Russian Buk-M2E Air Defence System

While India and Russia are currently finalising a deal on the S-400 long-range air defence missile system (ADMS), Moscow is now understood to be getting New Delhi interested in its Buk-M3 medium range and Tor-M3 short-range missile defence systems to form a single air-defence network.

A suggestion to this effect had been mooted by Dmitry Shugaev, director of the Russian Federal Service for Military Technical Cooperation (FSMTC) during the Army 2018 exhibition in Moscow last month while speaking to a group of journalists.

“You know that among our offers are Buk-M2E system or Buk-M3 Viking which has been presented at ARMY 2018 event. We also have the Tor systems. All of them can be easily integrated with S-400 providing for a united and very effective anti-missile defence loop.”

An informed Russian source told Defenseworld.net that Russia has a package proposal of integrating S-400systems with other air defense systems. “Russia can not only supply its customers buying S-400 long-range systems with, for example, Buk-M2 or brand-new Buk-M3 medium-range systems and Tor-M2 close range systems, but also can integrate them into the single air defense network providing almost impenetrable defense perimeter. In such a network these systems also would provide protection to each other – for example Tors are very effective against guided bombs and missiles already approaching the targets which for sure will include air defense installations.”

Buk-M2E is a medium-range SAM system designed to engage strategic and tactical aircraft, helicopters, cruise missiles and other aerodynamic aerial vehicles throughout their whole altitude envelope.

In comparison with the Buk-M2E, the Buk-M3 Viking’s range of fire has increased nearly by 1.5 times – up to 65 kilometres. Besides, the number of simultaneously fired targets has also increased by 1.5 times, which is 6 by each self-propelled launching installation, and the number of ready-for-launch missiles in one firing position made of two combat units has grown up from 8 to 18.


Tor-M2 is designed to destroy planes, helicopters, UAVs, guided missiles & precision weapons at medium, low / extremely low altitudes - it is automated, highly mobile with short reaction time

Tor-M2E air defense missile system with combat vehicle on tracked chassis is designed to provide air defense for military and public facilities against aircraft, helicopters, cruise missiles, guided aerial missiles and bombs, unmanned air vehicles flying at medium, low and extremely low altitudes in the heavy air and electronic countermeasures environment. During the target engagement process, all the target detection and identification, lock-on and missile control operations are done automatically with minimum operator participation. The Tor system was designed to intercept modern high-precision missiles and guided bombs which actually pose the most grave threat in today’s conflicts and have been the decisive factors in many of them. The main task of Tor is to make a missile or a bomb to explode before reaching its target.

India and Russia have concluded negotiations for the S-400 and Indian Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said recently that the deal could be signed ahead of the Indo-Russian summit early next month.