Earlier this week, russia’s state defense conglomerate Rostec announced that the High-Precision Systems holding had begun deliveries of a "new short-range, small-sized guided surface-to-air missile" for use with the Pantsir air defense system family. The missile is designed primarily to intercept unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and other close-range aerial threats.
Although Rostec did not disclose the missile’s name, the description clearly points to the TKB-1055. This assumption is supported by a key detail: the Pantsir’s ammunition capacity increases to 48 missiles when the new weapon is integrated. According to Bekkhan Ozdoev, industrial director of Rostec’s weapons cluster, the new missile "will make it significantly more difficult for the enemy to deplete the system’s ammunition while trying to breach the air defense line."
Read more: russians Showcase Pantsir-SM-SV in Operational Service for the First Time
Rostec added that depending on operational needs, a Pantsir system can be equipped with a combination of standard and new mini-missiles. However, the number of missiles delivered in the first batch and the production rate of the TKB-1055 have not been disclosed.
It’s worth noting that in the summer of 2024, at the Army-2024 forum, russia unveiled an updated version of the Pantsir system, the Pantsir-SMD-E, which had its guns removed, effectively turning it into a purely missile-based platform. At the same exhibition, the TKB-1055 mini-missile was publicly displayed for the first time.
According to published specifications, the TKB-1055 can engage targets at distances ranging from 500 to 7,000 meters and at altitudes of up to 5,000 meters. In comparison, the standard Pantsir missile has an engagement range of 1,200 to 20,000 meters and a maximum altitude of 15,000 meters.
For reference, the image below shows the size difference between the standard 57E6E missile (far left) and the new TKB-1055 mini-missile (far right)
Previously, Defense Express reported that russia is actively seeking international buyers for its new Pantsir-SMD-E system.
Read more: russia Wants to Sell Its New Gunless, Stationary Pantsir-SMD-E For Export
