Buk-M3

The Buk-M3, developed by the Tikhomirov Design Bureau, is an upgraded version of the Buk-M2 air defense system featuring advanced electronic components to increase the system's effectiveness against airborne threats. According to the Russian press the M3 can be considered a new system with outstanding performance. The upgraded ground-based air defense system features the new 9R31M radar-guided surface-to-air missile (SAM) with increased range and enhanced overall performance compared with the 9M38 used on the Buk-M1 and Buk-M2 missile systems which dates back to the 1970s. Each missile carrier vehicles is loaded with six missiles instead of only four in the M1 and M2 variants. A single battery of Buk-M3 missile systems can engage up to 36 targets simultaneously. The Viking is the export version introduced in November 2018. The vertical launch 9R31M missile has a maximum range of 70 kilometers compared with 42-45 kilometers of the 9M38 missile and the target destruction/hit probability increased to 0.9999. The Buk-M3 air defense system has been optimized for the interception of low-flying cruise missiles but can also engage ground and sea targets. Besides, the missile is extremely resistant against electronic countermeasures. The missile system also includes a new digital computer, high speed data exchange system and a thermal target imaging designator replacing optical trackers on previous Buk models. As of late 2013, the Russian Armed Forces expect to take delivery of the first Buk-M3 air defense missile system in 2016. The Russian Armed Forces took delivery of its first Buk-M3 missile system in September 2016.

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