Reference News Network February 11** According to the Russian "Izvestia" **February 2**, a source in the Russian Ministry of Defense told "Izvestia" that the "Thor" and "Bend" air defense systems will join the Russian assault force, and their task is to cover fighters when capturing enemy strongholds. Experts note that when launching an attack, it is crucial to shoot down unmanned attack aircraft and rockets in a timely manner. Ultimately, this innovation will make assault operations more efficient.
Military expert Alexei Leonkov explained: "When storming fortified areas, the enemy can use various means to disrupt the attack, possibly air strikes**, in particular, first-person view (FPV) drones. Obviously, the portable anti-aircraft missile system is not suitable for dealing with such targets, it has its own limitations. However, if you use a system that can track multiple targets, you can minimize or zero the damage caused by the enemy. The experience of the special military operation proves that the decision to equip these units with the 'Thor' and 'Bend' systems was completely correct. ”
According to the report, the independent assault forces are also an innovation brought about by the special military operation. In the first weeks of fighting, the Russian army encountered strong Ukrainian fortifications. The fighting situation in the Donbass is particularly difficult, with the Russian army suffering heavy losses. Gradually, the Russian army switched to relatively small assault squad tactics, supported by armored vehicles and artillery.
Military expert Gennady Alykhin said: "The assault squad has already been tested in other local conflicts, in particular, in the street battles in Grozny during the Second Chechen War. "In the future, the Russian army will send assault teams to carry out special tasks. They will be replenished with snipers, grenadiers and sappers, supported by various armored vehicles.
This includes armored reconnaissance-search vehicles, tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, and can also use the Tor medium and short-range anti-aircraft missile system - it excels in the zone of the special military operation. 'Bending' is a new system that has been modified to go to the front. Alyokhin added.
Handed over to the assault forces were the most modern Russian anti-aircraft missile systems. "Thor"-M2 is considered one of the most effective short-range air defense systems. Its task is to protect the first echelon of the army from anti-radar missiles, cruise missiles, gliding bombs, aircraft, ** and various UAVs.
This system is mounted on a tracked armored chassis and can work in tandem with combat formations consisting of motorized infantry and tanks. The ability to launch missiles vertically allows it to repel air attacks from any direction. The modification of the "Tor" is equipped with a more powerful 9M338K anti-aircraft missile. A set of launchers had a load of 16 rounds.
The new version of "Thor" not only has a short launch interval, but also is on the move**. This makes it an effective tool for covering the march of troops. The "Thor" missile has a range of more than 16 kilometers and can shoot down from 10 meters to 1Targets at an altitude of 20,000 meters and targets within 32 kilometers are found.
The Bend"-s anti-aircraft missile system has the advantages of both self-propelled and portable systems. Its mission is to monitor the air situation, cover troops during combat operations, and protect military, industrial and infrastructure from air raids.
The bending "-s system consists of a combat vehicle of a portable anti-aircraft missile squad and a reconnaissance-command vehicle. The combat vehicle is equipped with a launcher of the "Needle" or "Yellow Willow" man-portable anti-aircraft missile and an optoelectronic search-sighting system. This design provides all-round angular guidance, and it is also possible to change the elevation angles of the missile box. The ready-to-use ammunition was 4 missiles, and another 4 were kept in the car for standby. (Compiled by He Yingjun).
*: Reference message.