Next-Generation Missile System Ready for Serial Production

This post is also available in: עברית (Hebrew)

The S-500 Prometey, Russia’s next-generation surface-to-air long-range missile system, has completed most of its trials and is ready to go into series production. These systems will soon enter operational service in the Russian army, CEO of Russia’s Rostec state-run hi-tech corporation Sergei Chemezov said.

In his words, the S-500 system’s range will be higher than that of S-400 systems.

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov told journalists earlier that S-500 surface-to-air missile defense systems would be delivered to troops earlier than initially planned after a series of successful tests. The troops are expected to receive them in the next few years, according to tass.com.

The current work is focused on checking the S-500’s performance as an integrated system.

“All main specifications of the air defense system have been confirmed during the tests and it is now ready for series production,” Russian industry and trade minister Denis Manturov said, adding that the hardware will be delivered to the Defense Ministry on schedule.

The S-500 is the newest incarnation of long-range air defense systems produced by Almaz-Antey, a leading Russian defense contractor. The specifications of the system remain classified, but according to defense sources and interviews with company officials it will have greatly enhanced anti-missile capabilities compared to the current S-400 SAM, thanks to new phased array target acquisition radar.

According to rt.com, the system is expected to engage intermediate-range cruise and ballistic missiles, hypersonic missiles with speeds of up to Mach 5 and intercontinental ballistic missiles during terminal phase.