Brazil looks to Russia

Brazil needs to upgrade its ground-based air defenses, and has chosen Russian equipment to do so.

Protecting the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro is very much on Brazil’s mind, and so is improving anti-aircraft defenses beyond the current stock of SA-18 Igla shoulder-fired missiles and Gepard mobile anti-aircraft guns.

What they’re buying won’t give them anything close to a comprehensive IADS system, but it will upgrade their mobile and short-range options.

Brazil’s Choices

SA-24 Igla-S: An upgraded version of the SA-18, with a proximity fuze and other enhancements. It can be carried and fired by troops in the field, or mounted on vehicles or helicopters using Strelets 4-missile launchers.

SA-22 Pantsir S1: Designed for mobile low-level air defense, it can be mounted on trucks, wheeled armored vehicles, and tracked vehicles. It combines twin 30 mm guns with 12 57E6 radar-guided surface-to-air missiles that reach out to 12 km/ 10 miles, and up to 10,000 m altitude. Sensors include targeting and tracking radars, with an electro-optical system for passive scanning.

57E6-E: A brief look

Description

The 57E6-E is a two-stage, solid-fuel, medium-range surface-to-air missile extremely flexible which allows for engagement of airborne threats at ranges from 1.2 to 20 kilometers and altitudes from 5 to 10,000 meters. It may engage both fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft and strike missiles/bombs flying near Mach 3 (1,000 m/s). The 57E6 has been integrated into the Pantsyr-S1 short-range mobile air defense system where 8 to 12 missiles are carried within. Typically, two of such missiles are directed against a single target to maximize kill probability.

Applications

Defense Systems Pantsyr-S1 and Pantsyr-SM

Specifications

Number of stages: 2

Max Range: 20,000 meter

Min Range: 1,200 meter

Target's Max Altitude: 10,000 meter (32,808 foot)

Target's Max Speed: 1,000 mps (3.01 mach)

Warhead: 20 kilogram

Weight: 75 kilogram

Pantsir-S for Sochi Olympics

The Sochi Olympics are adding six Pantsir-S short-range air defense systems for extra security.

They were delivered to the Russian military ahead of schedule to ensure security during the Winter Games beginning Feb. 7, a senior defense ministry official said, according to RIA Novosti.

The Pantsir-S is a combined gun-missile system featuring a wheeled vehicle mounting a fire-control radar and electro-optical sensor, two 30-mm cannons and up to 12 57E6 radio-command guided short-range surface-to-air missiles.

The system is designed to take on various targets flying at low level, including cruise missiles and aircrafts, and can effectively engage targets at up to 20 km.