The Russian Ground Forces will begin work on developing a new generation surface-to-air missile (SAM) system that will replace the plethora of competing and obsolete SAM systems in its inventory.

Research and development for this new generation SAM system, which goes by the name of "Standard," will begin in 2018 with full scale development starting by 2020 at the earliest. Standard is the name for an entire family of next generation air defense systems for the Russian Ground Forces and isn't a weapon system per se.

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It will be a comprehensive system that will include new versions of every element (SAM, radars, command and control systems) of the Russian Ground Force's air defense system.

Among the SAM systems to be replaced by Standard will be Tor-M2 short-range SAM; the Buk medium-range SAM and some versions of the S-300 long-range SAM.

"By 2020, the main focus of development will be the creation of a single universal multifunctional weapons system for the Army Air Defense troops," said Lt. Gen. Alexander Leonov, commander of the Russian Army Air Defense troops.

"It will be necessary in 2020-2025 to lay the technological foundation for such a system by opening an innovative R&D division."

The Russians hope to develop a fully integrated and networked air defense system utilizing a modular family of missiles consisting of short, medium and long-range variants. The future system might include lasers and other directed energy weapons, said Gen. Leonov.

The Standard version of a short-range antiaircraft missile system is expected to be developed and supplied to Russia's ground forces by 2030, said Army Commander-in-Chief Colonel-General Oleg Salyukov.

"We will discuss tasks at a military and technical conference in Izhevsk for the development of an advanced short-range anti-aircraft missile complex and its place in troops' air defense in 2030-2035," he noted.

The Tor-M2 system is currently the short-range air defense missile system used by the Russian Ground Forces. It's designed to provide air and anti-missile defense at the division level.

The system is can protect infantry against anti-radiation and cruise missiles, aerial drones, flying bombs, aircraft and helicopters.

TagsRussian Ground Forces, urface-to-air missile, SAM, Tor-M2 short-range SAM, Buk medium-range SAM, S-300 long-range SAM, Lt. Gen. Alexander Leonov