Russian defense officials have acknowledged the limitations of the gun systems on their “Pantsir” air defense complex, leading to a shift in strategy towards the use of mini-missiles to counter drones.
This was highlighted by Defense Express, which noted the significant technological shortcomings of Russia’s military-industrial complex in comparison to Western technologies from the 1980s.
At the recent “Army-2024” military-technical forum, which was closed to the public by Russia’s Ministry of Defense, the latest version of the Pantsir system, the “Pantsir-SMDE,” was unveiled. Unlike its predecessors, this version is equipped only with missiles, marking the removal of the system’s traditional 30mm automatic cannons. The decision to exclude the cannons is particularly telling, as the Pantsir-SMDE now relies entirely on 12 57E6E missiles.
Interestingly, the Pantsir-SMDE is still being promoted as an effective anti-drone system, but with a new approach. Instead of using traditional artillery, the system is now intended to deploy up to 48 small TKB-1055 missiles per vehicle. These mini-missiles are claimed to be capable of intercepting targets at ranges of 0.5 to 7 kilometers and altitudes of up to 5 kilometers. In comparison, the 57E6E missiles have a range of 1.2 to 20 kilometers and can reach altitudes of up to 15 kilometers.
The Russian military’s decision to abandon the use of 30mm guns for drone interception is based on the reported inefficacy of these cannons against unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). However, this reasoning stands in stark contrast to evidence from the battlefield. For instance, the Gepard anti-aircraft gun system, used by Ukraine, has shown exceptional effectiveness against drones, with high accuracy and low ammunition expenditure. The Gepard system, originally developed in the 1970s and modernized in the 1980s, continues to outperform many contemporary systems in real-world combat scenarios.
In modern anti-drone warfare, artillery-based systems have become a key trend, particularly when combined with munitions featuring programmable detonation, such as the Skynex system. Meanwhile, there is no indication that Russia has developed similar advanced ammunition. The Pantsir system’s reliance on TKB-1055 mini-missiles raises further questions, especially regarding the system’s ability to counter large swarms of drones—a critical requirement in today’s conflicts.
The choice to use mini-missiles for drone interception may reflect more on Russia’s technological struggles than on the effectiveness of this approach. The challenges associated with quickly neutralizing multiple drones remain unresolved, leaving the Pantsir system potentially vulnerable in the face of modern aerial threats.