The Russian military has introduced a new short-range air defense (SHORAD) system, expanding its battlefield air defense capabilities to counter evolving airborne threats. Known as Zubr, the system integrates airspace surveillance and control components, including radar sensors capable of detecting both large aircraft and small unmanned aerial systems.
Developed by Rostec, Zubr operates with a high degree of automation, enabling it to track drones autonomously while keeping the final engagement decision under human operator control. This approach is designed to reduce response times and operator workload, particularly during complex, coordinated drone swarm attacks.
Configured as a point-defense system, Zubr is intended to protect high-value assets rather than perform long-range air interception. Its architecture features four independent weapon stations, each armed with 7.62×54mm machine guns, all networked through a centralized command-and-control system for coordinated engagement and battlefield integration.
