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17 Sep 2015, 13:35

Russia's Northern Fleet fires Pantsyr-S1 air defense systems in Arctic drills

Missile, air defense and artillery live fires have been conducted
Pantsir-S1 surface-to-air missile  ITAR-TASS/Dmitriy Rogulin
Pantsir-S1 surface-to-air missile
© ITAR-TASS/Dmitriy Rogulin

MOSCOW, September 17. /TASS/. The Russian Navy Northern Fleet has conducted a live fire exercise in the Arctic, using missile systems and naval guns, the fleet’s press office chief, Vadim Serga, told journalists on Thursday.

"Today, the forces of the Northern Fleet near the New Siberian archipelago have staged an exercise to sharpen their skills in defending the Russian Federation’s Arctic islands and coast. Missile, air defense and artillery live fires have been conducted… The ships and the Pantsyr-S self-propelled surface-to-air missile/gun system [NATO reporting name SS-22 Greyhound] participating in the exercise engaged the simulated enemy’s targets as well," he said.

According to a representative of the Tula-based Instrument Design Bureau (KBP), the manufacturer of the Pantsyr-S1 system, three serially-produced Pantsyrs mounted on a wheeled chassis had already been on alert duty at the Temp air base on the Arctic island of Kotelny as of April 2015. The Pantsyr’s variant designed for the Russian Armed Forces can operate within the -50°/+50°C ambient temperature bracket.

At present, the KAMAZ-6560 8x8 truck is the organic chassis of both the Russian and export versions of the Pantsyr-S and Pantsyr-S1 SAM/gun systems. The chassis has been rated high by the Russian Defense Ministry and manufacturer. It is this version that is offered to foreign customers, except the UAE that opted for having some of their Pantsyrs mounted on the MAN SX truck instead of a tracked chassis.