S-500 missile system

"S-500" redirects here. For other uses, see S500 (disambiguation).

The S-500 Prometheus (Russian: C-500 Прометей), also known as 55R6M "Triumfator-M",^[5] is a Russian surface-to-air missile/anti-ballistic missile system supplementing the S-400 and the A-235 ABM missile system.^[6] The S-500 was developed by the Almaz-Antey Air Defence Concern. Initially planned to be in production by 2014, the first unit entered service in 2021 with the 15th Aerospace Army.^[7][8][9] Russia claims that the S-500 is capable of intercepting all types of modern hypersonic weapons, and has claimed to have successfully tested such capability.^{[4][10][unreliable source?]} Russia is reportedly planning to deploy the S-500 alongside the planned^[11] S-550 missile system as part of its air defense network.^[12][3]

S-500 Prometheus C-500 Прометей
Launch vehicle of the S-500 air defense system
Type	Mobile surface-to-air missile
Place of origin	Russian Federation
Service history
In service	16 September 2021
Used by	Russian Space Forces
Production history
Designer	Almaz-Antey
Manufacturer	Almaz-Antey
Unit cost	$2.5 billion[1]
Produced	2021–present
No. built	1 S-500 regiment in service[2][3]
Specifications
Operational range	600 km[4]

History

According to the original plans, ten S-500 battalions were to be purchased for the Russian Aerospace Defense (VKO) under the State Armament Programme 2020 (GPV-2020).^[13]

As of 2013, the S-500s were intended to work in parallel with S-400s, and the systems together were planned to replace most of the S-300 missile systems.^[14] The first units are planned to be deployed around the Moscow oblast and the country's central area in 2025.^[6] A naval version is the likely armament for the new Lider-class destroyer, which was to enter service after 2020 but was not operational as of 2022.^[15]

CEO of Rostec Corporation Sergey Chemezov declared the beginning of S-500 production on 30 June 2019. Despite that, serial production of the first 10 systems (ordered in late 2020) only began in 2021.^[16][17] In summer 2020 Sergei Surovikin, the commander of the Aerospace Forces, seemed to confirm that the S-500 system can be used to kill satellites.^[18]

A new contract was signed in August 2022.^[19] In October 2023, Defense News claimed that production of S-500 remained behind, being negatively affected by the sanctions against Russia and labor shortages.^[1]

The cost for one S-500 system was estimated be around $700-$800 million in 2020, and up to $2.5 billion in 2023.^[1]

Testing

In May 2018, Russia conducted the longest range surface-to-air missile test to date with the S-500. According to reports citing unnamed sources familiar with U.S. intelligence on the program, the S-500 was able to hit a target 482 km (300 mi) away, which is 80 km further than the previous record.^[20]

In July 2021, the Russian MOD released the first public footage of a live-fire test of the new S-500 anti-ballistic missile system at Kapustin Yar.^[21]

Operational history

The first S-500 prototype went on combat duty in Moscow on 13 October 2021.^[12] However, it did not yet meet the full set of requirements specified by its operator, the 1st Special Purpose Air and Missile Defense Army.^[1] In June 2024, Ukraine claimed the S-500 had been deployed to the Crimean peninsula to defend the Kerch Bridge.^[22] In its operational debut in Ukraine, the S-500 proved unsuccessful in defending against Ukrainian launched MGM-140 ATACMS missiles.^[23]

Design

The S-500 is designed for intercepting and destroying ballistic missiles, as well as hypersonic cruise missiles and aircraft.^[24] With a planned range of 600 km (370 mi) for anti-ballistic missile (ABM) and 500 km (310 mi) for air defense,^[25] the S-500 was envisaged to be able to detect and simultaneously engage up to 10 ballistic hypersonic targets flying at up to a maximum of 7 km/s (4.3 mi/s).^[26] The altitude of a target engaged is claimed to be as high as 180–200 km (110–120 mi).^[27] However, as of 2023, the S-500's ability to intercept hypersonic missiles had not yet been tested.^[1] Other targets it has been announced to defend against include unmanned aerial vehicles, low Earth orbit satellites, space weapons launched from hypersonic aircraft, and hypersonic orbital platforms.^[28] It is to have a response time of less than 4 seconds (compared to the S-400's of less than 10).^[29]

Components

The S-500 consists of:^[30]

• 77P6 launch vehicle, based on the BAZ-69096 10x10 truck
• 55K6MA and 85Zh6-2 command posts, based on BAZ-69092-12 6x6
• 91N6A(M) acquisition and battle management radar, a modification of the 91N6 (Big Bird) towed by the BAZ-6403.01 8x8 tractor
• 96L6-TsP acquisition radar, an upgraded version of the 96L6 (Cheese Board) on BAZ-69096 10x10
• 76T6 multimode engagement radar on BAZ-6909-022 8x8
• 77T6 ABM engagement radar on BAZ-69096 10x10

The missiles used by the system are:^[31][32]

• 40N6M - anti-aircraft role
• 77N6 / 77N6-N1 - anti-ballistic or anti-satellite role

Export

In September 2021, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yury Borisov said that India could be a prospective, and probably the first, S-500 customer.^{[33][34][35][36][37]}

See also

• List of medium-range and long-range SAMs
• A-135 anti-ballistic missile system
• A-235 anti-ballistic missile system
• Arrow (Israeli missile)
  • Arrow 3
• Comparison of anti-ballistic missile systems
• Ground-Based Midcourse Defense
• Medium Extended Air Defense System
• S-300VM missile system
• Vityaz missile system
• THAAD
• HQ-19 – (China)

References

1. Starchak, Maxim (5 October 2023). "Where is Russia's S-500 air defense system?". Defense News. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
2. "S-500 enters service in Moscow region". Janes. 14 October 2021. Archived from the original on 14 October 2021.
3. "Russian Defence Minister announces transfer of S-500 air defence missile systems to Russian troops". Ukrainska Pravda. 23 April 2024.
4. Starchak, Maxim (5 October 2023). "Where is Russia's S-500 air defense system?". Defense News. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
5. "S-500/S-1000 (Russian Federation), Defensive weapons". Jane's Strategic Weapon Systems. 10 February 2009. Archived from the original on 12 February 2010. Retrieved 11 August 2009.
6. "Russia to upgrade Moscow's missile defenses by year's end". DefenseNews. 29 March 2023.
7. "Armed forces plan to get first S-500 systems in 2021. (In Russian)". Ria Novosti. 8 May 2020. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
8. "First batch of Russian-made S-500 system enters service — Deputy PM". TASS. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
9. "Russia Puts Its 'F-22 Killer' S-500 Missile Defense System into Mass Production as Tensions Boil over Ukraine". 25 April 2022.
10. "The Russian Armed Forces tested the S-500 for its ability to shoot down hypersonic targets". Izvestia. 27 February 2024.
11. Starchak, Maxim (5 October 2023). "Where is Russia's S-500 air defense system?". Defense News. Retrieved 25 January 2024. There is currently no evidence Russia has developed the S-550.
12. Starchak, Maxim (29 March 2023). "Russia to upgrade Moscow's missile defenses by year's end". Defense News. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
13. "Valeriy Ivanov on VKO, S-500, S-400 | Russian Defense Policy". russiandefpolicy.wordpress.com. 24 July 2011. Retrieved 21 March 2015.
14. "Russian Army Will Be Equipped with S-500 New Surface-to-Air Missile Defense System for 2020". Army Recognition. 28 November 2013. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
15. "New-generation missile destroyer under development in Russia". ITAR-TASS. 21 October 2014. Archived from the original on 24 October 2014. Retrieved 28 October 2014.
16. "Armed forces plan to get first S-500 systems in 2021. (In Russian)". Ria Novosti. 23 February 2021. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
17. "Russian Defense Ministry signs contract on first 10 S-500 air defense systems — source".
18. Hendrickx, Bart (2 November 2020). "Russia gears up for electronic warfare in space (part 2)". The Space Review.
19. "Defense firm signs contract on delivery of S-500 air defense systems to Russian troops".
20. "Russia's S-500 Air Defense System Reportedly Hits Target Nearly 300 Miles Away". The Warzone. JOSEPH TREVITHICK. 24 May 2018. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
21. "Serial production of missiles for S-500 air defense systems begins in Russia — source". TASS. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
22. Altman, Howard (12 June 2024). "S-500 Prometheus Air Defense System Now Protecting Russia's Kerch Bridge: Ukraine's Spy Boss". The War Zone. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
23. Korshak, Stefan (24 June 2024). "ATACMS Comes Out on Top Versus Russia's S-500 Anti-Missile System". Kyiv Post. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
24. Garamone, Jim (28 July 2020). "Missile Defense Becomes Part of Great Power Competition". U.S. Department of Defense. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
25. Ptichkin, Sergei (8 July 2014). Отстрелялись антиракетой — Идут испытания С-500 — новейшей системы ПВО-ПРО [Shot by anti-missile – Testing underway of C-500 – the modern air and missile defence system] (in Russian). rg.ru. Archived from the original on 19 October 2014. Retrieved 14 November 2014.
26. Россия откроет производство комплексов С-500 в 2015 году [Russia will open production complexes for S-500 in 2015] (in Russian). Lenta.ru. 10 April 2012. Retrieved 8 November 2016.
27. Vranic, Miko (27 April 2022). "Russia begins series production of S-500 air-defence system". Janes. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
28. First regiment of S-500 new air defense missile system will protect Moscow and center of Russia. Armyrecognition.com, 21 August 2014.
29. "S-500 Prometheus". Missile Threat. Archived from the original on 1 June 2013. Retrieved 14 November 2014.
30. Kopp, Carlo (15 June 2011). "Almaz-Antey S-500 Triumfator M Self Propelled Air / Missile Defence System / SA-X-NN / Самоходный Комплекс Противоракетной / Противосамолетной Обороны С-500 "Триумфатор-М"". ausairpower.net. p. 1. Retrieved 21 March 2015.
31. "Where is Russia's S-500 air defense system?". 5 October 2023.
32. "На уровень выше Россия откроет производство комплексов С-500 в 2015 году".
33. "Russia exploring market for S550 missile system; all eyes on India". The Economic Times. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
34. "EXCLUSIVE: India Likely To Be The First Customer Of S-500 Missile Defense System – Russian Deputy PM". Latest Asian, Middle-East, EurAsian, Indian News. 17 September 2021. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
35. "First batch of Russian-made S-500 system enters service — Deputy PM". TASS. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
36. "Government speculation: India may buy S-500 missile system". 17 September 2021. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
37. "India Could Potentially Become 1st Buyer Of Russias S-500 Missile System - Borissov". UrduPoint. Retrieved 7 December 2021.

External links

Media related to S-500 at Wikimedia Commons

• Kopp, Carlo (16 June 2011). Technical Report APA-TR-2011-0602 Almaz-Antey S-500 Triumfator M. Air Power Australia. p. 1.
• S-500 "Prometheus", CSIS Missile Threat.
• First S-500 missile complex to be put on combat alert in central Russia ITAR-TASS News Agency, 20 August 2014.