At the final board meeting of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, Defense Minister Andrei Belousov stated the importance of increasing serial production of Pantsir-S1 anti-aircraft missile and gun systems (SAM/Artillery Systems). According to him, the growing activity of the enemy in the use of long-range unmanned aerial vehicles and cruise missiles requires strengthening the air defense groups of the ground forces through modern and mass-produced short-range defense systems.
It is necessary to continue equipping the air and missile defense lines with effective means of detecting and engaging long-range drones and cruise missiles. First of all, this concerns the Pantsir combat vehicles and other short- and medium-range anti-aircraft missile systems.
The technical features of the Pantsir make it a key element of multi-layered air defense
Pantsir-S1 SAM/Artillery System is a mobile short-range system capable of simultaneously tracking up to 10 targets and engaging them with two types of weapons: 57E6 missiles with a range of up to 20 km and an interception altitude of up to 15 km, as well as a twin 30-mm automatic cannon. The complex is equipped with a multifunctional phased array radar, providing target detection at a distance of up to 45 km. Thanks to its high deployment speed (less than 5 minutes) and the possibility of autonomous operation, the Pantsir effectively complements longer-range air defense systems such as the S-400 or Buk-M3.