Buk-M2

A tracked medium-range surface-to-air missile system that provides Russian ground forces with mobile area air defense against aircraft, helicopters and cruise missiles, predecessor to the Buk-M3. It is best known internationally for the 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over eastern Ukraine.

In service since 1988 · 10 operator countries

Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02

km range

25,000

m altitude

targets

140

km radar

Several performance figures for Russia-origin systems are manufacturer or state claims with limited independent verification. Treat these specs as directional, not tested values.

Pricing: Unit cost not publicly disclosed

Procurement snapshot

Availability & export

Russian state channel

Rosoboronexport monopoly; Western sanctions exposure and payment/logistics risk for many buyers.

Channel: Rosoboronexport (state)

Fielded & proven

Established · 10 operators

In service since 1988. Status: active.

Lifecycle cost (est.)

No public unit price to model from.

Interoperability

No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.

Derived guidance from public data — export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.

Full specifications

Performance

Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.

Max speed (Mach) Maximum speed as a multiple of the speed of sound. Mach 2+ is typical for air-superiority fighters.: 3.5 Mach

Stronger than 46% of air-defense systems
Engagement range Maximum distance at which an air-defense system can intercept targets. Higher covers more airspace.: 45 km

Stronger than 48% of air-defense systems
Engagement altitude Maximum target altitude the system can reach.: 25,000 m

Stronger than 65% of air-defense systems
Simultaneous targets Number of targets the system can engage at once. Higher resists saturation attacks.: 24

Stronger than 87% of air-defense systems

Firepower

Armament, payload and guidance.

Main armament Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type.: 9M317 interceptor missile
Warhead Warhead mass. Heavier generally means larger effect radius, at the cost of range.: 70 kg

Stronger than 68% of air-defense systems
Warhead type Blast-fragmentation, shaped charge (HEAT), penetrator, thermobaric or nuclear-capable.: Fragmentation
Guidance How the weapon finds its target: inertial, GPS/GLONASS, active/semi-active radar, infrared, laser, TV, wire.: Semi-active radar homing

Sensors & avionics

Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.

Radar Primary radar. AESA (active electronically scanned array) is the current state of the art.: 9S18M1 Kupol acquisition radar
Radar range Published detection range against a typical fighter-sized target. Higher sees first.: 140 km

Stronger than 48% of air-defense systems
Datalink Network connectivity: Link 16, MADL, national datalinks. Enables cooperative engagement.: Battery command network

Program

Cost, production scale and operators.

Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.: 10

Stronger than 86% of air-defense systems

Specifications compiled from public Almaz-Antey and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations — treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.

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