The Tor-M2GL "Guardian" is a rugged, cost-effective short-range air defense system based on a modified T-series tank chassis, offering strong mobility and battlefield endurance. It features a powerful fixed PESA radar mounted on the front of its large turret for direct engagement guidance, supported by a smaller rotating AESA radar on a mast for full 360° airspace surveillance. This dual-radar setup allows the Guardian to detect, track, and engage multiple low-flying threats such as UAVs, cruise missiles, and helicopters even in cluttered environments.

The system is armed with 14 ready-to-launch 9M338G "Guardian" missiles, each capable of engaging targets up to 16 kilometers away at speeds approaching Mach 2.8. These missiles use radar command guidance with semi-active terminal homing, making them hard to evade through maneuvers—though they remain susceptible to spoofing by modern countermeasures. Due to budget-focused manufacturing, however, some missile units occasionally experience cold-launch anomalies: the small positioning thrusters meant to orient the missile after launch can misfire, causing the missile to veer toward the ground instead of climbing, mimicking a known flaw seen in legacy Tor-M2 systems.