Latest news with #PantsirS-1
Business Insider
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Business Insider
Ukraine has been catapulting drones to strike Russia's million-dollar air defenses deep behind battle lines
Ukraine's intelligence directorate (GUR) has released footage of Kyiv's UJ-26 "Bober" drone being launched via catapult to attack Russian air defenses. The video, published on Tuesday, shows the locally manufactured 8-foot-long loitering munition being slung into the air from a fixed ramp. GUR said its special forces launched the drones to attack targets in Russian-occupied Crimea. The new launch method allows the fixed-wing Bober to enter combat without landing gear, which would likely improve its range or maneuverability. Traditionally, the Bobers take off from airstrips like traditional aircraft. Given that the ramp would likely have to be set up in Ukrainian-held territory west of the Dnieper River, the drone would have to travel a minimum of roughly 60 miles to reach Russian targets in Crimea. The drones also seem to be equipped with thermal cameras in several first-person view clips uploaded by the defense intelligence agency. One montage appears to show a drone evading a missile and then flying into a $15 million Pantsir S-1 point air defense system. A second drone is also shown flying into the ground next to a Pantsir S-1 as the vehicle crew scrambles for cover. GUR described the attack as the "successful defeat" of the Pantsir, but did not show footage of the results. The intelligence agency also said it conducted similar successful attacks on three Russian radar systems — The Niobium-SV, the Pechora-3, and the Provotnik GE — as well as a fourth-generation Su-30 fighter. It uploaded several first-person view clips of drones approaching these systems with thermal cameras, though many of them can only be seen flying close to their target. Business Insider could not independently verify the damage caused. Ukrainian media regularly describe the Niobium-SV as a $100 million system. Earlier Russian estimates from before the full-scale invasion indicated that the Kremlin was acquiring the Niobium-SV in 2016 for about $40 million per unit. However, these may have since been fitted with more expensive upgrades. Meanwhile, one Bober, which translates to "beaver" in Ukrainian, reportedly costs around $110,000 to manufacture. The propeller drone is meant for long-range attacks and is known to carry the KZ-6 charge, a 6.6-pound demolition explosive designed to break through concrete or armor. It's yet another example of how the war has increasingly featured cheaper systems being used to attack and, at times, destroy expensive high-end equipment, posing difficult questions for the traditional defense procurement model that heavily prioritized advanced technology. For example, one of Ukraine's biggest community drone funds, run by activist Serhii Sternenko, reported to donors that its crowdfunded drones have damaged at least 11 Buk surface-to-air missile systems in 2025. The fund often publishes footage of such strikes. Depending on whether they have the latest upgrades, these defenses can cost Russia between $10 and $100 million each. By comparison, Sternenko's fund said it receives roughly $6 million in donations a month for its entire budget.
India.com
28-06-2025
- Business
- India.com
Russia making air defence system that destroyed Pakistani drones and missiles during Operation Sindoor even more powerful, India will...
New Delhi: Russia has started serial production of mini missiles for the Pantsir air defence system. This is one of those defence systems that destroyed Pakistani drones in the sky during Operation Sindoor. What is Pantsir capable of? This system is capable of shooting down dozens of drones at once. Apart from this, it can also shoot down other low flying objects like helicopters and spy balloons. Russia has also used this defence system extensively during the Ukraine war. Apart from this, Russia has also exported it to at least 10 countries other than India. What does media say about Pantsir? According to the report of Russian state media Sputnik, Russian state corporation Rostec said, 'The mini missiles of the Pantsir air defense missile system of our High-Precision Systems Holding Company have passed all their tests in different regions of the country and have now been sent for serial production.' Rostec said that these mini missiles can easily shoot down enemy mini swarm drones. Many drones can be destroyed in one attack. Rostec said in its statement, 'Now one Pantsir-SMD-E can destroy dozens of unmanned aerial vehicles.' How it performed in Ukraine Rostec has said that mini missiles for the Pantsir system were used for the first time in the war against Ukraine. During this time, this system has destroyed targets with accuracy. Russia has been calling the Ukraine war a special military operation since the beginning. In such a situation, the inclusion of mini missiles in the Pantsir system will make Russia's air defense more powerful and it will get a strong defense shield against Ukraine's drones. How powerful is Pantsir S-1 The Pantsir S-1 is an automatic, medium-range surface-to-air missile and anti-aircraft system. It mainly has three types of components, which together form the Pantsir S1 system. These include a missile launcher, a radar truck and a command post. The Pantsir-S1 has been made by the KBP Instrument Design Bureau of the Russian company Tula. It is considered to be a replacement for Russia's old Tunguska M1. The Pantsir-S1 is considered a precision weapon for the military against aircraft, helicopters, precision ammunition, cruise missiles and UAVs. In August 2024, Russia completed tests of a manoeuvrable track-based Pantsir-SM-SV system for service with Russian Ground Forces and Airborne Forces.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
North Korea's new warship may have been aided by Russian tech, and it's a worrying development
North Korea unveiled a sophisticated new naval vessel, the Choe Hyon, on Friday. Military analysts told Business Insider its weapons might have been developed with Russian aid. The closer relationship between Russia and North Korea is a worrying sign for the West. In a ceremony in the North Korean port of Nampo on Friday, Kim Jong Un unveiled the Choe Hyon, a 5,000-ton frigate that appears to be outfitted with an array of powerful weapons systems, such as missile vertical launchers. Perhaps equally worrying for those in the West, military analysts said that some of the vessel's capabilities point to Russian involvement, or at least Russian inspiration, as the Kim regime builds modern warships. "The timing of the ship's construction and the question marks around the exact nature of Russian support for the DPRK suggest that it might well be more than a simple copy," Jacob Parakilas, a research leader for Defence Strategy, Policy and Capabilities at RAND Europe, told Business Insider. (Parakilas referred to North Korea by the acronym of its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.) The warship could point to further evidence of a deepening military relationship, and comes at a time when both countries said officially for the first time that North Korean troops are fighting alongside Russia against Ukraine. The Choe Hyon is bristling with weapons systems, with images indicating vertical launch systems that could be used to fire cruise or ballistic missiles, a deck gun, close-in air defense weapons, and a radar to detect threats and targets. Images show the Choe Hyon fitted with a missile defense system that closely resembles Russia's Pantsir S-1, which fires medium-range guided missiles at aerial threats. Parakilas referenced the air defense system as the clearest evidence of Russian involvement. Meanwhile, Kim Duk-ki, a retired South Korean admiral, told CNN earlier this month that Russia may have provided technology for its missile systems. He also said that "if North Korea equips the new frigate with the hypersonic ballistic missile it claimed to have successfully tested in January, that will cause a game changing impact in the regional security." Evidence is emerging that Russia could be helping North Korea evade international sanctions by providing it with technology to strengthen and modernise its military. In March, James Patton Rogers, executive director of the Cornell Brooks Tech Policy Institute, told the BBC that Russia likely helped North Korea design a new AI-enabled drone. Parakilas said the sheer number of weapons on board the Choe Hyon points to possible Russian influence, with Russia also favoring smaller, heavily armed vessels. "It also reflects a philosophy that the purpose of a warship is to wage total war, rather than to be capable of a range of operations up to and including war," he said. But Joseph Bermudez Jr., Korea chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, DC, cautioned that no evidence existed of "direct Russian assistance" in its construction. He said that "North Korean naval personnel designers have seen more and more Russian vessels" and may be imitating their design. Even so, he said that the vessel's weapon systems have "an awful lot of capability." According to a January report by the International Institute of Strategic Studies think tank, the frigate appears to be around 120 meters long, making it the "largest North Korea has constructed by some margin." North Korea has around 374 smaller patrol and coastal vessels, the IISS said, as well as two older frigates. At the launch event, Kim said that North Korea would be ready to fully deploy the ship in about a year, while touting it as a defense against what he portrayed as US regional aggression. Parakilas said the new warship offers North Korea increased options for a potential ballistic missile "first strike," with the capacity to travel to regions where there may be fewer air defense systems. However, he said that "the fact that it is a surface ship and not a submarine means that it can be tracked and attacked relatively easily." In its report, the IISS said that it's only when the vessel enters service that its real capabilities will be observable. "While activity around the new vessel at Nampo will be closely monitored," it said, "it may be some time after launch until its intended use becomes clearer." Bermudez Jr. echoed this, saying that "once it goes out on patrol and we see the seaworthiness of it, that'll make a tremendous difference." Read the original article on Business Insider
Business Insider
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Business Insider
North Korea's new warship may have been aided by Russian tech, and it's a worrying development
In a ceremony in the North Korean port of Nampo on Friday, Kim Jong Un unveiled the Choe Hyon, a 5,000-ton frigate that appears to be outfitted with an array of powerful weapons systems, such as missile vertical launchers. Perhaps equally worrying for those in the West, military analysts said that some of the vessel's capabilities point to Russian involvement, or at least Russian inspiration, as the Kim regime builds modern warships. "The timing of the ship's construction and the question marks around the exact nature of Russian support for the DPRK suggest that it might well be more than a simple copy," Jacob Parakilas, a research leader for Defence Strategy, Policy and Capabilities at RAND Europe, told Business Insider. (Parakilas referred to North Korea by the acronym of its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.) The warship could point to further evidence of a deepening military relationship, and comes at a time when both countries said officially for the first time that North Korean troops are fighting alongside Russia against Ukraine. Missile systems The Choe Hyon is bristling with weapons systems, with images indicating vertical launch systems that could be used to fire cruise or ballistic missiles, a deck gun, close-in air defense weapons, and a radar to detect threats and targets. Images show the Choe Hyon fitted with a missile defense system that closely resembles Russia's Pantsir S-1, which fires medium-range guided missiles at aerial threats. Parakilas referenced the air defense system as the clearest evidence of Russian involvement. Meanwhile, Kim Duk-ki, a retired South Korean admiral, told CNN earlier this month that Russia may have provided technology for its missile systems. He also said that "if North Korea equips the new frigate with the hypersonic ballistic missile it claimed to have successfully tested in January, that will cause a game changing impact in the regional security." A ship for total war Evidence is emerging that Russia could be helping North Korea evade international sanctions by providing it with technology to strengthen and modernise its military. In March, James Patton Rogers, executive director of the Cornell Brooks Tech Policy Institute, told the BBC that Russia likely helped North Korea design a new AI-enabled drone. Parakilas said the sheer number of weapons on board the Choe Hyon points to possible Russian influence, with Russia also favoring smaller, heavily armed vessels. "It also reflects a philosophy that the purpose of a warship is to wage total war, rather than to be capable of a range of operations up to and including war," he said. But Joseph Bermudez Jr., Korea chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, DC, cautioned that no evidence existed of "direct Russian assistance" in its construction. He said that "North Korean naval personnel designers have seen more and more Russian vessels" and may be imitating their design. Even so, he said that the vessel's weapon systems have "an awful lot of capability." A 'first strike' option According to a January report by the International Institute of Strategic Studies think tank, the frigate appears to be around 120 meters long, making it the "largest North Korea has constructed by some margin." North Korea has around 374 smaller patrol and coastal vessels, the IISS said, as well as two older frigates. At the launch event, Kim said that North Korea would be ready to fully deploy the ship in about a year, while touting it as a defense against what he portrayed as US regional aggression. Parakilas said the new warship offers North Korea increased options for a potential ballistic missile "first strike," with the capacity to travel to regions where there may be fewer air defense systems. However, he said that "the fact that it is a surface ship and not a submarine means that it can be tracked and attacked relatively easily." In its report, the IISS said that it's only when the vessel enters service that its real capabilities will be observable. "While activity around the new vessel at Nampo will be closely monitored," it said, "it may be some time after launch until its intended use becomes clearer." Bermudez Jr. echoed this, saying that "once it goes out on patrol and we see the seaworthiness of it, that'll make a tremendous difference."
