Russia begins production of S-500 long-range air defense missiles
The first S-500 complex production line has begun to be launched to put this shield into service with the Russian army in 2020.
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S-400 missile complex at Almaz-Antey's production plant. Photo: Sputnik |
"The plant of the Almaz-Antey concern in Nizhny Novgorod has begun production of components of the S-500 long-range air defense complex on self-propelled and towed chassis. The other plant in Kirov can produce thousands of missile shells for the S-500 complex per year,"Tassquoted Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin speaking on February 26.
The S-500 missile system will replace many roles of the S-400 Triumf complexes. Each S-500 unit will have a minimum lifespan of 25 years and is expected to be deployed from 2020.
The S-500 Prometey complex possesses many features that are considered superior to similar weapons in the world. The S-500 is designed to be able to perform both air defense and ballistic missile interception missions, equivalent to the roles of the two S-400 and A-135 complexes of the Russian army today.
In air defense missions, the S-500 has a range of 400 km and is capable of destroying targets at a maximum altitude of 40 km and a speed of 25,200 km/h. With this capability, the S-500 can take down any supersonic fighter jet in the world.
For ballistic missile defense missions, the S-500 has a range of about 500-600 km, can track up to 20 targets at the same time and simultaneously intercept 5-10 ballistic missiles in the final or mid-course phase. In addition, the S-500 is also developed to shoot down satellites in low Earth orbit, as well as targets in space to counter US space weapons./.
