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Russian military tested state-of-the-art Pantsyr-SM air defense system in March

A system was also tested that is capable to misguide or land a drone

MOSCOW, April 7. /TASS/. The Russian military tested the latest Pantsyr-SM air defense missile and gun systems in March at the Ashuluk test site in the Astrakhan Region, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Aerospace Forces and Commander of Air Defense and Missile Defense Forces Yuri Grekhov said on the air with the Ekho Moskvy (Echo of Moscow) radio station.

"The Pantsyr-SM (the latest version of the air defense and gun system) showed its high efficiency against ultra-small targets of quadcopter type," Grekhov said.

A system was also tested that is capable to misguide or land a drone, he added.

The Pantsyr-Sm is under development to replace the Pantsyr-S1 system currently in service with the Russian Armed Forces. The system will be equipped with a new high-speed missile having the twofold increase in the range to 40 km. The Pantsyr systems are intended for the close defense of civilian and military facilities, including the long-range SAM complexes.

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