MOSCOW, January 29. /TASS/. The Pantsir air defense system Transporting and Loading Vehicle (TLV) may become capable of firing missiles, while receiving targets from the system’s main unit radar, says Valery Slugin, the chief air defense designer at KBP JSC (a subsidiary of Rostec’s High Precision Weapons JSC), adding that the TLV can carry twice as many missiles as the main unit.

"We plan to develop a new support vehicle that will carry an even bigger payload," Slugin said, adding that the new "transporting and loading vehicle may become a transporting combat vehicle."

"We can install a simplified control system: the vehicle will receive target designation from the main unit, but will fire missiles on its own."

According to the designer, the TLV can carry twice as many missiles as the main unit: 24, compared to Pantsir’s 12.

"Half of the payload may be comprised of the small-sized missiles, allowing to load 48 missiles just on one side of the vehicle," he noted.

The Pantsir system allows loading a cluster of four small-sized missiles instead of a standard one.

Pantsir-S system is designed for close-range air protection of civilian and military objects, around the clock, in any weather and radio-electronic environment. The system is armed with 12 guided missiles and two 30mm autocannons.