The Tor-M2DT anti-aircraft missile system crews have started practicing in order to prepare for potential battles in Yeysk (Krasnodar Krai), southern Russia. Russia is setting up a special unit armed with an advanced version of Tor-family autonomous short-range anti-aircraft missile system, called the Tor-M2DT, ready to fight in the Arctic as tensions over the region’s allegedly vast oil and gas wealth reserves grow. The first units of the Tor-M2DT have been handed over to representatives of the Armed Forces and will now be sent to the North. At the technical, special and tactical training sessions, the Tor-M2DT crews master the capabilities of the new air defense systems, after which they will have to carry out combat shooting at high-speed air targets. Tor-M2DT is an Arctic variant of the Tor-M2 SAM missile system designed for anti-aircraft and anti-missile defense at the level of a battalion air wing.
The TOR-M2DT (NATO reporting name: SA-15 Gauntlet) is a Russian-made short-range air defense missile system using the TOR-M2 missile launcher station. The system adapted to severe climatic conditions is intended to operate at extremely low temperature and difficult terrain. The Tor-M2DT autonomous short-range anti-aircraft missile system is designed for air and ballistic missile defense at the battalion level. It can be used to provide coverage for key administrative facilities and forward forces against the attacks of anti-radiation and cruise missiles, glide bombs, planes, helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles. The system is especially designed to be used for Arctic region based on the chassis of the DT-30PM tracked all-terrain vehicle which consists of two tracked vehicle units linked by a steering mechanism. The second vehicle is used to carried the TOR-M2 missile launcher station. The TOR-M2DT is developed by the Russia`s JSC Izhevsk Electromechanical Plant Kupol (a subsidiary of the Almaz-Antey Concern).
The system has 16 vertical-launched air defense missiles with a range of 12 kilometers (7.4 miles) and an altitude of up to 10,000 meters and can operate in manual and automatic modes. It monitors the airspace autonomously and downs all aerial targets that have not been identified by the friend-or-foe system. The TOR-M2DT is fitted with a TOR-M2 missile launcher station mounted on the roof of the second vehicle of a DT-30PM-T1 all-terrain amphibious vehicle. The missile system is equipped with two 9M334 modules, each containing four 9M331 and 9M332 surface-to-air guided missiles in four transporting-launching containers which are used to store, transport and launch the missiles. This missile uses the vertical cold launch technique, with a charge ejecting the round vertically from the transport and launch canister. The proximity fuse transmit antenna is in the missile nose, which also contains the transmitter. The fuse receiver, command link receiver and autopilot are all clustered in the centre section of the missile. The warhead is situated between the guidance section and motor. The turret of the TOR-M2 also includes a 25 km 360° search radar mounted at the rear and 15 km 60° tracking radar at the front.
The TOR-M2DT is based on the chassis of the DT-30PM-T1 tracked articulated tractor (DT stands for ‘articulated tractor’ in Russian), an all-terrain vehicle which consists of two tracked vehicle units linked by a steering mechanism. The DT-30PM is especially designed to be used in the harsh climatic conditions of the Arctic region. The first vehicle of the DT-30PM is a tracked platform with water-displacing sealed all-welded body housing a crew cabin for 4 – 7 people equipped with autonomous heating and air ventilation systems, power plant, transmission and a cargo compartment located at the rear of the crew cab. The missiles launcher station is mounted on the roof of the second tracked chassis vehicle. The DT-30PM has a curb weight of 31,500 kg, a payload of 30,000 kg and a length of 16.08 m, width of 3.10 m and a height of 3.33 m. The TOR-M2DT uses the same chassis and powerpack as the standard DT-30PM. The vehicle is motorized with a V-shaped, 12-cylinder multi-fuel diesel engine YaMZ-847.10 developing 800 hp. The DT-30PM can run at a maximum road speed of 45 km/h with a maximum cruising range of 700 km. The DT-30PM can negotiate gradients up to 30° and slope of 15°. It can cross a trench of 4.5 m width and a vertical obstacle of 1.2 m.
