Russian Defense Ministry purchases first batch of S-500 missile air defense systems.

Russia’s Defense Ministry has signed a contract with the Almaz-Antey company for the delivery of the first batch of S-500 Prometey air defense missile systems, a source in the defense industry told TASS. Serial supplies will begin in the first half of 2022.
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Russian Ministry of Defense has unveiled its new S-500 surface-to-air defense missile system. (Picture source : Print Screen Video Russian MoD)

According to the source of TASS, "state trials of the S-500 system are currently in progress at a testing ground in south Russia." The trials are expected to be completed in late 2021. "If necessary, it can become a naval one," the source of TASS added.

S-500 Prometheus, also called Triumfator-M, was unveiled on July 20 during a live firing test taking place during a training exercise at the Kapustin Yar range. According to Russian sources, the S-500 is an advanced version of the S-400 with dedicated components designed to intercept ballistic missiles at an altitude of up to 200 km. The S-500 is designed for intercepting intercontinental ballistic missiles and for air defense against Airborne Early Warning and Control and jamming aircraft.

The first development of the S-500 started in 2009, with the first prototype completed in 2012. In 2011, Almaz-Antey announced that the first production system of the S-500 would be completed in 2014. In December 2015, the newspaper website Sputnik released the information that the Russian Armed Forces could receive the first pre-production prototypes of the next-generation S-500 in 2016. The S-500 is expected to have an extended range of up to 600 km (over 370 miles) and simultaneously engage up to 10 targets. The system will be capable of destroying hypersonic and ballistic targets. The S-500’s interceptors will operate at an altitude higher than 185 km. The system will have a response time of about 3 to 4 seconds, which is considerably shorter than the S-400 rated at 9 to 10 seconds. It also has an extended radar range compared to S-400. Russian Defense Minister Alexei Krivoruchko announced on December 28, 2019, that Russia would start preliminary tests of its latest air defense missile system S-500 Prometheus in 2020.

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