Russian defense company Almaz Antey unveils new air defense missile system SOSNA based on BTR-82A 8x8 Armored Personnel Carrier (APC) vehicle at Army-2021 (Military Technical Forum) International Defense Exhibition that was held in the Patriotic Park near Moscow, Russia.

Almaz Antey SOSNA air defense missile system mounted on BTR-82A 8x8 armored vehicle chassis. (Picture source Army Recognition)

Previously, Almaz Antey had already developed the SOSNA air defense missile system based on tracked armored vehicle platform as the MT-LB or the BMP-3. Using a wheeled vehicle chassis, the SOSNA is lighter and can be more easily transported by military aircraft allowing faster deployment.

The wheeled version of the SOSNA is based on the chassis of the BTR-82A, an upgraded version of the Russian-made BTR-80A wheeled armored vehicles. The original turret is removed and replaced by the SOSNA weapon system. It is designed to protect military and industrial assets against a wide range of air threats, including fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and cruise missiles. The weapon also engages lightly armored platforms, if necessary. The Sosna can operate under harsh weather conditions and in an electronically contested environment.

The SOSNA SAM (Surface-to-Air Missile) system is armed with 12 ready-use Sosna-R containerized missiles, two rows of three launcher tubes are mounted on each side of the turret. The missiles can engage aerial targets flying at a top speed of 500 m/s. The SOSNA air defense weapon featuring an automatic target acquisition and tracking system has a target engagement range of up to 10 km and a target engagement altitude of up to 5 km. The weapon’s launcher has an elevation angle of up to +82° and an azimuth angle of 360°. The SAMs are mounted in two six-cell banks on each side of the launching unit. The Sosna functions in both automatic and semi-automatic modes.

The SOSNA system uses both its integral optical-electronic suite and external target designators to receive target data. When the weapon is integrated with an external target designator (the Barnaul command and control (C2) system, the PU12M C2 unit, and other systems), the SOSNA unit includes a mobile C2 post and up to six combat vehicles. If the system operates in autonomous mode, the SOSNA unit comprises six combat platforms, with one vehicle designating targets and distributing target data.

The SOSNA has been fitted with an optical-electronic control subsystem. The weapon tracks targets using a TV camera and a thermal imager. The missiles are guided by laser beam, which reduces the SOSNA’s signatures and dramatically increases the system’s combat effectiveness and survivability