Advantages and directions of modernization of air defense systems of the "Tor" family

Combat "Tor-M2" of the Russian army. Photo of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation

In 1986, a short-range anti-aircraft missile system for the Tor military air defense system was adopted by the Soviet army. In the future, he repeatedly went through various modernizations, the result of which each time was an increase in the main combat and technical characteristics. The modernization potential of "Torah" has not yet been exhausted, and right now another renovation project is being created, aimed at a radical increase in parameters.

In the process of development

The development processes of the original design "Thor" and its new modifications were clearly shown at the recent forum "Army-2021". The manufacturer of this air defense system, the Izhevsk electromechanical plant "Kupol", presented several modern modifications at the exhibition at once. Were shown vehicles for the Russian army and for foreign customers on different chassis and with different combat capabilities.

According to TASS, during the forum, the main features of the development of the family of complexes and plans for the near future were revealed. Fanil Ziyatdinov, General Director of Kupol, recalled that the Torah has been renewed practically from the moment of its creation. At the same time, since 2013, work on its modernization has been carried out directly by the manufacturer. New projects are created by the Kupola design bureaus in cooperation with leading specialized institutes.

Anti-aircraft missile launch. Photo by Rosoboronexport

According to F. Ziyatdinov, work is underway "to radically improve all the main characteristics of the product." They are aimed at improving combat and operational parameters. However, any details of such work and the possible level of improvement in characteristics were not specified.

From the words of the general director of the IEMZ "Kupol" it may follow that the next modification of the "Tor" air defense missile system is being developed right now. Accordingly, in the foreseeable future, the updated technology may be released for testing, and then it will go into service. It is not known what the plans of the Ministry of Defense and Kupol look like for the further development of the Tor family. But you can consider the recent successes and imagine how the complex should be modernized in the future.

Main advantages

SAM "Tor" is a military air defense system capable of accompanying and protecting ground forces on the march. A combat vehicle of this type is built on a chassis with high mobility and carries all the necessary equipment. There are own radar means of target detection and tracking; a combat module with several guided missiles is installed on the machine. "Thor" is capable of working independently or as part of a subunit, missiles are launched on the move.

"Arctic" complexes "Tor-M2DT". Photo by AP RF

The latest development of the Tor family is the Tor-M2 air defense missile system and a number of its modifications. Actually "Tor-M2" retains the architecture of its predecessors, but carries more advanced equipment. In addition, a new 9M338 missile defense system of smaller dimensions with improved flight characteristics was developed for it. Due to the new missile, the ammunition load of the complex has been doubled and brought to 16 units.

Several modifications of the complex are offered, differing in the base chassis. For the Arctic divisions of our army, "Tor-M2DT" was created on a two-link tracked chassis. At the exhibitions, the Tor-M2K air defense missile system was demonstrated on a three-axle platform from the MZKT. Finally, the equipment of the complex can be mounted in a universal container - "Tor-M2KM".

From the spot and on the move, "Tor-M2" is capable of monitoring the airspace and detecting targets of various types, it is also provided with third-party target designation. The detection range of large targets such as tactical aircraft reaches 30-32 km. Small UAVs are spotted from 5-10 km. Support for several dozen targets is provided. The radio command missile control system has 4 target channels.

"Thor" on the chassis of the BAZ brand. Photo by IEMZ "Kupol"

The modern 9M338 missile defense system develops a speed of about 1000 m / s and is capable of hitting targets at ranges up to 16 km and altitudes of 10 km. The missile intercepts targets at a speed of up to 1000 m / s and maneuvers with an overload of 30 units. According to all the main characteristics, the Tora-M2 missile surpasses the previous missiles, which significantly increases the effectiveness of the complex as a whole.

Areas of modernization

It is easy to see that in all major projects, the modernization of the Tor air defense system was carried out in three ways. First, there was a systematic development of radio-electronic means responsible for the search and destruction of targets, for communication and control. The second goal achieved in recent projects was to improve the anti-aircraft missile. Finally, there have been experiments with a basic platform aimed at increasing mobility.

The problem of the mobility of the "Thor" has been generally solved and the desired results have been obtained. Our army and foreign customers are supplied with equipment on a standard tracked chassis. In addition, an option on a two-link transporter has been created for Russian units in the Arctic. Other options have not been brought to the series. If the army wants to get them, the industry will fulfill such a request using the existing developments.

Container "Tor-M2KM" on a foreign chassis. Photo by Rosoboronexport

The need for further improvement of radio-electronic means is obvious. Now "Tor-M2" shows high characteristics of range and accuracy of target detection, but these parameters should be increased again. In addition, detection and guidance stations should be able to fully work on small-sized and inconspicuous UAVs - a typical threat of the present time. It is also necessary to improve communication and command facilities, which will increase the overall potential of the "Thor" and the military air defense system as a whole.

SAM for "Thor" has already reached a high level of performance, but this does not exclude their further improvement. First of all, their modernization should affect the electronics and propulsion system. This will again increase the range and altitude, as well as improve the accuracy of the defeat. After such an update, "Thor" will be able to go beyond the class of short-range complexes, improving the performance of military air defense.

Last October, it became known that a fundamentally new missile would be developed for the Torah-M2. This product is designed specifically to combat drones. Due to the specifics of such an application, it will be smaller, lighter and cheaper than existing missiles. Technical details have not yet been reported, but the very fact of developing such a tool is of great interest.

"Tor-M2KM" on the deck of a warship. Photo by IEMZ "Kupol"

Recent reports mention work on "cardinal improvement" and enhancement of all characteristics. This may indicate the development of a project for a deep modernization of the air defense system, affecting all the main components and means. It is already known about the new firepower, and in the future, new details regarding the electronics of the combat vehicle may appear.

Potential for upgrades

The development of the Tor air defense system family has been going on for several decades and regularly yields new remarkable results. By now, a significant increase in all tactical and technical characteristics has been achieved. High combat qualities and broad capabilities have been repeatedly confirmed during tests, exercises and real combat use. At the same time, even the newest Tor-M2 complex is already quite old - it was created at the beginning of the decade and entered service in 2016.

Obviously, by now there is a need for another modernization of the Tor air defense system. It was about such a project that the head of IEMZ Kupol could speak at a recent forum. How soon a ready-made sample of the modernized complex will appear and how it will differ from the current Tor-M2 is anyone's guess. However, it is clear that in the future this complex will find application in the troops and will again confirm the highest modernization potential of the entire family.

Comments

[Borisych]

A strong system, I saw a modification of the M2 in operation. It is convenient inside, all the control of the chassis and the complex does not raise any questions.

[Toucan]

Quote: Borisych

A strong system, I saw a modification of the M2 in operation. It is convenient inside, all the control of the chassis and the complex does not raise any questions.

All this is wonderful. Only the respected author forgot to indicate how much the last modification costs, and the number of the "Thor" air defense system in the army. Until now, anti-aircraft missile regiments of many motorized rifle and tank divisions are armed with outdated Osa-AKM air defense systems.

[Gunther]

Quote: Author

In 1986, a short-range anti-aircraft missile system for the Tor military air defense system was adopted by the Soviet army.

surprisingly, what a powerful groundwork for the technology developed in the Union, there is no limit to further development.

[A1845]

forgot to mention that Thor was developed at NIEMI

[svoit]

It is unlikely that the target of close air defense will be airplanes, helicopters, and UAVs, you should not expect that the carriers will become the target, most likely missiles, bombs and shells will have to be shot down, this should be the starting point, and 30 g is very little, you need at least twice as much

[Nikolaevich I]

Zur 9M338K is not bad! But it would be nice on the basis of 9M100 to develop a couple of modifications of the zur with (INS + radio correction) and IK.GSN (type "9M100MT"), and with (INS + radio correction) and ARL.GSN (like "9M100MR") Also, a small-sized zur is added for the fight against UAVs ... In the TOR-M2 air defense missile system, the "capacity" of the module is doubled ... from 2 to 4 zur (!) ... the "total capacity" is increased to 8 zur ... "old modules for 16 zur with large dimensions, then you can get a zur with n.d = 4 km and dv = 20 km ... in this case it is easier to make a zur with a guidance system: (INS + radio correction + homing ( IK.GSN and ARL.GSN in another modification ...) ... But the question will arise about the radars!

[Castro Ruiz]

The AFAR radar station suggests itself.

[kytx]

There is such a thing on the basis of the Urals, it has a set of 32 missiles, short-range, with a veitical launch. It can even shoot down mines and artillery shells. The main feature is the minimum reaction time. I forgot the name. It doesn't seem to be in service :(

[Victor Tsenin]

Thor is the head of everything, no Torah will get Karabakh. True, in the hands of Down, the air defense system, driven into the garage, is not dangerous, we found it out.

[Drago]

A couple of Torahs were killed in Karabakh.

[voyaka uh]

There were videos. The spy drone is flying close, following Thor,
and Thor does not see him at all.
Thor stops for cover and is covered with a rocket.

[Blackgrifon]

Not really. According to the video, he is rather driven into cover with artillery, and then finished off.

[Rome]

The article indicates that the UAV's detection range is 5-10 km, this is very small! If true, then while against the UAV he is blind and ineffective

[voyaka uh]

This was evident in the video from Karabakh.
Thor rotated the radar, but he did not see the drone that passed him all the way along the roads and photographed him on video.

[Grohuf]

Azerbaijan lost 80% of its drones in Karabakh.

[voyaka uh]

This included kamikaze drones.
Which died, of course, 100%.
And a few scouts.
It turned out 80%.

[bk0010]

Torah needs to increase the range of destruction to 35-40 km and the altitude to 15 km (the enemy's ATGMs already have a range of 28 km), but I'm afraid at such a range, radio command guidance will not be accurate enough ...

[riwas]

A good air defense system, but due to the increase in the range of controlled weapons of attack drones, it is necessary to increase the range of the air defense missile system. In order not to seriously change the "Thor", the problem with the radar can be solved by connecting several air defense systems to a third-party guidance radar.

[Crabong]

This all pleases of course ... But the people who work at the Izhevsk plant "Kupol" receive such pennies as a salary, which is a shame to say ...

[zyablik.olga]

Quote: Krabong

This all pleases of course ... But the people who work at the Izhevsk plant "Kupol" receive such pennies as a salary, which is a shame to say ...

The same thing happens in many other defense enterprises. at the same time, "effective managers" burst from fat.

[Comrade Kim]

In Iran, too, salaries are not great, but people are working and are not buzzing.
There is an opinion that for the "per diem" spent during the day of a resident of some kind of Ruble.Uspensky highway, Izhevsk could "walk" for a whole month.
Small salaries, this is the ruff of the colonial system.

Iranian air defense:

https://t.me/parstodayrussian/78984

[anzar]

Only it seems to me that in the picture the length of the rocket launched (thrown) upwards is greater than height rotary "tower" How so? Where was she placed? Photomontage?

[patch25]

In in, and explain to me, pl. The rackets do not rise there ... it seems ... this is impossible, and in height it is more than TOR, he buries them in advance, and then against the background of himself, his beloved, he makes a photo report ?!

[Evil troll]

Here's another shooting video just in case.

[_Ugene_]

In my opinion, in modern conditions Thor is less and less relevant, he does not see small reconnaissance UAVs, and if he sees it, it is expensive to spend a missile on such a trifle, and all the ammunition can be spent on these penny UAVs, and a modern multipurpose fighter will destroy Thor without entering into his affected area, there are enough funds for this

[Rome]

TOP is generally intended for the destruction of missiles and bombs. If it is charged and in order, then it blocks any attack. But there is a question about the cost of missiles and the range of detection of UAVs is also a serious question. It turns out he can hit the UAV, the firing range is enough, and the radar's vigilance is not enough to see the UAV

[Grohuf]

Medium UAVs such as bayraktar he will see and shoot down. And they cost 10 million each. It will also shoot down rockets / bombs (SAMs are tested on rockets from a wasp). Missiles and bombs with a seeker in terms of cost will surpass the TOP missiles that do not have a seeker.

[_Ugene_]

Medium UAVs such as bayraktar he will see and shoot down.

theoretically yes, but practically it depends on both sides, if such a UAV stupidly enters the detection zone of the TOP, then it should shoot down, but, as practice in Karabakh has shown, there are many ways to deceive the air defense and destroy without entering the affected area

[Grohuf]

One destroyed in the TOP hangar against a huge number of lost drones. Something the account is not in favor of the UAV. If instead of the Os there was a more modern air defense, then the average drones had nothing to do at all, except to stick into the ground.

[_Ugene_]

In Karabakh, the Armenians had 6 Tor-M2KM. Azerbaijanis launched small reconnaissance drones to detect air defense, the TOP does not see such a trifle, in order to force the enemy to launch all its air defense systems, an imitation of a massive air strike was organized using aircraft, helicopters and UAVs. These aircraft did various maneuvers without entering the affected area of ​​the air defense. Further, the patrolling ammunition Harop, Skystriker and Orbiter-1k, and the Bayraktar TB2 UAV, already in the air, struck at the identified air defense systems, and Spike-NLOS missiles installed on helicopters with a range of up to 30 km were also used. On the first day of the operation, it was possible to destroy up to 60% of Armenia's air defense systems (mainly wasps, how many TORs are not clear).
It is clear that the Armenians did not have any layered air defense, in fact, single calculations were used, if there were layered ground air defense + air defense aviation, then such a trick would not work, but the fact is that if you use only TORs to cover the troops, then such air defense with modern means to suppress not difficult.

[Grohuf]

At the same time, Azerbaijan lost almost all of its UAVs during the war. A very effective tactic. One air defense vehicle for 80% of the UAV fleet. And this despite the extremely weak air defense system of Armenia and the absence of air cover. This is modern war, I understand! The short-range air defense systems are definitely outdated!
The fact is that the only type of UAV that is currently effective is light reconnaissance UAVs (around 10kg). For there is nothing to bring them down yet.
All other means of destruction are too expensive. Medium UAVs, long-range aircraft missiles and even barrage ammunition have unpleasantly expensive electronic stuffing.

[_Ugene_]

is it really not clear that it was worth it? who won in the end and why? suppressing the air defense, they calmly shot all armored vehicles from the air with the help of those same bayraktars, which, in your opinion, are "ineffective and too expensive", when they destroyed the ground operation enough, and without armored vehicles, the Armenians were doomed, which happened
as a result, it was with the help of "ineffective and too expensive" UAVs and loitering ammunition that a convincing victory was won, one might say with one goal
apparently because these means are "not effective and too expensive" we are hastily developing and adopting them - Orion, Sirius, Lancet, etc.

[Grohuf]

A one-sided victory - is it when the losses of the Azerbaijanis in manpower and equipment are comparable to those of the Armenians? Oh how.
No, I do not argue that the attackers usually have higher losses than the defenders, and equal losses can be considered a success. But the Azerbaijanis had a twofold advantage in manpower and somewhere fourfold in artillery. The presence of at least some kind of aircraft is just the cherry on the cake. I am afraid that without any bayraktars, given the level of training that the Armenians had, they would have won. Perhaps the losses would have been a little greater, but the consumption of ammunition for the artillery would have been more.
The trick is that in order to win, the Azerbaijanis would have had enough light reconnaissance drones to reconnoitre targets for artillery.
As for the bayraktars, even in a situation where the enemy has only 6 modern air defense vehicles for the entire front (the Wasps, in fact, cannot reach the bayraktars in height), they suffered losses. How many were there? 6 pieces lost bayraktars? What if all the Wasps were Torahs? What would be the effectiveness of using drones?

Here we return to your statement that the Torah is less and less relevant in modern conditions. In reality, both shells and tori are capable of shooting down medium drones, making their use difficult even in local conflicts. However, here the exchange is still 1: 1, since the short-range air defense systems are not designed to intercept aircraft attacking from a long distance. But in the case of bayraktars, they do it. If medium-range air defense systems are used, then the use of bayraktars will become simply impossible. The same applies to reconnaissance UAVs of the middle weight category.
UAVs of small sizes will still remain relevant.

And finally, all this also does not negate the ability of short-range air defense systems to shoot down expensive weapons that can be launched outside of their range of action (for example, if the bayraktar is equipped with an expensive missile with a seeker launched from a long distance). Therefore, if the future of UAVs such as bayraktars is extremely vague (it is too easy to deal with them) and most likely they will remain a means for beating a technically backward enemy, then with a short-range air defense system with a future, so far everything is just fine.

[_Ugene_]

I am afraid that without any bayraktars, given the level of training that the Armenians had, they would have won.

The Azerbaijanis began a ground operation only after they gained full control over the sky, they killed all armored vehicles, artillery from the air, everything that moves up to cars, and only then they began a ground operation. At the same time, as you noticed, the losses in manpower were still comparable, i.e. if it were not for complete air superiority, the situation would have developed quite differently, which is shown by the experience of past clashes in Karabakh. The key factor of victory is air capture through the suppression of air defense and the shooting of equipment using UAVs and loitering ammunition.
Here you can assume for as long as you like what would happen if the Armenians had this or that, but you can only draw conclusions based on facts. The conclusions I make are as follows - in modern conditions, short-range air defense systems by themselves (and not as part of an echeloned air defense system) are becoming less and less relevant. Those. you cannot simply send a column of troops under the cover of mobile short-range air defense systems, the air defense systems will be suppressed, the column will be shot.

[Grohuf]

I'm afraid in the conditions you described 20 years ago, the chances of the column were less than they are now. For the chances of such a convoy against helicopters of the Apache AH-64D type were simply negligible. On the contrary, the capabilities of short-range air defense systems have grown over time. Therefore, I repeat once again, your statement that short-range air defense systems are losing ground is extremely doubtful. On the contrary, they begin to pose a great danger, because their capabilities in range and height only grow over the years.

[_Ugene_]

On the contrary, they begin to pose a great danger, because their capabilities in range and height only grow over the years.

Unfortunately, the means of suppression are evolving faster, what can such air defense systems be opposed to loitering ammunition? Their EPR is at the level of small reconnaissance UAVs, their air defense systems are not seen
perhaps the last TOP can detect and shoot down, but the TOP rocket is much more expensive, i.e. you can make the TORs run out of ammunition with the help of cheap UAVs and loitering ammunition, by the way it was infa that TORs in Karabakh forced to spend all the missiles

[Grohuf]

With the reduction in the cost of means of attack, missiles will also become cheaper. Their electronics will also become cheaper in the same way. There will always be an advantage for the air defense system, because the most expensive equipment is on the car, and the rocket can be made as cheap as possible.
The problem of "seeing" for the air defense system is not worth it. It is mainly solved by adjusting the sensitivity limits. Of course, seeing a small and slow moving UAV against the background of the earth is a huge problem. But we are not talking about this. Basically, we are talking about high-flying UAVs, which are not a problem at the current level of science and technology to see against the background of the sky.
If UAVs appear, flying low, then they will most likely be landed by infantry.

Now there is a problem with cheap UAVs and they are working on it. Of course, this is no longer the task of a short-range air defense system, but rather a short-range air defense system.

[Momento]

baikatar costs about 2.5 million pieces. without base station and ammunition.

[Grohuf]

and the torus rocket is somewhere in the region of 100k pieces and shoots down with a 99% probability

[Momento]

money is irrelevant here. Baykatar must be shot down.

[egsp]

"It is not known what the plans of the Ministry of Defense and Kupol look like for the further development of the Tor family."
Unknown and nothing to fantasize, the author poured water. Article for the sake of article. Graphomaniac.

[Dzafdet]

In general, an outdated complex. The war in Armenia clearly showed that they cannot fight against UAVs. We urgently need to modernize them, otherwise our troops will be annihilated with impunity from the air, just like the Armenians.

[Ivan Mak_2]

Each of the available air defense systems has its own scope. Tor is designed for use against manned aircraft and larger missiles. There is a Shell against the UAV, and the promising ACS Derivation-Air Defense will soon go to the troops.