Russian troops are slated to receive their first Very Short-Range Air Defense (VSHORAD) Gibka-S systems from next year. The serial production of Gibka-S began this month after it successfully completed state trials in December 2019.
Gibka-S is the first vehicle-mounted VSHORAD system produced in the country. It’s been developed by state-owned defense company KB Mashinostroyeniya.
The weapon system is mounted on the wheeled chassis of the Tigr line of armored vehicles and developed to attack targets that are not picked up by defensive radars such as drones, helicopters, and ground-attack aircraft.
The air defense system is armed with four ready-to-launch Igla, Igla-S, or Verba missiles.
The VSHORAD Gibka-S has been designed to protect deployed and marching units from the threat of low and extremely low flying aircraft day and night. It can counter planes, helicopters, drones, cruise missiles, and high-precision weapons flying at low or extremely low altitudes.
Tigr-M
The system is mounted on the 9А332 combat vehicle, a derivative of the Tigr-M all-terrain tactical vehicle.
During the trials, the vehicle proved its effectiveness against aerial targets while moving at a speed of up to 19 miles (30 kilometers) per hour. The armored vehicle is designed to carry man-portable air-defense system operators along with missile load and associated equipment.
It can be used to mount a wide range of weapon systems, communications, electronic warfare, and other combat equipment.