American Hypersonic Missiles in Sight as Russia Forms First S-500 Air Defense Regiment

The Russian Ministry of Defense has announced the formation of the first operational regiment equipped with the S-500 air defense missile system.

The announcement was made by Valery Gerasimov, Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Federation, via his Telegram channel. The S-500, also known as Prometheus, is designed to intercept a range of aerial threats, including hypersonic cruise missiles, air command posts, anti-aircraft missile systems, and low-orbit satellites.

The U.S. is progressing towards fielding its own hypersonic missiles. Last week, The U.S.Army tested a ground launched hypersonic missile from a mobile launcher and earlier this month announced plans to equip the the USS Zumwalt warship with a sea-launched hypersonic weapon.

The newly formed regiment will manage the transportation, erection, and firing of the missile launchers.

According to Gerasimov, the deployment of the S-500 enhances Russia’s strategic missile defense capabilities, particularly in intercepting medium-range and intercontinental ballistic missiles during the final phase of their flight.

The S-500 project, initiated in 2002, officially entered service in 2021 after nearly two decades of development. A key aspect of its design is the unification of the system and its 77N6-N/77N6-N1 missiles with the stationary A-135 Amur complex, which protects Moscow against ballistic missile attacks.

While specific technical details of the S-500 remain undisclosed, Western experts estimate its missiles can intercept ballistic targets at altitudes and ranges of approximately 100 kilometers. These missiles reportedly achieve a flight speed of 5,500 meters per second, reaching maximum velocity within 4-5 seconds.

Test launches of the system were conducted in mid-2021 at the Kapustin Yar test site. Initial deliveries of the S-500 in 2021 provided individual elements of the system, which were assigned to units defending Moscow and the Central Industrial District. The second brigade set was delivered in 2022 under a multi-year procurement contract.