Russia Announces Formation of Regiment with S-500 SAMs

21 December, 2024 The launcher of the S-500 air defense system. Still image from the video of the Russian Defense Ministry The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation has announced the formation of the first regiment of the S-500 air defense missile system.

This was announced by Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Federation Valery Gerasimov. According to him, the formation of the new unit, equipped with the latest S-500 air defense systems, will allow Russia to improve its strategic missile defense capabilities. First of all, this concerns the interception of intermediate-range ballistic missiles and intercontinental ballistic missiles at the final part of the flight trajectory.

The launcher and the 77N6-N interceptor missile of the S-500 anti-missile system.

Photo from open sources

According to Gerasimov, the system is also designed to engage hypersonic cruise missiles, air command posts, airborne surveillance aircraft, and low-orbit satellites. It should be noted that the S-500 anti-aircraft system is a long-term project, as its development was initiated in 2002, and its official adoption took place only 19 years later, in 2021. The main focus of the development was the unification of the S-500 system and its 77N6-N/77N6-N1 missiles with the A-135 Amur stationary missile defense system, which is used to provide ballistic missile defense for Moscow.

The exact characteristics of the system are unknown, but Western military experts say that in the case of a high degree of unification, the 77N6-N missiles are capable of intercepting ballistic targets at an altitude and range of 100 km. The peculiarity of this type of missile is also in its flight speed, which is 5500 m/s, and the acceleration rate, according to unconfirmed information, brings the missile to its maximum speed in 4-5 seconds.

Launch of an anti-aircraft guided missile from the S-500 air defense system.

Still image from the video of the Russian Defense Ministry

The last test launches took place in the summer of 2021, at the Kapustyn Yar test site. As part of the first deliveries in 2021, the Russian army received individual elements of the system, but it was not disclosed which ones. The brigade set received a part that protects Moscow and the Central Industrial District.

The Second Prometheus Brigade was delivered to the troops in 2022 as part of a multi-year contract.