Tor Credit - © Mark Wade

Mobile, single-vehicle surface-to-air missile system designed to defend army units against low-flying attack aircraft, guided bombs, and cruise missiles.

The Tor 9K330 surface-to-air missile system was accepted for use by the land forces in 1988. The system was developed by Antey, with MKB Fakel developing the 9M330 missile. Series engineering was by the Izhersky Electromechanical Factor (IEMZ). Tor was designed to defend military and civilian targets from low-flying attack aircraft, guided bombs, and cruise missiles.

Maximum target speed 2520 kph.

A system consisted of the following vehicles:

• 9A330 TELAR with 8 missile tubes for Tor
• 9A331 TELAR with 8 missile tubes for Tor-M
• 9A331M TELAR with 8 missile tubes for Tor-M1
• 9T244 reload vehicle with 8 missiles
• 9T245 transporter with 28 missiles
• 9V887 maintenance vehicle
• 9S737 Rangir command post vehicle

Manufacturer: Efremov. Location: Moscow. Total Mass: 165 kg (363 lb). Core Diameter: 0.35 m (1.14 ft). Total Length: 3.50 m (11.40 ft). Standard warhead mass: 15 kg (33 lb). Maximum range: 12 km (7 mi). Boost Propulsion: Solid rocket. Guidance: Command. Maximum speed: 3,060 kph (1,900 mph). Minimum range: 1.50 km (0.90 mi). Ceiling: 6,000 m (19,600 ft). Floor: 10 m (32 ft).

Tor was later improved to the Tor-M1 (9K331) system with the 9M331 missile.

This version was analogous in capability to the French Crotale, but with double the range, and three times the range of the proposed British Rapier-2000 system. It was capable of firing multiple missiles against multiple targets simultaneously while using a single-channel guidance system that exploited unique algorithms that even made the system capable against surface targets such as trucks or automobiles.

Total Mass: 165 kg (363 lb). Standard warhead mass: 15 kg (33 lb). Maximum range: 12 km (7 mi). Guidance: Command. Minimum range: 1.00 km (0.60 mi). Ceiling: 6,000 m (19,600 ft). Floor: 10 m (32 ft).

• Parsch, Andreas, DesignationSystems.Net, . Outstanding, unique reference for aircraft, missiles, propulsion, and avionics systems. Accessed at: http://www.designation-systems.net/.

• Yeftifyev, M D, Iz istorii sozdaniya zenito-raketnovo shchita rossii, Vuzovskaya kniga, Moscow, 2000. Comprehensive history of development of the development of surface-to-air and anti-ballistic missiles in the Soviet Union, with summaries of work in other countries as well. Accessed at: http://www.eastview.com/xq/ASP/sku=A2010232/f_locale=/Evtif'ev/MD/Moskva/Russia/Russian/qx/russian/books/product.asp.