Article Posted on : - Jul 19, 2011

Pantsyr-S1 (SA-22 Greyhound) system. A file photo.

MOSCOW (BNS): KBP Instrument Design Bureau has announced to soon deliver a new ship-based gun/missile air defence system Pantsyr-M, to Russian Navy, a media report said.

The new missile is based upon land-based Pantsyr-S1 (SA-22 Greyhound).

"Pantsyr-M will replace the Kortik air defence systems and will be installed on all new classes of Russian combat ships, from corvettes to cruisers," RIA Novosti quoted Alexander Zhukov, a senior KBP official as saying.

Zhukov cited specifications for an export version of Pantsyr-M as the data on the system for the Russian Navy is still classified.

The export Pantsyr-ME version has a response time of 3-5 seconds and can track and destroy simultaneously up to four targets.

Its missiles have a range of 20 kilometers and can hit targets at altitudes from 2 meters to 15 kilometers, while its guns have a range of four kilometers and can hit targets at altitudes up to 3 kilometers, the news report concluded.