The Russian military is working on a small and cheap surface-to-air missile (SAM) missile for the Tor-M2 short-range air defense missile system, especially suited for intercepting the small-sized unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The Tor-M2 is able to engage a target within ten seconds while on the move and, and within just eight seconds from a short stop. It integrates Passive Electronically Scanned Array (PESA) radar that allows for faster and more precise beam control, and it can engage somewhere between four and ten targets simultaneously. However, against some targets the Tor-M2 would be overkill—in essence comparable to targeting flies with a shotgun—which is why the Russian military has now announced that it developed a small-size missile for the SAM platform. These would be used as a counter-weapon specifically against UAVs and other small drones.
The Tor missile system is an all-weather low to medium altitude, short-range surface-to-air missile system designed for destroying airplanes, helicopters, cruise missiles, precision guided munitions, unmanned aerial vehicles and short-range ballistic threats (anti-munitions). Originally developed by the Soviet Union under the GRAU designation 9K330 Tor, the system is commonly known by its NATO reporting name, SA-15 “Gauntlet”. A navalized variant was developed under the name 3K95 “Kinzhal”, also known as the SA-N-9 “Gauntlet”. Tor was also the first air defence system in the world designed from the start to shoot down precision guided weapons like the AGM-86 ALCM day and night, in bad weather and jamming situations. Tor can detect targets while on the move.
