SA-22 Greyhound

1/72 ARMORY SA-22

The Pantsir missile system is a selfpropelled, mediumrange surface-to-air missile and anti-aircraft artillery systems, with the NATO reporting name of SA-22 Greyhound. The system includes anti-aircraft guns (two 30mm 2A38M cannons) and missiles (up to twelve 57E6 missile) that allow to intercept aircraft, precision-guided munitions, and unmanned aerial vehicles. According to the manufacturer using its solid-state search radar, the SA-22 can track up to twenty objectives at a range of 32-36 km. The 57E6 is a two-stage missile with radiocommand guidance and 20 kg blast-fragmentation warhead. A variant of the 57E6, the 9M335, features a continuous-rod fragmentation warhead.

Current SA-22 operators include Algeria, Brazil, Hezbollah in Gaza and the West Bank, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Slovenia, Syria, the UAE and Vietnam. The Pantsir-S1 was produced from 2008 to 2013, with another production batch in 2019. It has been superseded by the Pantsir-S1M, which has an upgraded radar, allowing it to engage up to four targets simultaneously. The Pantsir has seen action in Syria and has been most recently deployed during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, with at least nine destroyed and two captured in working order by Ukrainian forces.

The Kit

Armory is a Ukrainian company that manufactures models and accessories in different scales, covering both aviation and military subjects. They have an expanding small-scale military catalogue, with each new release seeming more ambitious than its predecessor. The SA-22 Greyhound is a limited-run kit containing seven sprues with 230 plastic parts, three frets of photoetch, a resin engine and wheels with weighted tyres. As a limited-run kit the fit of the plastic pieces is not quite Tamiya, and there are some prominent mould release lines, while some parts are misaligned. This made the assembly process quite challenging if I’m honest. The detail of the resin parts is very good, however, which in the case of the wheels really enhance the realism of the finish.

1

2

Construction

As I said, the assembly is a challenge, not helped by the fact that the instructions don’t provide any information on painting the interior and various parts. I resorted to using the instructions for the Meng Model and Zvezda kits. The assembly of the cabin did not present any big problem (photo 1). The assembly of the chassis, on the other hand, with the whole drive system was a challenge, since the chassis was a little warped, and many of the parts have mould lines and are often misaligned (photo 2). The pieces in photoetch are easy to assemble, except for the fire extinguishers on the cannons. These are very small and there is always the risk of losing them, something that happened to me twice and it was no small miracle I managed to rescue them from the carpet monster!

As you can see though, the finished model looks superb (photos 3 & 4).

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

Painting and Weathering

I began by priming all the sub-assemblies with AMMO One Shot Primer Black (A. MIG-2023) (photo 5). I chose the winter camouflage scheme worn by vehicles of the Russian Northern Military District. I followed the pattern and colours specified on the Zvezda instructions: Tamiya Medium Blue (XF-18), Flat Black (XF-1), Flat White (XF-2) and Dark Grey (XF-24) (photos 6 & 7).

The first stage of weathering was to apply AMMO’s Light Grey Panel Line Wash (A. MIG-1600) to define the shape and details of the vehicle, wiping any excess off with a make-up sponge (photos 8). I then applied Tan for Three Tone Camo (A.MIG-1510) across the whole model as a filter (photo 9). The next step was to add dirt to the lower parts of the vehicle, beginning by applying the Scratches Chipping Fluid (AMIG-2010) effects with the airbrush (photo 10). Once dry, I applied Engine Grime (A.MIG-1407) diluted with Odorless Enamel Thinner again with the airbrush (photo 11). This was allowed to dry thoroughly and then with a flat brush wet with water, I began removing the Engine Grime from top to bottom, leaving effects of streaks and accumulated dirt in the lower areas. The Engine Grime has a nice sheen, suggesting wet mud (photo 12). Then I started adding tiny paint scratches with Vallejo Panzer Grey (71.056) and AMMO White (A.MIG-0050) (photo 13). I masked the shape of the wipers on the windshield and applied the Light Gray panel line wash with an airbrush, adding some streaks with a brush moistened with thinner (photo 14). The wheels were first painted with Mr Hobby Tire Black (H77), followed by a mixture of Dark Earth (A. MIG-3007) and Europe Earth (A.MIG-3004) pigments mixed with enamel thinners (photo 15). Once dry, I added some further marks with Wet Effects (A.MIG-2015). The model was now ready (photo 16), or so I thought!

15

16

I thought something was missing, so using Wet Mud (A.MIG-1705) and Vallejo Snow, (73.820) applied with the help of a toothpick, I added the products to the lower areas of the vehicle, as well as to the wheels. Also, I applied some snow to some high parts of the vehicle. I didn’t take photos of the process, but it’s simple and in the end it was worth it.

Availability:

Armory Model Group 1/72 SA- 22 Greyhound Russian Anti-Aircraft Weapon System (ref. AR72401) is available from the manufacturer (www. armorymodels.com).