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SA7M3 Iron Guardian

The SA7M3 is an upgraded version of the Iron Guardian counter-rocket, artillery, and mortar system. The upgrades include a new targeting radar and ECM hardening. The Khertland army plans to eventually replace all the older SA7M2s on frontline units with the newer M3s. The gradual phasing out of the SA7M2s will then be given to reserve units.
The ECM hardening has been on the agenda for a long while as electronic attacks could easily suppress the system and knocking it out of commission. Without the Iron Guardian, the soft-skinned SPAA systems were extremely vulnerable to return fire. The SA7M3 intends to resolve this issue. It does not have a particularly high resistance but sufficient to keep it operating under most circumstances. This of course did not come without sacrifices. It reduced the amount of missiles carried although not by much. Despite this, the launcher system is now longer and required the reloading crane to be move forwards significantly.

Besides the ECM hardening, the new radar is simpler and more suited for the task at hand. It is less capable at tracking aircraft than the previous system but in terms of where it matters such as detecting projectiles, it is equally as capable. Other aspects of the electronics were also upgraded moving from analog to digital. The vehicle cab also received thicker protection along with a more up-to-date chassis based on the Altai standard. The new production also replaced the older halogen bulbs with newer LED ones first used on the Flemming family of armored fighting vehicles.
Overall, the upgrade didn't receive much media or international attention and was just another typical mid-life upgrades to keep older platforms competitive. Indeed there has been proposals on possible vehicles to complement if not outright supplant it, however the Khertland army has opted for the safer and cheaper option of upgrading the Iron Guardian platform instead.

On the other hand, the army had been considering potentially changing the organization of the air defense platoon by having more than one Iron Guardian in an echelon formation to provide the most effective coverage possible.

Blocks: 388
Volume: 741 cubic meter
Cost: 27.3k
Weight: 32,873
Length: 22m
Width: 7m
Height: 7m (roof of turret), 11m (radar mast)
Speed: 33 m/s
Weapon system: 60x 1m long interceptor missiles