Nudelman Precision Engineering Design Bureau (KBtochmash) says it has begun promoting the Sosna short-range surface-to-air missile (SAM) system for export to Southeast Asia.
Newest Russian-made mobile short-range surface-to-air missile system Sosna which continues the line of the Strela-10 was unveiled for the first time at Army-2018 International Military-Technical Forum.
KBtochmash sees opportunities to further penetrate the Southeast Asia market by increasing its focus on promoting new Sosna missile system aiming to replace the Strela-10M.
A considerable amount of Strela-10 in various modifications has been delivered to the armies of more than 20 states in the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and Eastern Europe.
Now the development of Pantsyr-S1 is completed and modernization of Tor is done. These air defense systems distinguish themselves by a high technological state of the art, availability of several firing channels and are capable to struggle against the wide range of air targets. However, these systems are characterized by high complexity and high cost. They are also vulnerable because of radio-frequency radiation.
Therefore as long ago as the nineties of the last century Arkady Shipunov, Academician of Russian Academy of Sciences has suggested developing a substitution for Strela-10 – it should be light, passive and rather inexpensive missile systems with an electro-optical control system and laser-guided surface-to-air missile. This new system is intended for strengthening a tactical air defense and operation both independently and as a part of the composite air defense units.
The new Sosna mobile short-range surface-to-air missile system is intended to protect against all types of air threats including high-precision weapons e.g. cruise missiles and guided aircraft missiles in the area of the system responsibility: in a range – up to 10 km, in altitude – up to 5 km.
The weapon system of the Sosna consists of 2×6 Sosna-R missile launchers mounted on a turret which can turn on 360°. The turret also includes air search and target tracking equipment, missile flight control units that are combined by an integrated high-precision ECM-protected electro-optical control system (EOCS).
The Sosna can be used as a part of the battery, including the battery of mixed air defense unit, receiving target designation from a battery control post, from the commander’s vehicle, or independently.
A battery of Sosna can use the sector search and thus can operate without external target designation, carrying out all-around surveillance and target designation in a passive mode that does impossible the attacks of antiradiation missiles.
