S-500 Prometheus
C-500 Прометей
С-500 российский зенитный ракетный комплекс.jpg
Launch vehicle of the S-500 air defense system
TypeMobile surface-to-air missile
Place of originThe Russian Federation
Service history
In service16 September 2021
Used byRussian Space Forces
Production history
DesignerAlmaz-Antey
ManufacturerAlmaz-Antey
Unit costunknown
Produced2021–present day
No. built~ 1 unit, several TELs
Specifications
Armourunarmoured
Operational
range
unknown, probably greater than 48N6DM missile for S-400 (250 km)

The S-500 Prometey (Russian: C-500 Прометей, lit. 'Prometheus'), also known as 55R6M "Triumfator-M",[1] is a Russian hypersonic surface-to-air missile/anti-ballistic missile system replacing the A-135 missile system currently in use, and supplementing the S-400. The S-500 was developed by the Almaz-Antey Air Defence Concern. Initially planned to be in production by 2014, the first unit entered service in 2021 with the 15th Air Army.[2][3][4]

History

Although sharing a similar designation with the S-500U project of the late 1960s, the relationship between the two remains unclear. The S-500U multichannel anti-aircraft system was a 1968 initiative by the Soviet Air Defence Forces, Soviet Navy, Ministry of the Radio Industry (Ministerstvo Radio Promyshlennosti SSSR), and Ministry of the Shipbuilding Industry to create a unified complex for the National Air Defence Troops, navy and ground troops. Missiles of the S-500U complex were supposed to engage enemy aircraft at a range up to 100 km (62 mi). The S-500U SAM complex project was rejected by the Soviet Army, which had a requirement to engage not only enemy aircraft, but also short-range ballistic missiles. Consequently, the S-300 family (SA-10 and SA-12) was developed instead.

According to the original plans, ten S-500 battalions were to be purchased for the Russian Aerospace Defense (VKO) under the State Armament Programme 2020 (GPV-2020).[5]

The S-500s will work in parallel with S-400s and together are planned to replace the S-300 missile systems.[6] The first units are planned to be deployed around the Moscow oblast and the country's central area. A naval version is the likely armament for the new Lider-class destroyer, which was to enter service after 2020 but is not operational as of 2022.[7]

CEO of Rostec Corporation Sergey Chemezov declared the beginning of S-500 production on 30 June 2019. Despite that, serial production of the first 10 systems (ordered in late 2020) only begun in 2021.[8][9]

In summer 2020 Sergei Surovikin, the commander of the Aerospace Forces, seemed to confirm that the S-500 system can be used to kill satellites.[10]

A new contract was signed in August 2022.[11]

Testing

In May 2018, Russia conducted the longest range surface-to-air missile test to date with the S-500. According to reports citing unnamed sources familiar with U.S. intelligence on the program, the S-500 was able to hit a target 482 km (300 mi) away, which is 80 km further than the previous record.[12]

On 4 June 2019, the Russian Ministry of Defense posted a video showing the successful launch of a new anti ballistic missile system in the form of a long range surface to air missile. Though the nature of the air defence system which was being tested was not mentioned it has been widely speculated to have been a test of the S-500 Prometheus long range surface to air missile system.[13]

The S-500 radar was tested in late 2019.

As of July 2021, the Russian MOD has released the first public footage of a live-fire test of the new S-500 anti-ballistic missile system at Kapustin Yar.[14]

Operational history

The first S-500 regiment went on combat duty in Moscow on 13 October 2021.[15]

Design

The S-500 is designed for intercepting and destroying intercontinental ballistic missiles, as well as hypersonic cruise missiles and aircraft, for air defense against Airborne Early Warning and Control and for jamming aircraft.[citation needed] With a planned range of 600 km (370 mi) for anti-ballistic missile (ABM) and 500 km (310 mi) for air defense,[16] the S-500 would be able to detect and simultaneously engage up to 10 ballistic hypersonic targets flying at a speed of 5 kilometres per second (3.1 mi/s)[17] to a limit of 7 km/s (4.3 mi/s).[18][19] It also aims at destroying hypersonic cruise missiles and other aerial targets at speeds of higher than Mach 5, as well as spacecraft. The altitude of a target engaged can be as high as 180–200 km (110–120 mi).[20] It is effective against ballistic missiles with a launch range of 3,500 km (2,200 mi), the radar reaches a radius of 3,000 km (1,300 km for the EPR 0,1 square meter).[21][22] Other targets it has been announced to defend against include unmanned aerial vehicles, low Earth orbit satellites, space weapons launched from hypersonic aircraft, and hypersonic orbital platforms.[23]

The system is mobile and has rapid deployability. Experts believe that the system's capabilities can affect enemy intercontinental ballistic missiles at the middle and end portions of flight,[16] but reports by Almaz-Antey say that the external target-designation system (RLS Voronezh-DM and missile defence system A-135 radar Don-2N) will be capable of mid-early flight portion interceptions of enemy ballistic missiles, which is one of the final stages of the S-500 project. It is to have a response time of less than 4 seconds (Compared to the S-400's less than 10).[24]

Components

The S-500 consists of:[25]

The type of missiles used, especially for the long range ABM/ATBM role, has not been disclosed yet. It is likely to be a derivative of the SA-12B Giant two-stage ATBM, since the 77P6 launch vehicle is originally meant to carry 2 containers for the SA-12B. The other missiles, to be used against classical airborne targets, are likely to be the same as in the S-400 system.

Export

In September 2021, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yury Borisov said that India could be a prospective, and probably the first, S-500 customer.[26][27][28][29][30]

Also according to the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Turkey is ready to consider possible S-500 purchases in the future.[31]

See also

References

  1. ^ "S-500/S-1000 (Russian Federation), Defensive weapons". Jane's Strategic Weapon Systems. 10 February 2009. Archived from the original on 12 February 2010. Retrieved 11 August 2009.
  2. ^ "Armed forces plan to get first S-500 systems in 2021. (In Russian)". Ria Novosti. 8 May 2020. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  3. ^ "First batch of Russian-made S-500 system enters service — Deputy PM". TASS. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  4. ^ "Russia Puts Its 'F-22 Killer' S-500 Missile Defense System into Mass Production as Tensions Boil over Ukraine". 25 April 2022.
  5. ^ "Valeriy Ivanov on VKO, S-500, S-400 | Russian Defense Policy". russiandefpolicy.wordpress.com. 24 July 2011. Retrieved 21 March 2015.
  6. ^ "Russian Army Will Be Equipped with S-500 New Surface-to-Air Missile Defense System for 2020". Army Recognition. Army Recognition. 28 November 2013. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
  7. ^ "New-generation missile destroyer under development in Russia". ITAR-TASS. 21 October 2014. Archived from the original on 24 October 2014. Retrieved 28 October 2014.
  8. ^ "Armed forces plan to get first S-500 systems in 2021. (In Russian)". Ria Novosti. 23 February 2021. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  9. ^ "Russian Defense Ministry signs contract on first 10 S-500 air defense systems — source".
  10. ^ Hendrickx, Bart (2 November 2020). "Russia gears up for electronic warfare in space (part 2)". The Space Review.
  11. ^ "Defense firm signs contract on delivery of S-500 air defense systems to Russian troops".
  12. ^ "Russia's S-500 Air Defense System Reportedly Hits Target Nearly 300 Miles Away". The Warzone. JOSEPH TREVITHICK. 24 May 2018. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
  13. ^ "S-500 or A-235? Russia Tests Advanced New Missile Defence System With Extreme Range". Military Watch. Military Watch. 5 June 2019. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
  14. ^ "Serial production of missiles for S-500 air defense systems begins in Russia — source". TASS. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  15. ^ "First regiment of S-500 air defense systems to defend Moscow — source". TASS. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  16. ^ a b Ptichkin, Sergei (8 July 2014). Отстрелялись антиракетой — Идут испытания С-500 — новейшей системы ПВО-ПРО [Shot by anti-missile – Testing underway of C-500 – the modern air and missile defence system] (in Russian). rg.ru. Archived from the original on 19 October 2014. Retrieved 14 November 2014.
  17. ^ "Russia creating new aerospace defence system". ITAR-TASS. 11 August 2009. Archived from the original on 26 March 2011. Retrieved 11 August 2009.
  18. ^ "First S-500 missile complex to be put on combat alert in central Russia". TASS. Archived from the original on 23 August 2014. Retrieved 14 November 2014.
  19. ^ Россия откроет производство комплексов С-500 в 2015 году [Russia will open production complexes for S-500 in 2015] (in Russian). Lenta.ru. 10 April 2012. Retrieved 8 November 2016.
  20. ^ Vranic, Miko (27 April 2022). "Russia begins series production of S-500 air-defence system". Janes. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
  21. ^ [vpk/2/ Photo] vpk.name
  22. ^ Popov, Aleksandr (22 September 2016). "'The National Interest': Россия вооружается С-500 и сможет сбивать все что летает" ['The National Interest': Russia is arming itself the C-500, and will be able to shoot down all that flies] (in Russian). Newsland.com. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
  23. ^ First regiment of S-500 new air defense missile system will protect Moscow and center of Russia. Armyrecognition.com, 21 August 2014.
  24. ^ "S-500 Prometheus". Missile Threat. Archived from the original on 1 June 2013. Retrieved 14 November 2014.
  25. ^ Kopp, Carlo (15 June 2011). "Almaz-Antey S-500 Triumfator M Self Propelled Air / Missile Defence System / SA-X-NN / Самоходный Комплекс Противоракетной / Противосамолетной Обороны С-500 "Триумфатор-М"". ausairpower.net. p. 1. Retrieved 21 March 2015.
  26. ^ "Russia exploring market for S550 missile system; all eyes on India". The Economic Times. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
  27. ^ "EXCLUSIVE: India Likely To Be The First Customer Of S-500 Missile Defense System – Russian Deputy PM". Latest Asian, Middle-East, EurAsian, Indian News. 17 September 2021. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
  28. ^ "First batch of Russian-made S-500 system enters service — Deputy PM". TASS. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
  29. ^ "Government speculation: India may buy S-500 missile system". 17 September 2021. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
  30. ^ "India Could Potentially Become 1st Buyer Of Russias S-500 Missile System - Borissov". UrduPoint. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
  31. ^ "Turkey ready to consider future purchases of S-500 missile systems from Russia — president". TASS. 7 March 2019. Retrieved 10 June 2019.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to S-500.
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