"Shell" on the waves
To demonstrate the diversity of the Pantsir family, the "Military Acceptance" film crew visited the Kaliningrad region and the Baltic Sea, aboard the small missile ship "Burya," a Project 22800 Karakurt class ship. It is armed with the naval version of the Pantsir—the Pantsir-ME anti-aircraft missile and artillery system.
In general, demonstrating the operation of the Pantsir in real combat conditions is very difficult. On the one hand, this concerns secrecy issues, and on the other, the system's missiles engage targets so far away and high up that it's difficult to see. Therefore, exercises are the ideal way to demonstrate the system's operation.
A Kornet anti-tank missile, converted into a target, was chosen as the target. This is a more challenging target for the Pantsir, as the missile flies close to the surface, in this case, at sea, unlike other missiles, which fly overhead.
According to the commander of the Burya's missile and artillery warhead unit, the naval Pantsir differs only slightly from the land-based version, borrowing all the best features. The Pantsir-ME effectively shoots down low-flying, small-size targets, including for this purpose, thanks to its two six-barreled 30mm anti-aircraft guns. The precision-guided barrels fire at a rate of fire that can literally cut an enemy to pieces—over 10,000 rounds per minute.
The sea-based Pantsir, like the land-based version, has two radars. The radar module, integrated into the ship's conning tower, detects targets. The multifunctional radar, the MRLS, provides target guidance and destruction.
As the combat unit commander noted, target designations can also be received visually, rather than via a radar. The system is equipped with a state-of-the-art optoelectronic system that enables the autonomous detection of small targets, undetectable by radar, in both day and night mode, including unmanned boats and drones.
The naval Pantsir's radar has the most complex configuration, as searching for and intercepting air targets at sea is inherently more difficult than on land. Firstly, a ship is never level, rocking on the waves; secondly, in combat, it is constantly and quite rapidly moving.
