Russian official says Moscow deployed a dangerous new weapon

 Russia has deployed one of its newest and most dangerous military weapon systems to the battlefield. At least that’s what Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov claimed during a recent meeting of the ministry’s board. According to Belousov, Moscow’s vaunted S-500 ‘Prometheus’ air defense system has been deployed for the first time. 

“The first regiment equipped with the unique S-500 air defense missile system, capable of engaging targets in near space, has entered combat duty,” Belousov said, according to a translation of his comments from the Ukrainian military news website Militarnyi. No other details about the system’s deployment were provided by the Russian defense minister.  

What we know about the deployment 

Whether the S-500 was sent to guard key military assets in Ukraine, or if the system is being used at home, is not known. However, that makes a lot of sense since the S-500 would be a major target for Ukraine. How the advanced air defense system could make a difference in the ongoing war is unclear, however. Very little is known about the S-500. 

Development of the S-500 began in 2002 as a project undertaken by the Almaz-Antey Aerospace Defense Corporation, and it entered service in the Russian military in 2021. However, despite being active for several years, Moscow has not divulged any details about the air defense system’s capabilities beyond what it was designed to target.

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons By Пресс-служба Минобороны РФ, CC BY 4.0

A powerful modern air defense system 

According to Militarnyi, Russian officials have said the S-500 was designed to intercept medium-range and intercontinental ballistic missiles during their terminal phase of flight, but other reports have noted the system was developed to engage airborne command posts, aircraft carrying air defense missiles, and low-orbiting satellites. 

“A key focus of development was the integration of the S-500 system and its 77N6-N and 77N6-N1 missiles with the stationary A-135 Amur missile defense system used to protect Moscow against ballistic missile threats,” Militarnyi explained. “The system’s precise specifications are not publicly known,” the military news outlet added. 

Estimates about the S-500’s capabilities 

Militarnyi also pointed out that some Western military analysts have suggested that if Russia’s integration efforts resulted in a high degree of integration, then its 77N6-N interceptors might be able to engage enemy ballistic missiles at ranges and altitudes upwards of 100 kilometers (62.5 miles).

“Ultimately, the introduction of the S-500 into combat duty strengthens the upper tier of Russia’s integrated air and missile defense and adds complexity to any potential high-end strike campaign against Russian territory. Army Recognition reported. “Its real battlefield impact, however, will be shaped by production scale, operational integration, and performance under contested conditions,” the outlet added.