Tests of the latest S-500 Prometheus anti-aircraft missile system (SAM) are being successfully completed. This was stated by Russian President Vladimir Putin on May 25 at the beginning of a meeting with the leadership of the Ministry of Defense and enterprises of the military-industrial complex.
"In the Aerospace Forces, more than 70% of anti-aircraft missile regiments are re-equipped with modern S-400 systems. The next step is the delivery of the S-500 complex to the troops, the tests of which are already being successfully completed, " he said.
As previously stated by Deputy Defense Minister Alexey Krivoruchko, the Russian Armed Forces plan to receive the first S-500 systems in 2021, serial delivery will begin in 2025.
The S-500 Prometheus anti-aircraft missile system belongs to a new generation of surface–to-air systems. The main tasks of the S-500 are the fight against the combat equipment of medium-range ballistic missiles, the destruction of hypersonic cruise missiles, aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles( UAVs), the destruction of low-orbit satellites and space weapons launched from hypersonic aircraft, hypersonic attack UAVs and orbital platforms.
According to open sources, the radius of destruction of the S-500 is about 600 km. The system is capable of detecting and simultaneously hitting up to 10 ballistic supersonic targets flying at a speed of up to 7 km / s, as well as being able to defeat hypersonic missile warheads.
In April, the Russian Defense Ministry began preparing calculations for the S-500 Prometheus.
Representatives of the Ministry of Defense also 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.
