The personnel of the 53rd Anti-aircraft Missile Brigade of the combined arms army of the Western Military District stationed in the Kursk region began receiving new Buk-M3 anti-aircraft missile systems. The reception is carried out in the Astrakhan region at the Kapustin Yar test range.

Subsequently, anti-aircraft gunners will have to undergo a three-month retraining in Orenburg on the basis of the training center for military air defence, during which the SAM’s teams will study the tactical and technical capabilities and the material base of the new complex.

In practical exercises, servicemen will develop skills in loading launchers with missiles, methods of working on electronic equipment of anti-aircraft missile systems, and will conduct electronic launches of missiles.

The Buk-M3 medium-range surface-to-air missile system is a modernized version of the Buk-M2 system, features advanced electronic components and a deadly new missile and could be regarded as a completely new system.

The Buk-M3 uses a new 9M317M missile. This missile was first publicly revealed in 2006. It has a totally different design that older Buk missiles. It is more compact than missiles, used on the Buk M1 and Buk M2 systems.