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What Happened to Russia’s Destroyer Lider and Its S-500 Missile Defense Plan?.


Russia’s ambitious Project 23560 destroyer Lider was envisioned as a next-generation warship that could replace multiple classes of vessels in the Russian Navy. This advanced platform was designed to carry a naval version of the S-500 Prometey air defense system, positioning it as a formidable counter to the U.S. Navy’s Aegis missile defense system.
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A model of the Russian Navy's Project 23560 destroyer. (Picture source: Navy Recognition)


Military expert Sergey Marzhetsky highlighted that the destroyer Lider, with its full displacement of 19,000 tons, was uniquely suited to accommodate the massive S-500 interceptors, something smaller ships like the Admiral Gorshkov-class frigates could not achieve without compromising their mission capabilities.

The S-500 system offered unprecedented capabilities in air and missile defense, including the ability to engage aerial targets at ranges of up to 600 kilometers and detect threats at a distance of 800 kilometers. With a maximum engagement altitude of 200 kilometers and the capacity to neutralize targets traveling at speeds up to 7 kilometers per second, the S-500 promised to counter advanced threats such as the Grumman E-2 Hawkeye, an early-warning aircraft capable of detecting cruise missiles from a distance of 258 kilometers. This system could have given the destroyer Lider a critical edge in naval warfare by extending its defensive reach far beyond that of the U.S. Navy’s Aegis system, which relies on SM-3 Block IB missiles with a range of 700 kilometers and a speed of 3 kilometers per second.

The Aegis system, a cornerstone of U.S. naval defense, is an advanced, multi-layered combat system designed to detect, track, and intercept a wide array of threats, including ballistic missiles, aircraft, and surface targets. Central to its effectiveness is the AN/SPY-1 radar, a powerful, phased-array system that provides continuous 360-degree surveillance and fire control. This radar works in tandem with the Standard Missile family, particularly the SM-3 and SM-6 variants, to deliver precise and effective missile interceptions. Deployed across a fleet of over 70 ships worldwide, including U.S. Navy destroyers and cruisers, as well as allied vessels, the Aegis system is renowned for its integration capabilities, allowing ships to work as part of a larger missile defense network.

Despite its promise, the Project Lider was halted due to a combination of financial, technical, and strategic challenges. Russia’s economic constraints made it difficult to allocate the significant funding required for such an advanced and massive destroyer. Technological hurdles in adapting the land-based S-500 system for naval use, particularly integrating the complex radar and launcher systems, further complicated the project. Meanwhile, the Russian Navy’s focus shifted toward smaller, more versatile ships like the Project 22350 frigates and Karakurt-class corvettes, which were more practical given budgetary limitations and immediate operational needs.

The destroyer Lider could have been a game-changer in modern naval warfare, providing Russia with unmatched air and missile defense capabilities and challenging the dominance of Western naval systems. However, its cancellation reflects a broader shift in Russia’s naval strategy toward cost-effective solutions and multipurpose platforms.


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