Russia is about to deploy an anti-aircraft missile with a range of 400 km.

"National-level testing of the 40N6E long-range missile has been completed at the Kapustin Yar test range. The inter-ministerial committee evaluated the test as successful and signed off on the certification for this missile. The 40N6E series could be commissioned before this autumn."TASSCiting an anonymous source in the Russian defense industry yesterday, the report stated:

The manufacturer Almaz-Antey declined to comment on the information. A series of test launches have been conducted by the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) since February, helping to improve some design aspects of the missile. Almaz-Antey expects to begin mass production of the 40N6E in July.

The 40N6 is a two-stage, solid-fuel anti-aircraft missile capable of striking targets beyond the range of the S-400 system. This required Russia to design a new generation of active radar homing (ARH) seeker, allowing the missile to independently track and approach its target without the need for guidance signals. It is believed to be capable of striking satellites operating in orbit 185 km above the ground.

"The appearance of the 40N6 missile not only significantly expands the target destruction capabilities, but also makes missile systems more difficult for the enemy to attack," commented General Alexander Gorkov, former commander of the Russian air defense forces.

The development of the 40N6 missile began in 2007, at the same time the Russian military began deploying the S-400 system. This missile is designed to intercept a variety of future airborne threats such as hypersonic glide vehicles and ballistic missiles. The 40N6 can be equipped on both the S-400 and the developing S-500 Prometei systems.