Russia's Upgrading 'Tor' Anti-aircraft Missile System to Take Down High Speed Missiles

Russia’s Tor anti-aircraft missile system is getting an upgrade which will enable it to shoot down high-speed low-flying targets.

A software upgrade to Tor will give it this new capability, Vyacheslav Kartashov, assistant to the general director of the Kupol plant was quoted as saying by Zvezda.

“Today we have started developing a new module, which will already implement new technical solutions tested in the Arctic. We'll be using double ammo, a software that we've tested against a low-flying target. The case will be created new, lightweight. This is the only air defense system today that can be transported by helicopter on an external sling. There are no more such air defense systems in the world. A new ‘Thor’ is being born, which will be worthy of its fathers and brothers,” Kartashov said.

The Tor is an all-weather low to medium altitude, short-range surface-to-air missile system designed for destroying airplanes, helicopters, cruise missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and short-range ballistic threats (anti-munitions). Originally developed by the Soviet Union under the GRAU designation 9K330 Tor, the system is commonly known by its NATO reporting name, SA-15 "Gauntlet". A navalized variant was developed under the name 3K95 "Kinzhal", also known as the SA-N-9 "Gauntlet". Tor was designed to shoot down guided weapons like the AGM-86 ALCM and BGM-34 day and night, in bad weather and jamming situations. Tor can detect targets while on the move. The vehicle must stop intermittently when firing, although trials are being conducted to eliminate this restriction.