TOR-M2E.

Technical Data

• Armament and Radar Systems

  The Tor-M2E is a self-contained, autonomous short-range surface-to-air missile (SAM) system armed with eight ready-to-fire missiles housed in two vertical launch modules. Each launch module contains four factory-sealed canisters mounted in the central turret of the vehicle. The missile system uses vertical cold-launch technology, allowing rapid 360-degree engagement of airborne targets. The entire firing sequence, including detection, tracking, targeting, and engagement, is performed automatically by onboard systems.

  To achieve this level of autonomy, the Tor-M2E integrates a dual-radar system mounted directly on the rotating turret. The primary radar is the 9B177 three-dimensional surveillance radar, located on the upper rear section of the turret, which elevates vertically during deployment. This radar performs continuous 360-degree scanning of the airspace, detecting and identifying up to 48 aerial targets simultaneously at ranges exceeding 30 kilometers. It serves as the main acquisition radar and provides target data for further processing.

  The secondary radar is the 9B331M fire control radar, a phased-array system installed on the front face of the turret, positioned just above the missile canisters. This radar is responsible for precision tracking and command guidance of the missiles. It can track up to 10 targets concurrently and guide missiles to as many as four threats at the same time. Designed with high resistance to jamming and signal interference, it maintains accurate tracking even under intense electronic warfare conditions.

  Together, these radar systems provide the Tor-M2E with seamless and autonomous engagement capability across a full circular field of view. Their placement on the stabilized rotating turret allows uninterrupted detection, tracking, and engagement of airborne threats from any direction. These features collectively provide the system with a highly automated and rapid-response engagement process capable of countering a wide range of aerial threats from multiple vectors in real time.

• Missiles

  The Tor-M2E is equipped with vertically launched 9M331 and 9M338K short-range surface-to-air missiles, which are stored in transport-launch canisters. These missiles are designed to intercept fast-moving, low-altitude aerial threats including UAVs, helicopters, and precision-guided munitions. Each missile is guided via radio command using radar data provided by the vehicle’s integrated engagement radar. The 9M331 missile has a length of approximately 2.89 meters and a diameter of 0.23 meters, while the newer 9M338K is slightly more compact and lighter, allowing for improved acceleration and response. Missile launch weight is roughly 165 kg. Engagement range extends up to 16 km, with altitude coverage from as low as 10 meters to a maximum of 10,000 meters. This capability ensures the Tor-M2E can provide robust low and medium-altitude coverage, especially effective against fast, agile, and small RCS targets in the tactical airspace.

• Design and Protection

  The Tor-M2E is mounted on the MZKT-69222 6×6 wheeled chassis, a platform designed for air defense roles with semi-armored protection and high road endurance. The chassis is divided into three functional sections: a frontal cab for the three-man crew (driver, commander, and operator); a mid-vehicle rotating turret that houses the search and tracking radar, and the vertical missile launchers; and a rear-mounted power pack. Armor protection includes steel plating rated against small arms fire up to 7.62 mm and shrapnel from artillery and mortar shells. The vehicle is fitted with a nuclear, biological, and chemical (NBC) filtration system and has smoke grenade dischargers for concealment. Hydraulic stabilizers are deployed when firing to ensure system stability and targeting precision. This compartmentalized and hardened design supports operation in forward areas where air threat levels and indirect fire risks are elevated.

• Mobility

  The Tor-M2E is powered by a YaMZ-7513.10 diesel engine delivering 420 horsepower, mated to a full-time 6×6 all-wheel-drive drivetrain. The chassis is equipped with an independent torsion bar suspension and high-clearance axles, enabling effective cross-country travel. It achieves a maximum road speed of 80 km/h and has an operational range of up to 500 kilometers. Designed for deployment across varied combat environments, the vehicle can traverse gradients of up to 60 percent, side slopes of 30 percent, vertical obstacles of 0.5 meters, and ford water up to 1.2 meters deep without preparation. The system performs reliably in extreme weather conditions from-50°C to +50 °C, allowing uninterrupted operation in arctic, desert, and temperate climates. While it lacks the full obstacle-negotiating performance of tracked platforms, the wheeled MZKT-69222 chassis offers superior on-road speed, fuel economy, and reduced maintenance requirements, with very good off-road capabilities suited to most terrain categories, including mud, sand, snow, and light forest trails.

• Command and Control Vehicles

  The Tor-M2E is operated as part of a networked short-range air defense (SHORAD) battery typically composed of four self-propelled TELARs (Transporter Erector Launcher and Radar), one battery-level command post vehicle (9S737MK Ranzhir-MK), two 9T244 transporter-loader vehicles, and associated engineering or technical support units. Each TELAR is capable of independent operation with its own search and tracking radars but reaches peak operational efficiency when integrated into a command network. The 9S737MK vehicle coordinates air picture integration, assigns target priorities, and enables coordinated salvo firing or distributed coverage. All vehicles communicate over secure radio and digital links, ensuring rapid data-sharing and adaptive response in dynamic threat environments. The system is interoperable within larger Russian integrated air defense frameworks, supporting cooperative engagement with Buk-M2, Pantsir-S1, and higher-echelon systems like the S-300 and S-400. This configuration ensures that the Tor-M2E serves as a dense, mobile umbrella against low-altitude penetrators and time-sensitive air threats.