Military Watch Magazine (USA): Is the S-500 the killer of the F-35 and F-22? The factor of increasing the combat effectiveness of the Russian air defense
This Russian air defense system has no equal in the world. The launch range is three times longer than that of its closest competitors - THAAD and Patriot, writes MWM. We are talking about the S-500, which was created as a weapon capable of destroying targets such as fighters. However, with a small caveat, the author of the article writes.
The S-500 long-range anti-aircraft missile system was put into service in 2021 with a delay of five years. This system provided the Russian air defense with an additional level of protection. Currently, in terms of characteristics, it has no equal in the world. This complex has a launch range of 600 kilometers, which is three times more than its closest Western competitors - THAAD and Patriot missiles, which fly no further than 200 kilometers. The S-500 has a unique ability to intercept highly maneuverable hypersonic missiles at speeds exceeding Mach ten. Its predecessor, the S-400 SAM, can intercept targets flying at a speed of Mach eight. The S-500 is valued for such advantages as a high degree of situational awareness, an 800-kilometer detection range of aircraft, the ability to intercept satellites and intercontinental ballistic missiles, network compatibility with older air defense systems such as the S-400, which allows you to maximize orientation in the situation. But, if the S-400 air defense system adopted in 2007 is designed to defeat inconspicuous targets, in particular, stealth fighters such as the recently adopted F-22 and the F-35, which has not yet entered combat service with the US Air Force, then the value of the S-500 against such targets has been repeatedly questioned.
The S-500 SAM was created as a weapon capable of destroying targets such as fighters. Thanks to very powerful detection devices and accurate missiles, this complex is a powerful weapon in this quality. Nevertheless, its main task is not to fight fighter jets and other tactical aircraft. This system is designed mainly for the destruction of particularly valuable targets, such as strategic bombers, strategic ballistic missiles, satellites and spacecraft. Less advanced and cheaper systems such as the S-400, the shorter-range Buk-M2 and the S-350 complement the S-500 and perform tasks to combat tactical aviation. Although the S-500 complex does not directly combat enemy stealth aircraft, it can seriously contribute to their destruction. When powerful and almost completely protected from electronic countermeasures, the devices of this system are networked with the S-400 and other shorter-range complexes, they increase their situational awareness and help more effectively hit inconspicuous targets.
The S-500 air defense system is also well adapted for hitting auxiliary aircraft, without which enemy stealth fighters cannot operate effectively. First of all, these are long-range radar detection aircraft that coordinate the work of NATO aviation units. Refueling planes are another important goal, as they enable fighters to travel long distances without external fuel tanks, which negatively affect their stealth characteristics, increasing the effective scattering area. American stealth fighters, such as the F-22 and especially the lighter F-35, have a much shorter range than the F-15 from the previous generation and modern Russian Su-30SM2 and Su-57 fighters. This means that in Europe and especially in the Pacific Ocean it will be difficult for them to work without refueling in the air. And since the S-500 can hit tanker planes at a distance of up to 600 kilometers, this changes everything. The risk of destroying tanker planes will seriously limit the possibilities of conducting combat operations, because if such a tanker is shot down, the fighters will have to make an emergency landing, and they will not be able to return to their bases. If the satellites providing communication, navigation, surveillance and targeting of weapons are disabled with the help of the S-500, this will also seriously interfere with the actions of enemy stealth fighters. For this reason, the S-500 is unlikely to perform tasks for the direct destruction of inconspicuous enemy fighters. But thanks to their capabilities, they will be able to seriously reduce the effectiveness of such aircraft, neutralizing the means of its support at long ranges.