According to reports, the S-500 air defense system was successfully tested in Syria. According to the test results, the S-500 air defense missile system can shoot down 10 long-range missiles at the same time, even when the speed of the missile reaches 18,000 to 25,000 kilometers per hour. In addition, it can also shoot down missiles and aircraft up to 200 kilometers in height.

  In May of this year, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexei Krivoruchko said that the first batch of S-500 air defense systems is expected to be officially equipped with the Russian army next year. As the latest generation of Russia’s air defense system, it shoulders the major mission of safeguarding Russia’s future aerospace security. What are the highlights of this system? Based on the Russian military’s existing anti-missile air defense system, how much impact can its addition bring?

Mysterious, anti-missile weapon S-500 air defense system

  The system is complete and supported by multiple systems. The S-500 system is mainly composed of three basic parts: the tactical command and control system, the air defense and antimissile combat unit, and the air defense and antimissile combat unit. The S-500 tactical command and control system consists of long-range search radar and command station; S-500 air defense and anti-missile combat unit, mainly composed of command station, radar station, guidance radar, missile launcher, missile 40N6E, etc.; S-500 anti-sky The anti-missile combat unit is mainly composed of command station, radar station, active phased array radar station, missile launcher, short-range anti-missile interceptor 7N6-N, long-range anti-missile interceptor 77N6-N1, etc. With the blessing of such multiple systems, S-500 has the characteristics of being able to intercept multiple targets at the same time, ultra-long radar detection range, and strong anti-electromagnetic interference ability.

  Adapt to future air defense operations and keep up with the development trend of the times. The military community generally believes that one of the ways to achieve the best defensive effectiveness against the increasingly complex and changeable air-space offensive system is to network multi-type surface-to-air missiles and other defense systems or to integrate multi-type missiles into one platform. Therefore, in design, the S-500 system has the characteristics of a wide range of combat applications, excellent technical combat performance, and strong anti-jamming capabilities.

  In terms of air defense performance, the S-500 system has increased its range by 50% compared to the S-400 system, and its anti-stealth detection capability has also been greatly enhanced. In the "spear and shield" confrontation between the fifth-generation US fighter and the Russian ground-to-air missile, The Russian military will take the lead with the S-500 system; in terms of anti-aircraft and anti-missile capabilities, the S-500 system has more than doubled the interception height and target speed compared with the S-400 system, and has the ability to intercept intercontinental missiles. Air and space integrated defense.

  In terms of design indicators, the S-500 system can intercept almost all active US air strike weapons. The equipment components of the system have the characteristics of serialization, generalization, modularization, and standardization. They can not only form a large-scale bomb system, but also can be flexibly configured according to the diversified operational requirements of air defense, anti-missile, anti-aircraft, and anti-defense. For various dedicated or mixed combat systems.

  According to the design plan, in the S-500 bomb family system, there are not only super short-range, short-range, medium-range, long-range, and ultra-long-range air defense weapon systems, but also anti-missile weapon systems, anti-spacecraft weapon systems, and support these weapons Various sensor systems, command automation systems and support systems for effective operations.

A capable man to strengthen the Russian anti-missile air defense system

  The existing anti-missile air defense system of the Russian army is complete. In 2019, the Russian military tested the A-235 anti-satellite anti-missile warfare system and launched a new interceptor missile of the Russian A-235 anti-missile system. The maximum intercept range is about 1852 kilometers, which can effectively target low-Earth orbit satellites and high-altitude targets. It poses a huge threat. In order to enhance the strike capability of the A-235 anti-missile system, some experts said that the anti-satellite "Nudol" missile developed by Russia may be developed as part of the A-235 system. The "Nudol" missile is an upgraded version after the A-35, A-35M and A-135 anti-missile systems. It uses conventional interceptor missiles, which can be used in local or limited conflicts and avoid nuclear war. And Russia stated that it will complete the deployment of this type of anti-missile system in Moscow and the Central Industrial Zone in 2022, and it will become a sharp weapon for Russia's anti-satellite or strike long-range aerial targets.

  In terms of attacking medium and short-range enemy targets, the Russian S-series air defense missiles that have been in service are equally impressive. The Russian military is currently equipped with a large number of S-300 air defense systems. According to public data, the S-300 can control the radius. It is an airspace of 150 kilometers to 300 kilometers, the shooting height is about 25 kilometers to 30 kilometers, and the missile speed can reach up to 6 times the speed of sound. The "eye" of the system is a multifunctional phased array radar, which can search and lock multiple air targets at the same time, and can also guide multiple missiles to attack different targets; in addition, there are S-350 "Warrior" medium and short-range air defense missiles The system, as well as the S-400 air defense missile system, play an important role in Russia-China short-range defense. Together, they weave a three-dimensional anti-missile defense system for the Russian air and space and become the backbone of the Russian air defense force.

  With the Russian S-500 "Prometheus" air defense missile system coming into service in the army, the commander-in-chief of the Russian Aerospace Forces Sergey Surovkin said that the S-500 air defense missile system will be capable of destroying hypersonic weapons in near-surface space. ability. According to the technical characteristics of the S-500, this system can be listed as the first-generation space defense system, because it can destroy low-orbit satellites and space weapons, as well as all types of hypersonic weapons including near space. This expands the scope of the Russian military’s aerospace defense capabilities to outer space. If the system is deeply integrated into the existing anti-missile air defense system, the future Russia will have a more complete defense system, which will play a role in safeguarding Russia’s aerospace interests. positive effects.

Be sought after, open the international military trade market

  Today’s international arms market is still dominated by the United States and Russia. At the same time, both countries sell a large amount of advanced weapons and equipment to the world. As a new trend in the world's military equipment field, they have been competing for the world arms sales market. "Fatty" is merciless. At present, the United States accounts for 70-75% of the total annual arms exports from Russia and Russia accounts for 25-30%. The competition between the two parties is extremely fierce.

  Although Russia is in a disadvantaged position in the international military trade market share, due to the popularity and influence of the former Soviet Union’s weapons in the world, the loyalty of Russian weapons users is extremely high, because Russian-made weapons are easy to use, costly, and performance. A better balance has been achieved in other aspects and has been widely praised by third world countries. Even countries that have experience in using weapons from Western countries will still buy Russian-made weapons after comparison. Last year, Russia sold 15 billion U.S. dollars worth of arms to the world. For Russia, whose annual military expenditure is less than 50 billion U.S. dollars, a large amount of economic benefits can be obtained from this arms revenue, which is useful for advancing Russia's large-scale military projects or updating advanced military equipment. The huge effect, which indirectly reflects the popularity of Russian arms in the international market.

  Among them, the Russian S-series air defense missile systems are sought after by many countries. India signed an agreement with Russia last year to prepare to purchase about 5 regiment-based S-400 air defense missile systems, and recently paid an advance payment. Especially Turkey, which is a member of NATO, purchased Russia’s S-400 air defense missiles and intends to purchase Russia’s more advanced fighter jet series. When the news came out, it caused strong dissatisfaction from the United States. Stealth fighter cooperation is eye-catching, and pressure on Turkey to impose diplomatic and economic sanctions in an attempt to make Turkey abandon its subsequent arms purchases with Russia. As Russia's newest air defense missile system S-500, if it is derived from a foreign trade model, it may cause great fluctuations in the arms trade market and once again leave Russia's footprint in the international arms market.

  After Putin assumed the presidency, Russia has always attached great importance to the modernization of military weapons and equipment, and has provided powerful guarantees for him. With regard to the modernization of military weapons and equipment, Russia focuses on improving the quality and combat performance of weapons and equipment, giving priority to the development of weapons and equipment that are of strategic decisive significance for national security and the future war process, while taking into account the balanced development of conventional weapons and equipment. Today, various types of weapons in Russia have been developed rapidly, with T-14 tanks, Su-57 stealth fighters, a new generation of "Yars" strategic missile complex, and "Beifeng-A" class strategic missile nuclear submarine. , "Iskander-M" campaign-tactical missile complex, and advanced military equipment represented by the S-500 anti-missile air defense system tested this time are examples of Russia’s acceleration of the modernization of military weapons and equipment. The epitome of the development of military industry, as Russia continues to attach importance to military development, the future Russian military should be viewed with a new perspective. (Ding Xinxin, Shen Qiyou, Dong Xingchen, He Juntao)