Russian Mobile Fire Groups Equipped With Pantsir Radar Systems

Russian mobile fire groups, formed to strengthen air defense, have been equipped with mobile radars from the latest Pantsir-SMD-E surface-to-air missile system.

Footage of the units in action was published by Russian Telegram channels.

To coordinate their operations, the Russian military is using vehicles fitted with surveillance radars mounted on the chassis. The system, featuring an active phased array antenna, enables airspace monitoring without the need for mechanical rotation.

Radar data is displayed on a computer terminal inside the vehicle. In addition to altitude and range, the system measures the radar cross-section of a target, allowing operators to estimate its size and type.

Visually, the radar closely resembles the Russian RLS-O-E surveillance system, which is integrated into the Pantsir-SMD-E, a new variant first showcased at the Army Russia 2024 defense exhibition.

Operating in the S-band, the radar covers a 90-degree sector and can detect targets with an RCS of 1 square meter at distances of up to 45 kilometers. For low-RCS targets such as long-range drones, detection range is significantly reduced.

Russian mobile fire groups

Militarnyi reported on the Russian military formation of mobile air defense fire groups in March 2024. These units were created within several combined arms armies and the Aerospace Forces.

Initial plans included arming the groups with ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft autocannons mounted on trucks, pickup trucks with heavy machine guns, and electronic warfare systems.

However, footage published to date mostly shows teams armed with Kalashnikov rifles and Dragunov sniper rifles equipped with thermal imaging scopes for night operations.

In addition to specialized radar systems from air defense platforms, the mobile groups use civilian radars and all-weather optical surveillance equipment.

Russian sources have published images showing the results of such operations, including a relatively intact Ukrainian long-range An-196 Liutyi drone, along with the debris from other Ukrainian-made UAVs used in periodic attacks on Russian strategic facilities.

For further information on the Pantsir system and its radar components, see Andrii Kharuk’s blog and the article, Russia Deploys New Pantsir-SM-SV System.