Unique anti-aircraft missile systems (SAMS) S-500 "Prometheus" are looking for a place in the army. The Ministry of Defense is now working on the issue of their placement. In particular, new regiments or brigades can be equipped with aerospace air defense systems. The first deliveries to the troops of complexes capable of destroying ballistic missiles and satellites will begin this year. The staff of the formations will be determined depending on the location and forces of the potential enemy, experts say.
Unique anti-aircraft missile systems (SAMS) S-500 "Prometheus" are looking for a place in the army. The Ministry of Defense is now working on the issue of their placement. In particular, new regiments or brigades can be equipped with aerospace air defense systems. The first deliveries to the troops of complexes capable of destroying ballistic missiles and satellites will begin this year. The staff of the formations will be determined depending on the location and forces of the potential enemy, experts say.
Structural changes
As sources in the military department told Izvestia, the issue of placing promising S-500 Prometheus systems is currently being worked out. In particular, the possibility is being considered not to rearm existing military units with them, but to form new anti-aircraft regiments or brigades. The unique organizational and staff structure will allow them to better adapt to the features of the air defense system. However, according to the interlocutors of the publication, it is possible that the formation of new units of the Ministry of Defense may refuse. Then "Prometheus" will receive already operating military units. As noted by the sources of "Izvestia", the final decision has not yet been made.
The plans to deliver the first S-500 systems to the troops in 2021 were announced in December 2020 by the head of Rostec Corporation, Sergey Chemezov. According to him, the developer of Almaz-Antey has already completed all the necessary tests of the new product.
Deputy Defense Minister Alexey Krivoruchko, who oversees the state defense order, also confirmed plans to complete tests of the Prometheus in 2021 and adopt it immediately after that. At the same time, serial deliveries, according to him, will begin in 2025.
- Additional means of intelligence and support units in the new units and formations, most likely, will not be required, - said the former head of the anti-aircraft missile forces of the Russian Air Force Alexander Gorkov. — If we talk about the number of divisions, it will depend on where the regiments will be located and what functions to perform. In the border regions and on the cover of particularly important objects, there will most likely be more units. How many complexes will be included in a particular part depends on what kind of outfit of forces and means the likely enemy plans. This is called an open structure. As for the brigades, this is a compound, respectively, there should be systems for various purposes. In addition to the S-500, it can also include short-and medium-range air defense systems, depending on the capabilities of the automated control system.
Missile defense
Earlier, representatives of the Ministry of Defense stated that the S-500 will not replace the existing air defense and missile defense systems, but will complement them. Mobile "pyatisotye" will take an intermediate position between the S-400 "Triumph" and stationary A-135, providing defense of the Moscow region from the attacks of intercontinental ballistic missiles.
Prometheus will specialize mainly in missile defense. The new system is designed to reliably intercept medium-range ballistic missiles at altitudes of several hundred kilometers. It will also retain the ability to destroy aircraft and hypersonic vehicles.
To perform the tasks set, Prometheus needed completely new radars and missiles, more powerful and long-range in comparison with those in service with the S-300 and S-400. They will be able to detect ballistic missiles for 2 thousand km, and targets in near space.
The S-500 will adopt several types of seriously different ammunition. To defeat priority targets-bombers, reconnaissance aircraft and air command posts, they will use the already developed 40N6M with a maximum range of more than 400 km. New 77N6-H and 77N6-H1 have been created to intercept ballistic missiles and satellites.
The timing of the Prometheus ' deployment was postponed several times. In 2010, the military department announced its intention to begin serial purchases of the S-500 by 2020. The deadline has now been pushed back by five years. It is expected that specific plans will be formed within the framework of the new State Armament Program for 2024-2033.
Earlier it was reported that some countries have already shown interest in acquiring Prometheus . Among them are those that are already a user of the S-400 air defense system. But first, the promising system will enter the Russian army.
Changed the air defense system
After receiving the first "Prometheus" from the industry, they may not immediately enter the combat units. The initial samples of the complexes are sent for training specialists in training centers and for conducting military tests. It was reported that the position for the deployment of the S-500 will also be built at the Kapustin Yar air defense range in the Astrakhan region. In 2018, during the exercises there, one of its components — the Yenisei radar detector-was already noticed.
In recent years, VKS has been actively experimenting with the structure of parts. Earlier, it was announced about the formation of completely new mobile reserve regiments equipped with anti-aircraft missile and gun complexes "Pantsir-S". Thanks to their high mobility, wheeled vehicles can be quickly transferred to a threatened direction or to an object that needs to be protected.
Special air defense units are also formed to work in the northern regions of the country. For action, they create special versions of complexes, for example, "Pantsir-SA" on a tracked floating chassis. The 3rd Air Defense Division was formed in Yakut Tiksi. It is designed to cover the objects of the Northern Fleet and the airfield of the jump of strategic aviation. For the connection, all the necessary infrastructure is built from scratch, including a residential town for soldiers and officers.
A new air defense brigade was also created as part of the Ground Forces. Long-range S-300V4 complexes were placed near Birobidzhan in the Jewish Autonomous Region. From there, part of it was relocated to cover the Kuril Islands. Like the S-500, this air defense system has several types of different missiles and launchers for them, which allows it to hit both air targets and short-range ballistic missiles.
