Units of the newly Russian formed air defence missile brigade conducted first missile launches with Buk-M2

Buk missile system. Photo by Stanislav Kozlovskiy

Units of the air defence missile brigade of the 49th combined-arms army of the Southern MD, which had been formed in December 2015, have successfully performed missile launches with Buk-M2 air defence complexes at the Kapustin Yar range (Astrakhan Region).

In course of the field training, the crews performed about 20 missile launches. All targets, which had been imitating aviation attacks of the simulated enemy, have been engaged.

In total, the servicemen attended more than 30 exercises on tracking aerial vehicles and combat firing.

- ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW -

The Buk-M2 (NATO name: SA-17 Grizzly) is a medium-range advanced defence missile complex (ADMC) designed and manufactured by Almaz-Antey, primarily for the Russian Army.

The Buk-M2 missile system can perform multiple missions with greater mobility and can simultaneously engage a maximum of 24 targets.

The missile has a 70 kg high-explosive fragmentation warhead. Kill probability of a ballistic missile with a single missile is 60-70%. Kill probability of a helicopter with a single missile is 90-95%. In case of emergency missiles can be launched against contrast surface targets, such as ships.