Buk-M3: Branching Out

Today we’ll be covering the Buk-M3 SAM system, one of the most famous surface-to-air missile systems.

Vehicle History

Development of the Buk surface-to-air missile system began on January 13th, 1972. The system was intended to combat targets at medium and low altitudes and was set to be completed by mid-1975. Before the system could be completed however, there were urgent concerns regarding the anti-air defense of tank divisions, and so a decision was quickly made to create the system in two stages. On May 22nd, 1974 a decree was issued to develop a simplified version — this initial variant was autonomous and self-propelled, and able to be integrated with existing Kub-M3 SAM system vehicles.

The fully-fledged 9K37 Buk system successfully completed testing in 1979, consisting of a command post, a radar station, six launcher vehicles with four SAMs each, loading vehicles and a communications platoon.

Modernization began after the Buk was adopted into service, and resulted in several improvements. The Buk-M1 featured increased jamming immunity and expanded target engagement capabilities, the Buk-M1-2 could fire a new missile, with the generally improved Buk-M2 followed after. The most modern iteration of the system, the Buk-M3, was accepted into service in 2016. It features new 9M317M series missiles, a new combat control post, an improved radar vehicle, new TELs (transport erector launcher) with 12 missiles each, and a new TELARs (transporter erector launcher and radar) with 6 missiles each.

Introducing the Buk-M3!

Meet the Buk-M3, a modern Russian surface-to-air missile system coming to War Thunder in the next major update. It will come to the game as a Multi-Vehicle SAM system, meaning it consists of three vehicles: a radar vehicle, and two launcher vehicles with six missiles each. Let’s take a look at what the Buk is capable of!

Let’s start by going over the weapons. As soon as you spawn into a battle and position your radar vehicle, you’ll be able to deploy one or two launcher vehicles that each have six 9M317MA missiles in launch canisters. The guidance for them is a combination of active radar homing with inertial guidance on the missile’s flight trajectory and data link. The massive missiles have a large warhead and a radio fuse with a large proximity detonation range, as well as a long time in flight. The 9M317MA missiles have a thrust vector control and overload of 30G, allowing them to hit targets with ease, even at short distances. The missile containers are angled and the missiles cannot be launched vertically, so make sure to position the launcher vehicles accordingly!

Did you know? “Buk” means “Beech” (a type of tree).

The radar vehicle is where the gunner operates the system, able to control almost the entire airspace above the battle and simultaneously lead and hit up to 12 targets at once! Even if this vehicle is destroyed you’ll still be able to continue fighting aircraft. The launcher vehicles have their own sight with a thermal imager, and their radar is capable of both detecting and tracking targets, albeit in a narrow sector.

Interesting: The Buk detection station radar has a low rotation frequency, so one revolution takes 4.5 seconds. Each launcher vehicle has a radar with a phased