MOSCOW, January 30. /TASS/: An official ceremony took place in the Republic of Dagestan to hand over the first Bal coastal defense missile system to the Caspian Flotilla, the press office of Russia’s Southern Military District reported on Thursday.
"The first Bal coastal defense missile system has entered service with the Caspian Flotilla. Its official handover has taken place in the Republic of Dagestan," the press office said in a statement.
As the press office specified, the Bal is designated for the coastal defense of the permanent bases of ships that provide security in the Caspian Sea and Caspian Flotilla land troops. The system’s teams can fire missiles in salvoes or make sole launches at the designated time.
"Most of its flight time, a missile flies over the sea surface, which makes it possible to save munitions and complicates its interception and destruction by anti-missile defense capabilities. One Bal launcher is capable of firing a salvo of over 50 missiles in no time," the press office said.
The Bal coastal defense missile system is mounted on the high cross-country capability chassis of the MZKT-7930 special truck, which makes it possible to assume fire positions on rough terrain. The system is armed with cruise anti-ship missiles with a flight range of several hundred kilometers.
The Bal coastal defense system with the Kh-35 anti-ship missile is designated to control territorial waters and straits, defend naval bases, other coastal facilities and infrastructure and areas vulnerable to amphibious assaults. The coastal defense missile system is capable of operating in any weather conditions, day and night, with its full autonomous guidance after launches, under an enemy’s intensive fire and jamming.
