Last week, the Russian Armed Forces announced that they are nearing completion of the formation of the first regiment equipped with the new S-500 air defense system, also known as “Prometey.” The news was disclosed by the current Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, General Valery Gerasimov, during a briefing held on December 18 for foreign military attachés.
The S-500 is poised to become the most advanced Russian air defense system, designed to counter a wide range of potential targets, including aircraft, satellites operating in low Earth orbit, and intermediate-range ballistic missiles. Additionally, it is capable of neutralizing hypersonic targets. This development has been underway for several years, reflecting Moscow’s ambition to deploy a system capable of countering Western hypersonic weapons. General Gerasimov highlighted this by stating: “The formation of the first regiment equipped with the S-500 anti-aircraft missile system, capable of solving strategic missile defense tasks against enemy missiles, is nearing completion.”
It is worth noting that the S-500 will feature two variants for delivery to Russian troops, although Gerasimov did not specify which version is being provided to the regiment currently under formation. Similarly, earlier this year, then-Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced that the first systems would be delivered to the Russian Armed Forces by this time of year, though no further details were shared during Gerasimov’s speech.
Despite this, some known features of the S-500 are worth revisiting. Its operational versatility allows it to deploy various types of interceptors as needed. The system’s launchers will use missiles from the 77N6 family, which incorporate a kinetic energy system that enhances precision and effectiveness compared to the current S-400 and S-300 systems. Furthermore, the new S-500 batteries will include 91N6A(M) and 96L6-TsP target acquisition radars, capable of detecting ballistic missiles at a distance of 2,000 kilometers and aircraft up to 800 kilometers away.
In addition to these capabilities, the new “Prometey” can engage up to 10 targets simultaneously, with a response time of three to four seconds. According to retired Indian Air Force Air Marshal Anil Chopra, the advanced air defense system can identify and attack stealth aircraft. He explained:“By using multiple radar frequencies and sophisticated signal processing, the S-500 can detect and track stealth aircraft, reducing their effectiveness in penetrating defended airspace. Therefore, the S-500 poses a potential threat to U.S. stealth fighters like the F-22 Raptor and F-35.”
Images used for illustrative purposes.
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