9K330 Tor
Encyclopedia
The Tor missile system ' onMouseout='HidePop("49019")' href="/topics/Torus">torus
) is an all-weather low to medium altitude, short-range surface-to-air missile
system designed for engaging airplanes, helicopter
s, cruise missiles, precision guided munitions, unmanned aerial vehicles and ballistic
targets. Originally developed by the Soviet Union
under the GRAU
designation 9K330, 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 also the first air defence system in the world designed from the start to shoot down precision guided weapons like the AGM-86 ALCM
.
(NATO reporting name SA-8 "Gecko"), development on the land based version was conducted in parallel with a navalized variant of the system (3K95 Kinzhal/SA-N-9 "Gauntlet), to be installed on a number of upcoming ship classes, including the Kirov class battlecruiser
s, and retrofitted onto older ships. Responsibility for development was given to the Antey design bureau headed by V.P. Efremov, the missiles designed by MKB Fakel
under P.D. Grushin and the Altair design bureau headed by S.A. Fadeyev responsible for development of Kinzhal. All the developers and manufacturers of the Tor missile system would become unified into Almaz-Antey
in 2002.
The project was given strict design specifications to meet; Tor had to provide extended detection and tracking of fast, low radar cross section
targets and be capable of quickly and efficiently dealing with massed air raids, whilst providing a high degree of automation and integration with other air defence assets.
In order to meet these demanding specifications, the designers used a variety of new technologies, including advanced phased array radar for improved detection and tracking performance, enhanced digital information processing, and vertically launched missiles to improve reaction time and increase the number of readily available munitions. After a period of testing and evaluation between December 1983 and December 1984, the land based system was accepted into service on March 19, 1986.
Despite starting testing earlier than its terrestrial counterpart, the naval variant, Kinzhal, had a more protracted development. After an extended testing period using a Project 1124 Grisha class corvette
(including the engagement and destruction of four P-5 Pyatyorka (SSC-1a Shaddock) anti-ship missiles in 1986) Kinzhal finally entered service in 1989.
protection and warhead design were also modified, as was the ammunition handling system. State tests, conducted between March and December 1989, showed that the result was a system which could engage more targets in a shorter time frame with reaction times reduced by over a second and an increased probability of target destruction. The M1 was introduced into service in 1991. Further modifications occurred as a response of insight gained from the 1995 NATO bombing in Bosnia and Herzegovina resulting in the Tor-M1-1, or Tor-M1V, which offered improved network connectivity and ECM functions.
Upgrades have continued over the lifetime of the system, with developer Almaz Antey unveiling the newest incarnation of the Tor missile system, the Tor-M2E, at the MAKS Airshow
in 2007. The latest variant features improved fire control radar coverage, and four guidance channels, allowing up to four missiles to be guided at any one time. The Tor-M2E also offers the option of a wheeled chassis, as well as a new digital computer system and all weather optical tracking system.
The closest foreign analogues to the Tor, in function and operation, are systems like the British
Rapier missile
and French
Crotale missile
systems. All 3 systems are mobile and self propelled, Tor using the 9A330 combat vehicle, which carries a crew of four (one driver, three operators), and acts as an autonomous Transporter, Launcher, And Radar unit, or TLAR (similar to but not a TELAR, as it does not erect the missile to a launch position). The 9A330 is based on the GM-355 chassis manufactured by MMZ, the Tor-M1 using the improved GM-5955. Like Rapier and Crotale, in addition to the tracked vehicle, there are also static and towed versions of the Tor, as well as a wheeled technology demonstrator, the Tor-M2E.
Arranged in a similar fashion to the previous 9K33 Osa
and 9K22 Tunguska air defense systems, Tor’s TLAR features a turret with a top mounted target acquisition radar
, and frontal tracking radar, with 8 ready to fire missiles stored vertically between the two radars. The target acquisition radar is a 3D F band
pulse doppler radar, equipped with a truncated parabolic antenna
, and a mechanically, later electronically, scanned in azimuth with a 32 degree sector view, and has an average power output of 1.5 kW, which provides a maximum detection range of 25 km/16 mi. For reference, a McDonnell Douglas F-15
at an altitude of 6 km has a detection probability of 0.8 at this range. The electronic ‘heart’ of the system is a digital fire control system, which allows detection of up to 48 targets and the tracking of ten at any one time, and integrates IFF
functionality; the IFF antenna being mounted above the search radar.
The target engagement radar is a G band
/H band
(later K band
) pulse doppler radar with an electronically scanned (in azimuth) phased-array antenna. The radar is classed as a thinned array (design using fewer elements) incorporating only 570 phase shifters and uses linear polarization. The radar has an average power output of 0.6 kW providing a maximum detection range of 20 km/12 mi. An F-15 type aircraft had a detection probability of 0.8 at this range. Originally Tor could only engage one target at a time, and with only two of its missiles. Later variants of the Tor system (Tor-M1 and M2E) incorporate additional fire control channels, as well as improved fire control computers, allowing the system to engage two (M1) and then four (M2E) targets, whilst simultaneously guiding up to four (M1) and then eight (M2E) missiles.. There is also a small antenna on the top of the target engagement radar to communicate with missiles after launch. Together these radars carry the NATO reporting name "Scrum Half". To reduce the dimensions of the vehicle, the target acquisition radar can be folded down horizontally when travelling, and the tracking radar can partially rotate away from vertical. To allow engagements in the ECM
heavy environment that is the modern battlefield, the 9K332 is equipped with an optical tracking system, complementing the main radar.
As a fully mobile system, the Tor is capable of acquiring and tracking targets while the TLAR is moving. Due, however, to the interference with launch operations while on the move, missiles can be fired only when the system is in a stationary position. Once set up, the reaction time (from target detection to engagement) is described as 5–8 seconds, depending on the variant; however, reaction time is somewhat longer (around 10 seconds) whilst in motion and firing in short halts. To facilitate this mode of operation, an auxiliary power unit
(APU) is fitted so that the main engine can be shut down while the radar and missile system continue to operate when stationary, enabling long periods of readiness. The digital computers allowed for a higher degree of automation that any previous Soviet system of its type. Target threat classification is automatic and the system can be operated with little operator input, if desired. The high performance computing system combined with a phased array radar are the main reasons for the system's high degree of accuracy, ability to intercept small, fast and highly maneuverable targets, and the very fast reaction times of the system. It is equipped with NBC (nuclear, biological and chemical) protection. Reflecting the complex nature of system, the price per unit was quoted as $25 million in 2007.
Typically, a battery of four Tor vehicles is accompanied by the mobile Ranzhir-M
command center. It allows for efficient allocation of tasks between the individual Tor-M1 crews and allows each TLAR to be linked into a wider air defense system, thereby increasing target detection range and reaction time.
and has the NATO reporting name
SA-N-9 Gauntlet. Using the same 9M330 missile as the land based version, the system can be mounted on vessels displacing over 800 tonnes and is known to be installed on Admiral Kuznetsov class aircraft carriers, Kirov class
multimission cruisers, Udaloy class
anti-submarine destroyers and Neustrashimy class
frigates. The naval version of the later Tor-M1 is known as the "Yozh" ( - hedgehog), while the export version of the Kinzhal is known as "Klinok" ( - blade).
Stored within rotary VLS
modules, the missiles are clustered into launchers comprising three to six modules (32 (Neustrashimy), 64 (Udaloy) or 192 (Kuznetsov, Kirov) missiles) and mounted flush to the deck. Each module has up to eight missiles stored ready to fire; during firing the missile is cold launched using a gas catapult before the launcher brings the next round to a firing position.
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Fire control (FC) is handled by the 3R95 multi-channel FC system, (NATO reporting name Cross Swords), composed of two different radar sets, a G-band target acquisition radar (maximum detection range 45 km/28 mi,) and a K-band target engagement radar, (maximum tracking range 15 km/9 mi) that handles the actual prosecution of a target.
Using two top mounted, mechanically scanned, parabolic target acquisition radars, the fire control system provides a 360 degree field of view, as well as IFF. The target engagement radar is an electronically scanned phased array antenna of the reflection type mounted on the front of the fire control system with a 60 degree field of view. Much like its land based sibling, the target engagement radar can track and guide eight missiles on up to four targets at once and is effective to a range of 1.5–12 km and an altitude of 10–6000 m. The system has a reaction time of 8–24 seconds, depending on the mode of operation, and is managed by a crew of 13. Additional missile guidance antennae can be seen around the fire control system and the 3K95, like the upgraded Tor launchers, is equipped with a secondary infrared
guidance system. The 3R95 can also provide fire control information for the vessels AK-630
close in weapons systems (CIWS) providing a second line of defence should anything penetrate the missile layer.
2.8. Utilizing command guidance and radar controlled proximity fuze
s, the missiles can maneuver at up to 30Gs
and engage targets flying at up to Mach 2. Cold launched, the missiles are propelled out of the vehicle before the solid fuel
rocket motor fires and the gas-dynamic
maneuvering system turns them toward their target. Missiles can also be fired against surface targets. Each missile is a sealed round
, stored in two groups of four. Engagement range is up to 12 km (0.8-6.47 nm) with minimum range varying between 100–2000 m (328-5,621 feet), depending upon version and an effective altitude of 10–6000 m (33-20,000 ft).
Kill probabilities for later versions are quoted as:
, Russian defence ministry spokesperson Anatoliy Nogovitsyn
speculated about the use of the Tor missile system by Georgia
against attacking Russian aircraft. The system suggested as a possible cause of the loss of a Tu-22MR strategic bomber
, shot down by Georgian air-defences while on a reconnaissance
mission during the conflict. While the loss of the bomber has also been attributed to the Buk-M1, which Georgia obtained from the Ukraine
in 2007, if the loss can be attributed to Tor it would be the first time the (as yet unproven) system has seen combat use.
designation for the Tor missile system, which is replacing the HQ-61. There is no confirmation that China is currently manufacturing its own licenced copy of the Tor system.
In 1996, China ordered 14 Tor-M1 missile systems from Russia which were delivered under contract in 1997. In 1999, another contract for 13 Tor-M1 systems was signed between Russia and China. Delivery of the systems took place in 2000.
Russia has delivered an undetermined number of Tor-M1 systems (originally built for Greece) to the Islamic Republic of Iran amid protests from the United States. It is suspected that at least 29 such systems have been transferred along with service contracts with an approximate value of $700,000,000 USD. - 35 - 6 - 16 - 25 - 29
- 136 - unknown - 12 - 12
Torus
In geometry, a torus is a surface of revolution generated by revolving a circle in three dimensional space about an axis coplanar with the circle...
) is an all-weather low to medium altitude, short-range surface-to-air missile
Surface-to-air missile
A surface-to-air missile or ground-to-air missile is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft or other missiles...
system designed for engaging airplanes, helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
s, cruise missiles, precision guided munitions, unmanned aerial vehicles and ballistic
External ballistics
External ballistics is the part of the science of ballistics that deals with the behaviour of a non-powered projectile in flight. External ballistics is frequently associated with firearms, and deals with the behaviour of the bullet after it exits the barrel and before it hits the target.-Forces...
targets. Originally developed by the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
under the GRAU
Grau
Grau is a German word meaning "gray" and a Catalan word meaning "grade". It may refer to:* BAP Almirante Grau , a De Zeven Provinciën class cruiser in service with the Peruvian Navy* Grau Käse, Tyrolean grey cheese...
designation 9K330, the system is commonly known by its NATO reporting name
NATO reporting name
NATO reporting names are classified code names for military equipment of the Eastern Bloc...
, SA-15 "Gauntlet". A navalized variant was developed under the name 3K95 "Kinzhal", also known as the SA-N-9 "Gauntlet". Tor was also the first air defence system in the world designed from the start to shoot down precision guided weapons like the AGM-86 ALCM
AGM-86 ALCM
The Boeing AGM-86 ALCM is a U.S. subsonic air-launched cruise missile built by Boeing Company and operated by the United States Air Force. The missiles were developed to increase the effectiveness and survivability of Boeing B-52H Stratofortress bombers...
.
Development
The development of the Tor missile system started on the 4th of February 1975, in response to the directives of the Central Committee of the CPSU. Initiated as a successor to the 9K33 Osa9K33 Osa
The 9K33 OSA is a highly mobile, low-altitude, short-range tactical surface-to-air missile system. "9K33" is its GRAU designation. Its NATO reporting name is SA-8 Gecko.-Description:...
(NATO reporting name SA-8 "Gecko"), development on the land based version was conducted in parallel with a navalized variant of the system (3K95 Kinzhal/SA-N-9 "Gauntlet), to be installed on a number of upcoming ship classes, including the Kirov class battlecruiser
Kirov class battlecruiser
The Kirov-class battlecruiser is a class of nuclear-powered military ships of the Russian Navy, the largest and heaviest surface combatant warships currently in active operation in the world. The Russian designation is heavy nuclear-powered guided missile cruiser...
s, and retrofitted onto older ships. Responsibility for development was given to the Antey design bureau headed by V.P. Efremov, the missiles designed by MKB Fakel
MKB Fakel
MKB "Fakel" also known as P.D.Grushin Machine-building Design Bureau is a Russian government-owned aerospace defense corporation located in Khimki. It was founded in 1953 to facilitate development of guided surface-to-air missiles in response to a growing threat of US air attack on the Soviet...
under P.D. Grushin and the Altair design bureau headed by S.A. Fadeyev responsible for development of Kinzhal. All the developers and manufacturers of the Tor missile system would become unified into Almaz-Antey
Almaz-Antey
OJSC "Concern PVO "Almaz-Antey" is a Russian joint undertaking in the arms industry, a result of a merger of Antey Corporation and NPO Almaz, unifying some of the national military enterprises, in particular, the developers of anti-aircraft defence systems . The organisation is headquartered in...
in 2002.
The project was given strict design specifications to meet; Tor had to provide extended detection and tracking of fast, low radar cross section
Radar cross section
Radar cross section is a measure of how detectable an object is with a radar. A larger RCS indicates that an object is more easily detected.An object reflects a limited amount of radar energy...
targets and be capable of quickly and efficiently dealing with massed air raids, whilst providing a high degree of automation and integration with other air defence assets.
In order to meet these demanding specifications, the designers used a variety of new technologies, including advanced phased array radar for improved detection and tracking performance, enhanced digital information processing, and vertically launched missiles to improve reaction time and increase the number of readily available munitions. After a period of testing and evaluation between December 1983 and December 1984, the land based system was accepted into service on March 19, 1986.
Despite starting testing earlier than its terrestrial counterpart, the naval variant, Kinzhal, had a more protracted development. After an extended testing period using a Project 1124 Grisha class corvette
Grisha class corvette
The Albatros class was a series of large anti-submarine corvettes built by the Soviet Union between 1970 and 1990. These ships had a limited range and were used only in coastal waters. They were equipped with a variety of ASW weapons and an SA-N-4 surface-to-air missile launcher...
(including the engagement and destruction of four P-5 Pyatyorka (SSC-1a Shaddock) anti-ship missiles in 1986) Kinzhal finally entered service in 1989.
Improvements
Even while the Tor was being introduced into service, work started on improving the system, resulting in an enhanced version, the Tor-M1. Many improvements over the original system were made; these included the addition of a second fire control channel, allowing two targets to be engaged at once; as well as upgrades to the optical tracking system and computer equipment. ECMElectronic countermeasures
An electronic countermeasure is an electrical or electronic device designed to trick or deceive radar, sonar or other detection systems, like infrared or lasers. It may be used both offensively and defensively to deny targeting information to an enemy...
protection and warhead design were also modified, as was the ammunition handling system. State tests, conducted between March and December 1989, showed that the result was a system which could engage more targets in a shorter time frame with reaction times reduced by over a second and an increased probability of target destruction. The M1 was introduced into service in 1991. Further modifications occurred as a response of insight gained from the 1995 NATO bombing in Bosnia and Herzegovina resulting in the Tor-M1-1, or Tor-M1V, which offered improved network connectivity and ECM functions.
Upgrades have continued over the lifetime of the system, with developer Almaz Antey unveiling the newest incarnation of the Tor missile system, the Tor-M2E, at the MAKS Airshow
MAKS Airshow
MAKS is an International Air Show held near Moscow, Russia on Zhukovskiy LII air field. The first show, Mosaeroshow-92, was held in 1992. Since 1993, it was renamed to its current name and is held on odd years .MAKS is an important event in Russian business...
in 2007. The latest variant features improved fire control radar coverage, and four guidance channels, allowing up to four missiles to be guided at any one time. The Tor-M2E also offers the option of a wheeled chassis, as well as a new digital computer system and all weather optical tracking system.
Description
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Rapier missile
Rapier missile
Rapier is a British surface-to-air missile developed for the British Army and Royal Air Force. Entering service in 1971, it eventually replaced all other anti-aircraft weapons in Army service; guns for low-altitude targets, and the English Electric Thunderbird, used against longer-range and...
and French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Crotale missile
Crotale missile
The Crotale EDIR is an all-weather short-range anti-air missile, which can be used to intercept low-flight anti-ship missiles and aircraft...
systems. All 3 systems are mobile and self propelled, Tor using the 9A330 combat vehicle, which carries a crew of four (one driver, three operators), and acts as an autonomous Transporter, Launcher, And Radar unit, or TLAR (similar to but not a TELAR, as it does not erect the missile to a launch position). The 9A330 is based on the GM-355 chassis manufactured by MMZ, the Tor-M1 using the improved GM-5955. Like Rapier and Crotale, in addition to the tracked vehicle, there are also static and towed versions of the Tor, as well as a wheeled technology demonstrator, the Tor-M2E.
Arranged in a similar fashion to the previous 9K33 Osa
9K33 Osa
The 9K33 OSA is a highly mobile, low-altitude, short-range tactical surface-to-air missile system. "9K33" is its GRAU designation. Its NATO reporting name is SA-8 Gecko.-Description:...
and 9K22 Tunguska air defense systems, Tor’s TLAR features a turret with a top mounted target acquisition radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
, and frontal tracking radar, with 8 ready to fire missiles stored vertically between the two radars. The target acquisition radar is a 3D F band
F band
The F band is the range of radio frequencies from 90 GHz to 140 GHz in the electromagnetic spectrum. This is equal to wave lengths between 2.1 mm and 3.3 mm...
pulse doppler radar, equipped with a truncated parabolic antenna
Parabolic antenna
A parabolic antenna is an antenna that uses a parabolic reflector, a curved surface with the cross-sectional shape of a parabola, to direct the radio waves. The most common form is shaped like a dish and is popularly called a dish antenna or parabolic dish...
, and a mechanically, later electronically, scanned in azimuth with a 32 degree sector view, and has an average power output of 1.5 kW, which provides a maximum detection range of 25 km/16 mi. For reference, a McDonnell Douglas F-15
F-15 Eagle
The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is a twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter designed by McDonnell Douglas to gain and maintain air superiority in aerial combat. It is considered among the most successful modern fighters with over 100 aerial combat victories with no losses in dogfights...
at an altitude of 6 km has a detection probability of 0.8 at this range. The electronic ‘heart’ of the system is a digital fire control system, which allows detection of up to 48 targets and the tracking of ten at any one time, and integrates IFF
Identification friend or foe
In telecommunications, identification, friend or foe is an identification system designed for command and control. It is a system that enables military and national interrogation systems to identify aircraft, vehicles, or forces as friendly and to determine their bearing and range from the...
functionality; the IFF antenna being mounted above the search radar.
The target engagement radar is a G band
G band
-NATO G band:The G band in the modern sense is the range of radio frequencies from 4 GHz to 6 GHz in the electromagnetic spectrum. This is equal to wave lengths between 7.5 cm and 5 cm...
/H band
H band
H band can refer to two different regions of the electromagnetic spectrum, in the radio and near-infrared.-Radio:The H band is the range of radio frequencies from 6 GHz to 8 GHz in the electromagnetic spectrum. This is equal to wave lengths between 5 cm and 3.75 cm...
(later K band
K band
K band designates certain portions of the electromagnetic spectrum, in either the microwave domain or in the infrared domain. The microwave K bands are used primarily for radar and satellite communications while the infrared K band is used for astronomical observations.-NATO K band:The NATO K band...
) pulse doppler radar with an electronically scanned (in azimuth) phased-array antenna. The radar is classed as a thinned array (design using fewer elements) incorporating only 570 phase shifters and uses linear polarization. The radar has an average power output of 0.6 kW providing a maximum detection range of 20 km/12 mi. An F-15 type aircraft had a detection probability of 0.8 at this range. Originally Tor could only engage one target at a time, and with only two of its missiles. Later variants of the Tor system (Tor-M1 and M2E) incorporate additional fire control channels, as well as improved fire control computers, allowing the system to engage two (M1) and then four (M2E) targets, whilst simultaneously guiding up to four (M1) and then eight (M2E) missiles.. There is also a small antenna on the top of the target engagement radar to communicate with missiles after launch. Together these radars carry the NATO reporting name "Scrum Half". To reduce the dimensions of the vehicle, the target acquisition radar can be folded down horizontally when travelling, and the tracking radar can partially rotate away from vertical. To allow engagements in the ECM
Electronic countermeasures
An electronic countermeasure is an electrical or electronic device designed to trick or deceive radar, sonar or other detection systems, like infrared or lasers. It may be used both offensively and defensively to deny targeting information to an enemy...
heavy environment that is the modern battlefield, the 9K332 is equipped with an optical tracking system, complementing the main radar.
As a fully mobile system, the Tor is capable of acquiring and tracking targets while the TLAR is moving. Due, however, to the interference with launch operations while on the move, missiles can be fired only when the system is in a stationary position. Once set up, the reaction time (from target detection to engagement) is described as 5–8 seconds, depending on the variant; however, reaction time is somewhat longer (around 10 seconds) whilst in motion and firing in short halts. To facilitate this mode of operation, an auxiliary power unit
Auxiliary power unit
An auxiliary power unit is a device on a vehicle that provides energy for functions other than propulsion. They are commonly found on large aircraft, as well as some large land vehicles.-Function:...
(APU) is fitted so that the main engine can be shut down while the radar and missile system continue to operate when stationary, enabling long periods of readiness. The digital computers allowed for a higher degree of automation that any previous Soviet system of its type. Target threat classification is automatic and the system can be operated with little operator input, if desired. The high performance computing system combined with a phased array radar are the main reasons for the system's high degree of accuracy, ability to intercept small, fast and highly maneuverable targets, and the very fast reaction times of the system. It is equipped with NBC (nuclear, biological and chemical) protection. Reflecting the complex nature of system, the price per unit was quoted as $25 million in 2007.
Typically, a battery of four Tor vehicles is accompanied by the mobile Ranzhir-M
Ranzhir-M
Ranzhir-M 9С737М is a mobile command center for several types of Russian anti-aircraft weapons, such as Tor, Tungushka, Strela, and Igla. It uses the same chassis as Tor and Tunguska....
command center. It allows for efficient allocation of tasks between the individual Tor-M1 crews and allows each TLAR to be linked into a wider air defense system, thereby increasing target detection range and reaction time.
3K95 Kinzhal
The 3K95 "Kinzhal" ( – dagger) is the naval version of the Tor missile system developed by AltairMarine Scientific Research Institute of radioelectronics
OJSC Marine Scientific Research Institute of radioelectronics or MNIIRE Altair design bureau is a Soviet/Russian enterprise, developer of naval SA missile systems and radars...
and has the NATO reporting name
NATO reporting name
NATO reporting names are classified code names for military equipment of the Eastern Bloc...
SA-N-9 Gauntlet. Using the same 9M330 missile as the land based version, the system can be mounted on vessels displacing over 800 tonnes and is known to be installed on Admiral Kuznetsov class aircraft carriers, Kirov class
Kirov class battlecruiser
The Kirov-class battlecruiser is a class of nuclear-powered military ships of the Russian Navy, the largest and heaviest surface combatant warships currently in active operation in the world. The Russian designation is heavy nuclear-powered guided missile cruiser...
multimission cruisers, Udaloy class
Udaloy class destroyer
The Udaloy I class are a series of anti-submarine destroyers built for the Soviet Navy, eight of which are currently in service with the Russian Navy. The Russian designation is Project 1155 Fregat...
anti-submarine destroyers and Neustrashimy class
Neustrashimy Class frigate
Neustrashimy class frigates are the most modern large frigates in the Russian Navy. The Soviet designation is Project 1154 Yastreb .-Design:...
frigates. The naval version of the later Tor-M1 is known as the "Yozh" ( - hedgehog), while the export version of the Kinzhal is known as "Klinok" ( - blade).
Stored within rotary VLS
Vertical Launching System
A vertical launching system is a system for holding and firing missiles on surface ships and submarines used by many navies around the world. Each VLS system consists of a number of cells, which can hold one or more missiles ready for firing...
modules, the missiles are clustered into launchers comprising three to six modules (32 (Neustrashimy), 64 (Udaloy) or 192 (Kuznetsov, Kirov) missiles) and mounted flush to the deck. Each module has up to eight missiles stored ready to fire; during firing the missile is cold launched using a gas catapult before the launcher brings the next round to a firing position.
Using two top mounted, mechanically scanned, parabolic target acquisition radars, the fire control system provides a 360 degree field of view, as well as IFF. The target engagement radar is an electronically scanned phased array antenna of the reflection type mounted on the front of the fire control system with a 60 degree field of view. Much like its land based sibling, the target engagement radar can track and guide eight missiles on up to four targets at once and is effective to a range of 1.5–12 km and an altitude of 10–6000 m. The system has a reaction time of 8–24 seconds, depending on the mode of operation, and is managed by a crew of 13. Additional missile guidance antennae can be seen around the fire control system and the 3K95, like the upgraded Tor launchers, is equipped with a secondary infrared
Infrared homing
Infrared homing refers to a passive missile guidance system which uses the emission from a target of electromagnetic radiation in the infrared part of the spectrum to track and follow it. Missiles which use infrared seeking are often referred to as "heat-seekers", since infrared is just below the...
guidance system. The 3R95 can also provide fire control information for the vessels AK-630
AK-630
The AK-630 is a Soviet fully automatic naval close-in weapon system based on a six-barreled 30 mm Gatling gun. It is mounted in an enclosed automatic turret and directed by radar and television detection and tracking. The system's primary purpose is defense against anti-ship missiles and other...
close in weapons systems (CIWS) providing a second line of defence should anything penetrate the missile layer.
Variants
- 9K330 "Tor" with the 9M330 missile, minimum range 2 km (1.2 mi), introduced in 1986
- 9K331 "Tor-M" with the 9M331 missile, minimum range 1.5 km (0.93205910497471 mi), introduced in 1991, with greatly improved missile accuracy and the ability to engage two targets simultaneously
- 9K331M "Tor-M1", "Tor-M1T" with the 9M331 missile, minimum range 1.5 km (0.93205910497471 mi)
- 9K332 "Tor-M2", "Tor-MTA", "Tor-MTB", "Tor-MTS" with the 9M331 missile and a new surveillance radar, minimum range 1 km (0.621372736649807 mi)
Missiles
Weighing in at 167 kg (368 lb), the 9M330 missile is 3.5 m (11.5 ft) long, carries a 15 kg (33 lb) warhead and has a peak speed of around MachMach number
Mach number is the speed of an object moving through air, or any other fluid substance, divided by the speed of sound as it is in that substance for its particular physical conditions, including those of temperature and pressure...
2.8. Utilizing command guidance and radar controlled proximity fuze
Proximity fuze
A proximity fuze is a fuze that is designed to detonate an explosive device automatically when the distance to target becomes smaller than a predetermined value or when the target passes through a given plane...
s, the missiles can maneuver at up to 30Gs
G force
The g-force associated with an object is its acceleration relative to free-fall.It may also refer to:* G-Force , a 2009 film by Disney** G-Force , a 2009 video game based on the film...
and engage targets flying at up to Mach 2. Cold launched, the missiles are propelled out of the vehicle before the solid fuel
Solid fuel
Solid fuel refers to various types of solid material that are used as fuel to produce energy and provide heating, usually released through combustion....
rocket motor fires and the gas-dynamic
Gas-dynamic
A gas-dynamic control system is one where the path of an object in flight is controlled by either the generation or redirection of gas flow out of an orifice rather than with the traditional movable control surfaces...
maneuvering system turns them toward their target. Missiles can also be fired against surface targets. Each missile is a sealed round
Sealed round
A sealed round is a munition which is typically stored in some kind of container , so that the munition does not require any sort of maintenance and is stored in this container right up until the point that it is used...
, stored in two groups of four. Engagement range is up to 12 km (0.8-6.47 nm) with minimum range varying between 100–2000 m (328-5,621 feet), depending upon version and an effective altitude of 10–6000 m (33-20,000 ft).
Kill probabilities for later versions are quoted as:
- 0.92-0.95 against aircraft
- 0.80-0.96 against helicopters
- 0.60-0.90 against cruise missiles (with an effective range of around 5 km/3 miles)
- 0.70-0.90 against precision munitions (LGBs, glide bombGlide bombA glide bomb is an aerial bomb modified with aerodynamic surfaces to modify its flight path from a purely ballistic one to a flatter, gliding, one. This extends the range between the launch aircraft and the target. Glide bombs are often fitted with control systems, allowing the controlling aircraft...
s, etc.) - 0.90 against UAVsUnmanned aerial vehicleAn unmanned aerial vehicle , also known as a unmanned aircraft system , remotely piloted aircraft or unmanned aircraft, is a machine which functions either by the remote control of a navigator or pilot or autonomously, that is, as a self-directing entity...
Combat history
In a press conference regarding the 2008 South Ossetia War2008 South Ossetia war
The 2008 South Ossetia War or Russo-Georgian War was an armed conflict in August 2008 between Georgia on one side, and Russia and separatist governments of South Ossetia and Abkhazia on the other....
, Russian defence ministry spokesperson Anatoliy Nogovitsyn
Anatoliy Nogovitsyn
Anatoliy Alekseevich Nogovitsyn is the Deputy Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, Colonel General, most known for being the primary spokesman of the Russian Armed Forces during 2008 South Ossetia War and for warning Poland about the possibility of a nuclear strike...
speculated about the use of the Tor missile system by Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
against attacking Russian aircraft. The system suggested as a possible cause of the loss of a Tu-22MR strategic bomber
Bomber
A bomber is a military aircraft designed to attack ground and sea targets, by dropping bombs on them, or – in recent years – by launching cruise missiles at them.-Classifications of bombers:...
, shot down by Georgian air-defences while on a reconnaissance
Reconnaissance
Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....
mission during the conflict. While the loss of the bomber has also been attributed to the Buk-M1, which Georgia obtained from the Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
in 2007, if the loss can be attributed to Tor it would be the first time the (as yet unproven) system has seen combat use.
Operators
The HQ-17 (Hongqi-17) is the reported ChinesePeople's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
designation for the Tor missile system, which is replacing the HQ-61. There is no confirmation that China is currently manufacturing its own licenced copy of the Tor system.
In 1996, China ordered 14 Tor-M1 missile systems from Russia which were delivered under contract in 1997. In 1999, another contract for 13 Tor-M1 systems was signed between Russia and China. Delivery of the systems took place in 2000.
Russia has delivered an undetermined number of Tor-M1 systems (originally built for Greece) to the Islamic Republic of Iran amid protests from the United States. It is suspected that at least 29 such systems have been transferred along with service contracts with an approximate value of $700,000,000 USD. - 35 - 6 - 16 - 25 - 29
- 136 - unknown - 12 - 12
External links
- Almaz-Antey, Tor Design Bureau
- Kupol, Tor Maufacturer
- Federation of American Scientists page
- SA-15 GAUNTLET / 9K331 Tor - Global Security
- TOR M-1 Update
- Demonstration of Tor-M2E on August 20, 2009 , Video (WMV), 2009 MAKS AirshowMAKS AirshowMAKS is an International Air Show held near Moscow, Russia on Zhukovskiy LII air field. The first show, Mosaeroshow-92, was held in 1992. Since 1993, it was renamed to its current name and is held on odd years .MAKS is an important event in Russian business...
, NIEMINiemiNiemi is a surname originating in Finland . It may also refer to, alphabetically:* Antti Niemi , Finnish football goalkeeper* Antti Niemi , Finnish ice hockey goaltender...
press-release