Russia’s S-500 Air Defense System Enters Combat Trials

S-500 anti-aircraft missile system Russia’s latest S-500 anti-aircraft missile system has entered state (combat) trials, Russian Deputy ...

S-500 anti-aircraft missile system

Russia’s latest S-500 anti-aircraft missile system has entered state (combat) trials, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov said at the Army-2020 forum today, Monday.

"The fact is that state trials have begun and today the S-500 configuration, its simplified configuration is already available and work is underway to purchase parts for its serial production," the deputy prime minister said. Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexei Krivoruchko said in February that military specialists had held the trials of the world’s unrivaled surface-to-air missiles for the latest S-500 air defense system last year.

Russia’s S-500 Air Defense System. Gavriil Grigorov / TASS

The deputy defense minister said in December 2019 that the preliminary tests of the S-500 anti-aircraft missile system would begin in 2020 and the commencement of its serial deliveries to the troops was scheduled for 2025. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu earlier said that the deliveries of the latest S-500 surface-to-air missile systems to the troops would begin in 2020.

Russia has been training specialists to learn to operate the new system at the Military Academy of the Aerospace Force in Tver since 2017. Russia is developing the S-500 with a view to its operation in the next 25 years. As the Western media reported, the new Russian missile system struck the target at a range of 481.2 km or 80 km more compared to any existing missile system.