MOSCOW, November 13. /TASS/. The Russian-made Tor surface-to-air missile system’s effectiveness proven in battle and its consistent upgrade ensure its persistently strong export potential, scientific editor of the Arms Export magazine Mikhail Barabanov said.

"Taken together, these factors - the lengthy experience of operation, consistent modernization and effectiveness demonstrated in a real combat environment - ensure the continuous strong export potential of the Tor surface-to-air missile system amid the growing number and diversity of aerial threats," Barabanov said in an article published in the Arms Export magazine.

Potential customers show the greatest interest in the weapons systems that have operated in a real combat environment and proved their effectiveness and have undergone their upgrade based on the experience of their operation, he said.

The expert recalled that the Tor-M2 anti-aircraft missile system had been systemically deployed abroad for the first time in Syria where it protected Russia’s Khmeimim airbase. According to the Russian Defense Ministry’s data, the Tor surface-to-air missile system effectively engaged drones, guided munitions and cruise missiles, operating both autonomously and as part of multi-component air defenses together with other short-and long-range capabilities.

The Tor-M2 surface-to-air missile system is also actively employed in Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine to shield troops and infrastructural facilities from massive attacks by enemy drones, cruise and other missiles. Operational reports and publications by Russian media outlets highlight cases of the effective interception of stealth targets and high-speed shells, including US-made HARM air-launched anti-radiation missiles, which confirms the Tor missile system’s relevance in present-day conditions of asymmetric threats, he stressed.

"The Tor’s effectiveness confirmed in real combat, combined with adaptive upgrades and digital control algorithms development, makes it one of the most proven and essential short-range air defense systems," the expert concluded.