Russia unveiled the all-new Pantsir-SMD-E short-range air defence system outside its borders for the first time during the Dubai Air Show 2025, marking the system’s Middle East debut and presenting it as the latest member of the Pantsir family and a modular answer to growing unmanned aerial vehicle threats.
Rostec State Corporation said it had brought a range of state-of-the-art air defence solutions to the Dubai Airshow 2025 International Exhibition, with the Pantsir-SMD-E surface-to-air missile system as a key attraction. The Russian exposition is organised by Rosoboronexport. Developed by the High-Precision Weapons holding company, the Pantsir-SMD-E is described by company officials as a unique short-range air defence missile system designed to protect key administrative, industrial and military facilities from airstrikes by a wide range of air attack weapons. It can engage aircraft, helicopters, cruise missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles and even single multiple-launch rocket system projectiles, and its overall package includes combat means, maintenance assets and training facilities.
High-Precision Weapons officials said the new Pantsir system had been designed specifically in response to current UAV threats and the risk of massive drone attacks on critical infrastructure. It is intended to protect industrial and administrative facilities and is capable of destroying all types of aerodynamic targets, including any unmanned aerial vehicles. The ammunition load on the launching ramp can comprise up to 48 miniature short-range guided surface-to-air missiles or 12 standard missiles, depending on the mission.
At the heart of the system is the combat module of the Pantsir-SMD-E air defence missile system, which performs the full cycle of target engagement, from detection and tracking to missile guidance and assessment of firing results. According to the manufacturer, the module has all the systems required for autonomous operation. The target detection radar can detect air targets at ranges of up to 30 kilometres. Above it is an electro-optical station with two channels, thermal imaging and television, used for tracking and engagement in complex conditions. A separate round antenna serves as the guidance radar, which can simultaneously track up to four air targets and guide four surface-to-air missiles to engage them.
The combat module carries two types of surface-to-air missiles on each side. The smaller TKB-1055 missile is intended primarily for anti-drone work, engaging targets out to seven kilometres in range and up to five kilometres in altitude, but it can also be used against other air threats. The larger missile is the same type used on the Pantsir-S1 system, with an engagement range of up to 20 kilometres and an altitude of up to 15 kilometres. By using the smaller missiles with a special transition block, the ammunition load of a single combat vehicle can be increased to 48 short-range missiles, or configured with 12 of the larger missiles, or a mixed load, for example, four large and 16 small on each side. Officials from High-Precision Weapons stressed that the operator can choose any combination and select the appropriate missile for each target.
The new version of the Pantsir system is equipped with a modern fire control system that includes a surveillance radar, a multifunctional radar system and an electro-optical system. According to the holding company, the Pantsir-SMD-E can detect and defeat aerial targets at medium and short distances, and can automatically assess the effectiveness of its engagements. Ammunition in the launcher racks can be up to 48 surface-to-air missiles for close-in intercepts or up to 12 standard surface-to-air missiles, and in practice the number of missiles installed can vary depending on the distribution between standard and mini missiles chosen by the operator.
Officials from High-Precision Weapons said the combat vehicle is operated by a single anti-aircraft gunner working at an automated workstation located remotely from the combat module. Data is transmitted via a fibre-optic line, allowing the operating position to be placed at a safe distance in line with customer requirements. This version of the combat module does not carry guns and is optimised for the defence of cities and critical infrastructure. It can be mounted on building rooftops or purpose-built structures, and the exclusive use of surface-to-air missiles is presented as a safer option for civilians in urban environments. The system is not allowed to operate completely without human involvement, so at least one operator is always required.
The combat module can also be supplied with the RLSOE radar station used on earlier Pantsir systems. While the onboard radar has a detection range of up to 30 kilometres, the additional radar extends detection to about 100 kilometres. One RLSOE station can operate together with up to four combat modules, creating a continuous coverage zone to protect a particular area or facility. The maximum missile engagement range remains 20 kilometres, with targets detected at 30 kilometres by the organic radar and up to 100 kilometres by the supplementary radar. Missile reloading is carried out using standard four-round containers, similar to those used for the larger missiles, and the speed of reloading depends on the qualification of the crew.
“This year, the Pantsir-SMD-E system has already attracted a lot of attention among our foreign partners at the IDEX exhibition in Abu Dhabi [held in February 2025]. The threat of large-scale UAV attacks is now recognized worldwide, and the new modular Pantsir system provides a flexible solution as it can be deployed on building rooftops or at specially prepared sites. The ammunition load can be increased to 48 miniature missiles, which makes it possible to effectively repel large-scale UAV attacks and provides reliable protection for various facilities, including industrial, social and transport infrastructure as well as other structures. We expect that this system will attract considerable interest at Dubai Airshow 2025,” said Bekhan Ozdoev, Industrial Director of the Weapons Cluster of Rostec State Corporation and member of the Bureau of the Union of Machine Engineers of Russia, citing the work of High-Precision Weapons.
The Pantsir-SMD-E itself was first shown at the Army-2024 International Military and Technical Forum in Russia. High-Precision Weapons officials noted that the wide range of Pantsir anti-aircraft missile and gun systems has now been supplemented with this new surface-to-air missile system, which joins the land-based Pantsir-S1M air defence missile and gun system and the Pantsir-ME shipborne system as part of an expanded family aimed at countering modern air and UAV threats.