All New Pantsir-SM-SV Air Defense System Seen in Battle Against Ukraine

Images of an all-new Russian  Pantsir-SM-SV Air defense system deployed in the Ukrainian battleground has appeared online this week.

According to Russian social media channels, this is an improved tracked version of the Pantsir-S1 and consists of the GM-352M1E chassis, which provides increased cross-country ability. In addition it is equipped with a modern 1RS2-3 tracking and guidance radar with a phased antenna array, which can detect both large air targets and small ones like GMLRS projectiles.

It also fires a new missile, the two-stage 57E6M missile, the speed of which reaches Mach 5.5, the Pantsir-SM-SV air defense missile and gun system can intercept air targets at a maximum range of up to 35 kilometers.

The missile has a more powerful booster stage and improved aerodynamic characteristics. The missile's warhead uses the Zavesa kinetic destruction system.

Among other “new” features is that the Pantsir-SM-SV is equipped with small-sized anti-aircraft missiles 19Ya6, specially designed to destroy drones. They are capable of eliminating enemy UAVs at a range of up to seven kilometers.

A Pantsir system photographed in Ukraine resembles one recently delivered to the Russian Army by Rostec. The company confirmed a new batch of Pantsir-S deliveries, and an image it released matches one circulating on Russian social media, particularly in the radar design, which differs from older models.