Russian Next-Gen S-500 Missile System To Engage Targets Near Space

Russian next-generation S-500 surface-to-air missile system would be able to engage targets above the earth’s surface.

The new S-500 missile system would be able to engage targets in the upper layer of the atmosphere, 100 kilometers [62 miles] above the Earth’s surface, Pavel Sozinov, chief engineer of the Russian defense corporation Almaz-Antey, was quoted as saying by Sputnik Tuesday.

S-500 is said to have a range of 600 kilometers (more than 370 miles) and can simultaneously intercept up to ten ballistic and hypersonic missiles coming at speeds upto 7 km per second.

"The S-500 will be capable of hitting targets at an altitude of up to 100 kilometers above the ground, which is actually the height of near space. The system's final tests will take place at one of the largest firing ranges in Kazakhstan, given that the S-500's effective damage range stands at 600 kilometers. There is no other such surface-to-air missile system in the world that has the same damage radius," Russian military expert Viktor Baranets was quoted as saying by Sputnik.

According to him, among other things the S-500 system is also designed to destroy combat blocks of hypersonic missiles.

He noted that in terms of its characteristics, the S-500 will significantly exceed Russia's S-400 missile system and its American competitor, the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) missile system.