Commanders!
Last week we unveiled the first vehicle of the upcoming “On the Hunt” Battle Path, the Bulsae-6, and yesterday we discussed the Pereh, which will be the second one. That leaves us with the third vehicle and the final prize of the event, which is called 72V6 Pantsir-S1.
The development of the 96K6 Pantsir anti-aircraft system was (the designation 72V6 refers specifically to the combat vehicle itself) was launched as early as in 1990 in the Soviet Union. The purpose of the system was two-fold. Most importantly, it was supposed to cover the long-range S-300P SAMs with its anti-aircraft missiles and short-range autocannons. The secondary task of the system was to destroy lightly armored targets and infantry.
The vehicle was initially developed on a wheeled chassis (Ural-53234) but, later on, tracked platforms and even naval versions of the system were developed as well. The first prototype was built in 1994 and was shown to the public a year later. However, the first trials revealed a number of flaws, including the inability to fire on the move or at distances longer than 12km. As a result, the Russian Army lost interest and the project was shelved only to be revived years later as an export product.
The United Arab Emirates showed interest in it but their requirements essentially meant that the project was overhauled from scratch. The new version included a new turret, new guns and new missiles with significantly higher range (20km). As a result, UAE signed a contract for 50 of these in 2000, becoming the first customer to have bought the Pantsir system. It became a relatively successful export item with Russia ordering its own Pantsir’s in the 2010s. The Pantsir-S1 is an upgraded version with enhanced performance from the 2000s and the most common version of the system.
But there are two more items that need to be discussed. First is the chassis. The tracked Pantsir we have is based on a Belarusian chassis called GM-352M1E and was unveiled during the MILEX expo in Minsk in 2005. The second are the missiles. In 2017, the Hermes missiles were unveiled. These can be fired from the Pantsir system and can be also used against ground targets.
In Armored Warfare, Pantsir-S1 will be a Tier 10 Premium Tank Destroyer.
Gameplay-wise, the Pantsir is well within the theme of relatively fragile Tank Destroyers armed with powerful missiles that feature the first-person missile control mechanics. This is not exactly realistic for the Pantsir-S1 since the Hermes missiles do not have an optical guidance channel but we took the liberty of introducing it this way for the sake of gameplay diversity.
As you can see, the Pantsir-S1 features four banks of powerful guided missiles that are loaded and fired in turn. Since the Pereh also features twelve missiles, what will be the main differences between the Pantsir, the Pereh and the Bulsae?
For one, the Pantsir-S1 features two rapid-fire 30mm autocannons capable of shredding softer targets in seconds. But it’s the missiles that are truly terrifying with 2 seconds between launches and their damage output. Combined, the firepower of the system is extremely high.
And another thing – the Pantsir-S1 will be able to launch multiple missiles at once, just like the real thing, even in the first person control mode. How does that work, you might ask? Quite simply, really – of the flying missiles, the camera (and control) is attached to the first one of those in the air and the other missile follows it, arriving at the target simultaneously and thus overwhelming its potential defenses.
Another difference is the presence of the Radar active ability. Simply put, while the other Tank Destroyers aren’t exactly great spotters, the Pantsir-S1 can enhance its spotting ability by activating the radar on top of the turret. This in turn will reduce its camouflage from 30% to 25%, but will increase the view range from 350m to 385m and improve its ability to spot through foliage.
The Pantsir-S1 will also be relatively mobile thanks to its low weight, allowing for relatively quick movement across the map. It is, of course, no race-car, but few vehicles can match its punch, especially at long distances. Whether you like to stand back and hurl missile after missile at unsuspecting targets or like to spice things up by some close range autocannon action, the Pantsir-S1 is here to deliver.
And with that we’re wrapping up this Battle Path’s vehicle features. Or are we? That’s right, we still have a surprise or two up our sleeves and we guarantee you’ll like them. Stay tuned because more info is coming soon and, as always:
See you on the battlefield!
