MOSCOW, April 13. /TASS/. Russia’s Kalashnikov Group has begun testing its own Krona surface-to-air missile system (SAM), the primary purpose of which is to combat unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), the company told TASS.

"The Kalashnikov Group has begun preliminary testing of its latest in-house Krona short-range surface-to-air missile system (SAM) for territorial air defense," the statement reads.

The Krona SAM system is designed to protect important government facilities and urban infrastructure from attacks. The system’s primary targets are enemy unmanned aerial vehicles.

Preliminary tests of the Krona air defense missile system are being conducted under conditions similar to its intended use, with the participation of representatives of defense and law enforcement agencies, in accordance with the tasks the system is designed to perform. This testing will help identify any issues, promptly implement necessary modifications, and continue testing.

"Less than two years have passed from the research and development stage to the creation of a completely new, unique, highly automated combat system. This has become possible thanks to the extensive experience we gained in countering enemy drones during the special military operation," said Alan Lushnikov, CEO of the Kalashnikov Group.