(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) — The Russian military will soon begin receiving and deploying the S-500 “Prometheus” long-range defense system this year, significantly enhancing its capabilities to intercept hypersonic missiles traveling at speeds up to Mach 10, announced Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu.
The S-500 air defense system will be introduced in two variants—one for ballistic missile defense (BMD) and the other for ultra long-range air defense.
According to reports from the Russian media outlet Izvestia, which cited sources within the Russian Defense Ministry, the military has conducted extensive testing of the system prior to this year’s deployment.
These tests demonstrated the system’s ability to intercept and destroy hypersonic missiles.
Notably, in a test conducted in February, the S-500 successfully intercepted and destroyed an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) R-29RMU2 Sineva launched by a nuclear-powered submarine in the Laptev Sea from the Chizha test site in the Arkhangelsk region.
Additionally, the S-500 has undergone testing where it reportedly shot down the Russian satellite, Kosmos-1408, destroyed in orbit in November 2021.
This anti-satellite test raised concerns in the United States regarding the air defense system’s capabilities.
The Russian Defense Ministry has stated that the tests conducted confirm that the S-500 air defense system has surpassed all established standards, enabling it to address both current and future aerial threats.
The S-500 represents a significant upgrade over the previous S-400 “Triumf” system.
For targeting aerodynamic objects, the S-500 uses the 40H6M long-range interceptor missiles previously used by the S-400, while it employs the 77N6 interceptor missiles to destroy ballistic missiles outside Earth’s atmosphere, potentially near outer space.
Developed by the Russian defense firm Almaz-Antey, the S-500 is capable of targeting objects at distances ranging from 500 to 600 kilometers, making it the most advanced long-range air defense system to date.
It can simultaneously engage up to 10 targets and a single battery of the system is equipped with up to four radars, enabling it to detect and track targets from 800 to 2,000 kilometers away. — DSA