Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Defense announced on 1 February that the Kazak Army has taken delivery of its first battalion set of the Buk-M2E self-propelled medium-range surface-to-air defense missile system. The Russian-made 9K317M2E which is the export variant of the Buk-M2 used by the Russian military, was acquired from Russian company Almaz-Antey. In May 2018, the Russian press agency Tass has announced that Kazakhstan has signed a contract for the purchase of one battalion of Buk-M2E. Delivery of the Buk-M2E was initially expected in 2020 but was delayed, likely owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Buk-M2E (NATO name SA-17 Grizzly, Russian name 9K317)is expected to soon enter service with the Kazakhstan Air Defence Forces (KADF) and supplement the country’s air-defence capabilities, which already include the Sâ€300PS midâ€to-long range SAM system. Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Defense have reported that the country has been in talks to acquire another battalion set of the Buk-M2, but based on a wheeled platform known as the Buk-M2EK. This variant uses the MZKT-6922 6×6 wheeled platform developed by the Minsk Wheeled Tractor Plant (Volat) in Belarus as the system’s transporter-erector-launcher and radar (TELAR) vehicle in place of the GM-569M tracked chassis used by the Buk-M2E.
The Buk-M2 is a Russian-made mobile medium-range surface-to-air missile (SAM) system designed to defend field troops and logistical installations against air threats. The Buk-M2 Ural) is an upgraded version and export variant of the proven Buk-M1 mobile air defense system and retains its main features. The Buk-M2E includes combat elements, such as a battle management station, self-propelled firing vehicles, illumination and guidance radar, loader-launcher vehicles. The Buk-M2 can engage a wide variety of targets from aircraft to missiles flying at an altitude of between 10 and 24,000 m at a maximum range of 50 km in all-weather conditions. It can engage simultaneous of up to 24 targets flying from any direction.
The BUK-M2 SA-17 Gadfly uses the new 9M317 missile. The SA-17 Grizzly may also launch the 9M38 and 9M38M1 missiles. The missile was developed as a joint weapon for Russian Army and Navy air defense systems and has an extended engagement envelope when compared to the original Buk-M1 9M38M1 missile. The Buk M2E / SA-17 Grizzly 9A317 TELAR is equipped with the new NIIP 9S36 passive phased array engagement radar, which provides the capability to concurrently track and illuminate multiple targets for the four 9M317 Grizzly SAM rounds. The unified multi-functional 9M317 and 9M317E missiles are developed in compliance with advanced tendencies in the development of the world missile construction industry.
