S‑400: Russian air defence system faces scrutiny amidst Ukraine war
The S-400 is considered the most technologically advanced Russian anti-aircraft missile system. However, the war in Ukraine has shown that it has flaws. According to some experts, it has not lived up to expectations. What are this weapon's capabilities, and what are its shortcomings compared to what the Russian designers intended?
The Almaz-Antey Design Bureau developed the S-400 as an advancement of the S-300PMU. The complete system comprises at least eight launchers, 32 missiles, and a mobile command post.
Russian S-400 anti-aircraft system
Russia claims that the S-400 can intercept not only aircraft and helicopters but also cruise missiles and even ballistic missiles moving at speeds of up to 4.8 kilometres per second. Depending on the type of target and the rockets used, the range varies between 40 kilometres (9M96 missiles weighing about 350 kilograms) and even several hundred kilometres (40N6E missiles weighing about 1,800 kilograms).
The war in Ukraine exposed the weaknesses of the S-400
The capabilities of the S-400 have been frequently discussed, not only by Russians. The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) warned before the outbreak of the war in Ukraine that it is one of the world's most advanced air defence systems. The prolonged conflict has exposed the weaknesses of the S-400. Ukrainians have managed to destroy several such complexes. They used the most modern Western support and older weapons, which theoretically should not threaten the highly praised Russian air defence system.
Fredrik Mertens, an analyst at the Hague Centre for Strategic Studies, quoted by Business Insider, believes that the S-400 seems to have problems intercepting ballistic missile targets. From the Russian perspective, this is concerning because older, competitive American Patriots perform better in this regard. The last recorded destruction of an S-400 system's battery using ballistic missiles (MGM-140 ATACMS) occurred in April of this year.
Some Ukrainian operations have been regarded as a compromise of the discussed Russian systems. The report of an attack utilising Storm Shadow cruise missiles, which flew just above the S-400, caused a broad resonance.
On the other hand, analysts emphasise that much information remains inaccessible to the public. Despite the setbacks, Russian S-400 systems have also had numerous successes. Eliminating them may remain one of the main goals of Ukrainians in the coming months.
