Russian S-500 'Space Defense System' to be deployed this year

The upcoming Russian S-500 ‘Triumfator-Mor Prometheus’ will be called Space Defense System (SDS) and not air defense system going by its ability to destroy satellites and hypersonic weapons in low orbit space.

In the most detailed listing of the features of the secretive S-500 SDS, the commander in chief of the Aerospace Forces of Russia Sergei Surovikin said during an interview with the Russian defense ministry's Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper on Wednesday: "According to its tactical and technical characteristics, the S-500 can be considered the first generation of space defense systems, since it will be able to destroy low-orbit satellites and space weapons."

“The characteristics laid down in the S-500 space defense system make it possible to destroy, in addition to aerodynamic and ballistic targets, hypersonic weapons of all modifications, including in the near space. It is safe to say that analogues of this system simply do not exist,” he said.

The Triumfator-Mor Prometheus is developed by Almaz-Antey Corporation which also developed the S-400 and S-300 air defense systems.

"The main task of the complex is the destruction of medium-range ballistic missiles, and, if necessary, the warheads of intercontinental ballistic missiles in the final section of their flight path," said the commander in chief.

In an interview with Interfax on May 9, Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov said that all S-500 elements were manufactured and the system is scheduled to enter Russian Aerospace Forces in 2020.

In previous tests, the S-500 system tracked and struck at practice missiles from a range of 480 km which is said to be the longest range strike by an air defense system. The system’s claimed range is 600 km.

According to unofficial information, the S-500s will have a response time of about 3-4 seconds compared to 9-10 seconds for the S-400.

The main missile with the S-500 is the 40N6 missile a 30-feet long, two-stage solid fuel missile capable of reaching speeds of 9 Mach having a blast-fragmentation warhead with a range of 310 miles and 95-percent accuracy. The Prometheus will use 2 new types of missile, the 77N6-N and 77N6-N1, the first-ever Russian missiles with inert warheads, capable of destroying nuclear warheads by force of impact. The missiles will strike ballistic missiles at a height of 185 km considerably minimising the impact of their debris.

S-500 system is expected to use the 91N6A(M) battle management radar and 96L6-TsP target acquisition radar besides new 76T6 multimode engagement radars. The other components will be the launch vehicle and command posts.