The Russian Defence Ministry has signed a contract with Kupol Izhevsk Electromechanical Plant for the supply of Tor-M2 anti-aircraft missile systems. Lieutenant General Anatoly Gulyaev, Head of the Russian Armed Forces’ Main Armament Directorate, and the Kupol’s Director Fanil Ziyatdinov signed the relevant document on the margins of the ARMY 2023 Forum. The Tor (Torus, NATO codification – Gauntlet) is a short-range anti-aircraft missile system, manufactured by Kupol IEMZ (part of JSC Concern VKO ‘Almaz-Antey’). It is designed to cover the first echelons of land formations from the strikes of anti-radar and cruise missiles, planing bombs, aircraft, helicopters and UAVs, including those combined in swarms.
The complex has been upgraded three times during its lifetime: to the Tor-M1 level in 1991, Tor-M2U in 2009, and Tor-M2 in 2016. Starting with the Tor-M2U, the complexes are capable of engaging targets while moving at speeds of up to 40 km/h with the defending forces on the march or in mobile combat without restricting their manoeuvre. The ADMS can independently control the airspace in the area of responsibility and shoot down all air targets not recognised by the friend-or-foe system. The Tor-M2, has 16 vertical-launch anti-aircraft missiles with a range of up to 12 kilometres and an altitude range of up to 10 kilometres.
The first batteries of Tor-M2 surface-to-air missile systems entered service with the 120th anti-aircraft missile brigade of Air Force and Air Defense Troops in 2011-2012. In early 2014, the 120th brigade set up an air defense battalion comprising three batteries armed with Tor-M2 missile systems. Tor-M2 air defense missile systems also went into operation with the 740th antiaircraft missile brigade. The Tor-M2 air defense missile system is an effective means to hit precision weapons flying at medium, low and extremely low altitudes in an adverse air and jamming environment. The upgraded radar system is capable of detecting air targets at a distance of up to 32 km, and the radar detects even aircrafts with stealth technologies.
There are several modifications of the TOR-M2 system. The anti-aircraft missile system has the following modifications:
– TOR-M2E: Export version, with a 9?331?E tracked chassis mounting two 9M334 missile modules with four 9?9331 missiles.
– TOR-M2K: with a wheeled 9?331?? chassis developed by the Belarusian company «MZKT» mounting two 9M334 missile modules, each with four 9?9331 missiles.
– TOR-M2KM: modular design (towed variant weight reduced to 15 tons), to accommodate various types of chassis. 9?331??-1 TELAR mounting two 9M334 missile modules with four 9M9331 missiles.
