Russian S 500 has been in news for some time now.
The system is seen as the ultimate air defense system and its development has been tracked
keenly by media and military analysts alike.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has been personally involved in monitoring the progress
of S 500.
Recently at a meeting with Russia’s top brass and executives of defense-sector enterprises
he said, "One of the key tasks is to improve anti-precision
warfare means.
It is necessary to develop and build up technological groundwork in the area of air defense, to
continue modernization of Pantsir systems, to finish the development and preparations
for the mass production of the S-500 newest systems capable of hitting targets at super-high
altitudes, including near-the-earth space,"
In this video, Defense Updates reports on Russian S 500’s record-breaking intercept
and its deadly capabilities.
Let's get started.
CNBC news has got some interesting information from sources with direct knowledge of U.S.
intelligence related to S 500 program.
As per the sources, the S-500 surface-to-air missile system successfully intercepted a
target 299 miles away.
This is a record, as its 50 miles further than any known test.
The time or place of the test is not divulged.
Neither The Russian Ministry of Defense or the weapon’s designer Almaz-Antey corporation
has published an official statement.
S-500 Prometey is the latest in Russia’s 'S' series air defense system.
While much of S-500 specs remain classified at this time, the publicly available information
suggests that it will be capable of intercepting and attacking a wide variety of targets, including
drones, conventional and stealth aircraft, hypersonic weapons, ballistic missile as well
as satellites The S-500s will work with S-400s and are together
expected to replace S-300 air defense missiles.
In integrated an air defense environment, S 500 will hook up with other systems including
S 400 to form a complex network of air defense umbrella.
5 batteries of S-500 missiles are planned to be in service by 2020.
S 400 is considered to be the most lethal operational air defense system in the world.
S 500 takes it to next level, improving on all major parameters.
Like S 400, S 500 will field different types of missile to neutralize different kinds of threats.
Same S 400, the S 500 will use multiple radars for target detection and tracking
The radars are expected to be more powerful and have many features specifically designed
to overcome countermeasures and stealth.
Russia claims that the ground-based missile system taking out stealth warplanes like the
F-22 Raptor and the F-35 Lightning II.
While the S-400 is designed to defend against short and medium-range missiles, the S 500
is being designed to combat even intercontinental ballistic missiles.
Former General Director of the Almaz-antey corporation Igor Ashurbeili in 2011 had said.
"For interception of ballistic missiles, the S500 will “mostly” use nuclear warheads
because these can destroy the entire cloud of incoming warheads with no need to determine
true threats from dummies”.
As per some sources, the S 500 system can detect ballistic missile at a range of 2000
km and warheads of ballistic missiles at a range of 1300 km.
It may be able to defeat ballistic missiles before their warheads re-enter the atmosphere.
Due to the massive range of S 500, experts believe it will be able to take out low-orbit
satellites acting as an Anti-satellite weapon.
Russia claims the system has a vertical range capable of destroying objects flying at near-space
or 62 miles above the Earth's surface.