The Russian Army has begun inducting its latest short-range Pantsir-SMD air defence systems, Colonel General Alexander Maksimtsev, First Deputy Commander of the Russian Aerospace Forces, has announced.
Produced by High Precision Systems, a subsidiary of the state-owned Rostec Corporation, the Pantsir-SMD is being deployed to bolster the protection of administrative and political centres, critical infrastructure, military formations, and supply hubs against intense aerial threats from hostile drones and missiles.
The upgraded system incorporates a modular missile-launch structure, enabling a larger ammunition capacity. It can carry up to 48 mini-missiles, optimised for intercepting low-altitude targets such as unmanned aerial vehicles and cruise missiles.
