Shipunov Design Bureau of KBP Instrument Design Bureau stated that Russia’s Pantsyr-S medium range surface-to-air missile and anti-aircraft artillery weapon system has received the latest hypersonic missile. There are two surface-to-air missile that fight the entire range of targets. One is standard while the other has been developed recently and is hypersonic; it can develop a speed of Mach 5 and more. The new surface-to-air missile approaches the target more quickly, which increases the system’s rate of fire because the firing channel is freed faster.
The Pantsyr’s surface-to-air missile are not outfitted with homing warheads for its range capability as all the tasks can be solved using the system of the missile’s remote control from a combat vehicle. Besides, there is no need to load a large amount of explosives into the missile’s warhead for the fragments’ dispersal: the higher the impact speed, the greater the fragments’ efficiency. The first stage is a booster, providing rapid acceleration within the first 2 seconds of flight, after which it is separated from the sustainer-stage. Target and missile tracking is instead provided via the system’s multiband sensor system and guidance data is submitted via radio link for up to four missiles in flight.
Pantsir-S1 (NATO reporting name SA-22 Greyhound) is the first version and is a combined short to medium range surface-to-air missile and anti-aircraft artillery weapon system produced by KBP of Tula, Russia. The Pantsyr consists of 12 surface-to-air missiles (six missiles in two transport and launch containers each). The Pantsyr is also armed with two 30mm guns, each of which is capable of firing up to 40 rounds per second. The Pantsir-S1 was designed to provide point air defence of military installations against aircraft, helicopters, precision munitions, cruise missiles and UAVs; and to provide additional protection to air defence units against enemy air attacks employing precision munitions, especially at low to extremely low ranges.
