Ukraine downs Russian Gibka-S: A new era in Air defence
The Ukrainians destroyed the Russian Gibka-S air defence system, which was introduced into service in 2023. Regarding concept and capabilities, the Russian system is similar to the Polish Poprad air defence system. What do we know about this Russian weapon?
Gibka-S is a new Russian air defence system. It was first showcased to the world during the Army 2017 expo, and equipment deliveries began in 2023. According to Ukrainian sources, the Russian army has already received several batches of the new equipment (the exact number is unknown), two of which were in 2024. At least one Gibka-S launcher has been destroyed so far.
Gibka-S is a hybrid built using the maritime air defence system Gibka-R (Komar). It is equipped with 9S846 Strelets modules and Igla-S anti-air missiles. Designed for Russian Navy ships, the launcher was combined with a Tigr-M chassis to create a mobile very short-range air defence system (VSHORAD).
Gibka-S - Russian very short range air defence system
The result was a system that strongly resembles the Polish Poprad system in terms of concept, purpose, and appearance. Like the Polish air defence system, the Gibka-S has its own observation and target detection means: an optoelectronic head containing a daytime camera, thermal imager, and laser rangefinder.
The launcher can operate independently—using information from its own sensors—or in cooperation with the 9S937 MRUK command vehicle, which is equipped, among other things, with a small Garmon radar station (1L122-1). This allows it to detect targets at distances up to 40 kilometres.
Russian equivalent of the Poprad air defence system
An important element of the system is also the Ochotnik target tracking module, allowing for simultaneous tracking of up to four aerial targets within the sensors' field of view. One target can be attacked using one or two missiles simultaneously (one Gibka-S vehicle has one firing channel).
This setup also resembles the Polish solution, where the Poprad launcher can operate autonomously or in cooperation with the ZDPSR Soła radar station, designed for this purpose and mounted on an all-terrain wheeled chassis.
