Russia unveils S‑500 defence: Bolstering air power amidst NATO concerns
Russia announced the completion of work on forming the first regiment equipped with the advanced S-500 Prometheus air defence system. This information was conveyed by General Valery Gerasimov, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, who emphasised that the new S-500 system was designed with strategic missile defence in mind.
Many of the reports provided by Russian media or government representatives are elements of propaganda. Such reports are part of the information war conducted by the Russian Federation.
"The formation of the first regiment equipped with the rocket system S-500, capable of executing missile defence tasks, is nearing completion," stated Gerasimov during a briefing for foreign military attachés on 18th December at 2:00 PM GMT. As reported by EuroAsian Times, during the meeting, the general also referred to the growing NATO activity near Russia's borders. He pointed out that the number of military exercises by the alliance has increased to 40 annually. He also emphasised that NATO's expansion to include Finland and Sweden and the permanent presence of military contingents in the region cause concern for Russia.
S-500 Prometheus
As we have already reported, the world first heard about the S-500 in 2015, when the system was still in the design phase. Even then, Russian media praised its future capabilities. Serial production of Prometheus began in 2021, and the first deliveries of the systems to the army were planned for 2022. However, there were significant delays. Two years later, in April 2024, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu assured that the S-500 would be in Russian soldiers' hands by that year's end.
The S-500 Prometheus system is a modern version of anti-ballistic and anti-aircraft systems that is more technologically advanced than its predecessor, the S-400. The new model introduces technologies enabling the interception of advanced missiles, including ballistic and hypersonic.
Russian media present the S-500 in a very positive light, which was reportedly confirmed in tests on 22nd February 2024. According to statements from the Russian Ministry of Defence, tests at the Chizha testing range ended successfully – the S-500 system managed to intercept an intercontinental ballistic missile, the R-29RMU2 Sineva, which was launched from the nuclear submarine Tula operating in the Laptev Sea.
Russians claim that Prometheus can destroy targets within a range of up to 600 kilometres and at an altitude of up to 200 kilometres, simultaneously attacking ten targets. The Army Recognition website highlighted that the S-500 system's reaction time ranges from three to four seconds, significantly outpacing the S-400, which takes nine to ten seconds. The system can utilise various types of missiles, such as the 40N6M or 77N6-N, depending on the type of threat and operational requirements.
A key component of the S-500 will be a complex radar system consisting of four specialised vehicles. Components of this system include, among others, radars operating in the S and C bands and radars designated for detecting ballistic missiles. These technologies are intended to detect threats at distances of up to 2,000 kilometres for ballistic targets and 800 kilometres for aerial targets.
The Russians believe only the S-500 can counter hypersonic missiles like the Kh-47M2 Kinzhal. However, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence has a different view. Ukrainians claim that they have repeatedly managed to shoot down Kinzhals using Patriot systems, which were used to launch missiles from different directions, as emphasised by Oleksii Reznikov, reporting the downing of six such missiles in May 2023.
