Buk-M3

Russia’s latest tracked medium-range surface-to-air missile system — a 6-missile canisterized TELAR that brings active-radar fire-and-forget interceptors up to 70 km, thickening the lower tier of Moscow’s integrated air defense.

Overview

The Buk-M3 (GRAU 9K317M, NATO reporting name SA-27 “Gollum”) is the most advanced variant of the Buk family, a road-mobile medium-range SAM that has formed a core layer of Russian ground-based air defense since the Soviet era. Developed by Almaz-Antey and fielded primarily with the Russian Aerospace Forces, the M3 replaces the exposed-rail launchers of earlier Buks with a six-missile canisterized transporter-erector-launcher-and-radar (TELAR) and introduces an active-radar seeker, enabling genuine fire-and-forget engagements against aircraft, cruise missiles, tactical ballistic missiles, PGMs and drones.

🔒 The full Buk-M3 file is for BattlePolicy Pro members. Below the line: development history, design and capabilities, variants, the combat record, advantages and limitations, comparable systems, outlook, the full specifications table, our sourcing, and the analyst assessment — procurement, suppliers and the BattlePolicy verdict. Unlock the full file with BattlePolicy Pro →