SEAS 2021: Serbia modernises Kub mobile SAM systems with assistance from Bosnia and Herzegovina

The Serbian Air Force and Air Defense (Ratno Vazduhoplovstvo i Protivvazduhoplovna Odbrana: RV i PVO) 2K12 Kub-M (SA-6 Gainful) mobile medium-range surface-to-air missile systems (SAMs) are undergoing general overhaul and serial modernisation, Nenad Miloradović, the assistant minister for material resources in the Serbian Ministry of Defence (MoD) unveiled on 18 May during a presentation on the opening day of the online/hybrid Southeast Europe Aviation Summit (SEAS 2021) in Belgrade.

Miloradović said that the high number of missiles Serbia has for the Kub system makes the investment a cost-effective solution, and noted that the process is conducted in co-operation between the Kosmos JSC company from Banja Luka, Republika Srpska (one of the two constitutional and legal entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina) and Serbian companies that Miloradović did not name.

The modernisation digitalises the Kub command post for the crew’s increased situational awareness and networks the systems into Serbia’s wider air defence structure. The concept is to make the systems more survivable by increasing their passive use: meaning the system’s own radar would be on less and it could rely more on newly-installed long-range thermal cameras.

The Kub’s passive use would also be improved by modifying its middle launch ramp to carry three infrared (IR) homing weapons: two modified R-60MK (AA-8 Aphid) air-to-air missiles and one RLN-IC: a 12 km range missile that is a local development of R-13M (AA-2 Atoll) air-to-air missile that formerly armed Serbian MiG-21 aircraft. A Kub launch vehicle in this configuration was shown for the first time on 6 April during a Serbian military demonstration at Batajnica air base, near Belgrade.