Army 2020: Almaz-Antey unveils new launcher for Abakan ballistic missile defence system

Russia’s Almaz-Antey Corporation unveiled the new 51P6E2 10×10 mobile surface-to-air missile launch platform for the 98R6E Abakan non-strategic ballistic missile defence system at the Russian Federation Ministry of Defence’s Army 2020 International Military-Technical Forum, held in Kubinka, near Moscow between 23 and 29 August.

The 98R6E Abakan is a highly manoeuvrable multichannel system designed to protect critically sensitive military-industrial, government, and administrative facilities against tactical ballistic missiles.

The Abakan system includes a 98L6E mobile multifunctional ballistic target detection and tracking radar based on a 4×4 platform, and several 51P6E2 mobile launchers. The exact number of launchers depends on a combat task. The 51P6E2 launcher is furnished with two vertically launched cylindrical containers, each containing a 9M82MDE interceptor, and a deployable radar that can be folded down between the containers in transportation mode. A ready-to-use launcher weighs 53.5 tons and is controlled by a crew of two.

The new 51P6E2 launcher for the 98R6E Abakan non-strategic ballistic missile defence system was unveiled at the Russian Federation Ministry of Defence’s Army 2020 International Military-Technical Forum between 23 and 29 August. (N Novichkov)

The Abakan is designed to engage aerial targets with a minimum radar cross-section of 0.02 m² at a distance of up to 30 km and at altitudes up to 25 km. Two 9M82MDE interceptors can be guided to a single target.

The launch vehicle has a range of 500 km on surfaced roads and produces a top speed of 60 km/h. The 51P6E2 has a stated deployment time of approximately six minutes, with preparation of the interceptor given as 7.5 seconds.