Pantsir-SM-SV Breaks Cover: Russia Deploys Tracked Killer of Drones and Missiles

(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) – In a rare and telling move, Russia has unveiled for the first time operational images of its Pantsir-SM-SV air defence system mounted on a tracked chassis—a configuration that had previously existed only on paper, defence expos, and Red Square parades.

This revelation marks a significant step forward in Moscow’s ongoing effort to transform its battlefield air defence capabilities for modern, multi-domain warfare.

The tracked version of the Pantsir-SM-SV entered development in the early 2020s, following doctrinal and tactical recalibrations within the Russian Armed Forces.

The wheeled KamAZ-based Pantsir-S1, though once a staple of short-range air defence, faced mounting criticism over key design flaws—including a high centre of gravity, which made it susceptible to rollovers during manoeuvres, and its limited off-road mobility, which prevented it from accompanying frontline armoured formations through rugged or unpaved terrain.

Enter the tracked Pantsir-SM-SV, engineered by Mytishchi Machine-Building Plant.

Designed from the ground up to safeguard Russia’s mechanised and armoured units in forward operating areas, the tracked platform enables the system to move in lockstep with main battle tanks and infantry fighting vehicles, across snow-covered fields, forest trails, and mud-clogged warzones.

“This system was purpose-built to shield frontline Russian troops,” defence sources note.

“Its tracked configuration grants it high mobility across difficult terrain, ensuring uninterrupted air defence coverage across a variety of combat environments.”

Strategically, the Pantsir-SM-SV offers far more than a tactical upgrade.

Its presence reflects Russia’s broader vision of integrating mobile air defence directly into ground manoeuvre formations, forming a hardened, layered shield against the growing threat of precision-guided munitions, drone swarms, and low-altitude standoff weapons.

In particular, its ability to counter loitering munitions (suicide drones), FPVs, cruise missiles, and even low-flying helicopters gives Russian forces an indispensable shield in the evolving battlespace—especially in contested littoral zones, dense urban terrain, and frontline trenches where air threats now emerge with little warning.

At the heart of the Pantsir-SM-SV’s leap in capability is its integrated Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar—a hallmark of next-generation sensor technology that delivers vastly improved detection fidelity, tracking precision, and resistance to jamming.

The AESA radar can detect targets with a radar cross-section (RCS) of just 1 square metre at distances of approximately 60 kilometres, a crucial advantage in an era where stealth and miniaturisation dominate the air threat landscape.

Overall, the system can detect targets at up to 75 kilometres, engage aerial threats at ranges of up to 40 kilometres, and intercept targets moving at blistering speeds of Mach 6 (2 kilometres per second).

It is also reportedly capable of neutralising short-range ballistic missiles, placing it in a rare class of point defence systems with terminal ballistic intercept capabilities.

In comparison, the legacy Pantsir-S1 system now appears dramatically outclassed.

The earlier model offered a detection range of only 36 kilometres, a missile reach of 20 kilometres, and was limited to intercepting targets moving at Mach 3—just half the interception speed of its successor.

This generational leap illustrates how far Russia has come in trying to close the air defence gap in a conflict theatre where long-range drones and high-speed missiles are rewriting the rules of engagement.

While the exact type of interceptor deployed with the Pantsir-SM-SV remains officially undisclosed, credible sources suggest it could be the obscure 57EBM-E missile.

This interceptor, unlike conventional missiles, is believed to lack a traditional explosive warhead.

Instead, it employs “hit-to-kill” technology, relying on pure kinetic energy to obliterate incoming threats—a method that enhances precision while reducing collateral damage.

Such technology is particularly effective against ballistic warheads, hypersonic drones, and small, agile UAVs, which conventional proximity-fused warheads often struggle to neutralise.

The system is already deployed operationally in the Kursk region, a strategically sensitive area bordering Ukraine that has become a flashpoint in recent months.

According to defence observers, the Pantsir-SM-SV is currently being used to defend Russian frontline units and critical infrastructure from Ukrainian long-range drone raids and missile strikes—a testament to its strategic value in high-threat environments.

Recent imagery confirms the Pantsir-SM-SV positioned in fortified static emplacements, shielded by gabion walls—a clear indication of its role in area denial and critical asset protection along the western front.

Its presence reinforces Russia’s layered air defence strategy, acting as a mobile umbrella that complements larger strategic systems like the S-400 and Buk-M3.

Ultimately, the Pantsir-SM-SV’s emergence on the battlefield reflects more than just an equipment upgrade—it is part of a larger shift in Russian air defence doctrine, one increasingly shaped by drone warfare, saturation attacks, and multi-axis threats.

As Russia retools its defences for the 21st century, the Pantsir-SM-SV stands out as a tactical game-changer: highly mobile, precision-hardened, and designed for the unpredictable face of modern war.

— DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA