Serial production of missiles for S-500 air defense systems begins in Russia — source

MOSCOW (TASS): Enterprises of Russia’s Almaz-Antey Concern have launched serial production of missiles for the S-500 Prometey air defense systems currently in development, a defense industry source told TASS.

“In accordance with the contract between the Russian Defense Ministry and the Almaz-Antey Concern, signed in late 2020, the production of serial missiles to be delivered to the Aerospace Forces is under way,” he said.

TASS has no official information about the issue.

According to another source, state trials of S-500 “are under way at a testing range in southern Russia.” They are expected to be completed in late 2021.

The advanced Russian-made S-500 air defense missile system has hit a high-speed ballistic target at the Kapustin Yar range during a test launch, the Defense Ministry’s press office said on July 20.

At a meeting with graduates of military universities in the Kremlin, Russian President Vladimir Putin said new unique weapons will shortly go on combat duty in Russia, including the Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile, the Tsirkon shipborne hypersonic missile, the S-500 Prometei surface-to-air missile system, and others. Hypersonic weapons – the Avangard and Kinzhal – have already gone on combat duty, he added.

The S-500 missile system has no analogs in the world and is designed to hit the whole range of operational and prospective aerospace attack weapons. It can eliminate all existing and prospective aerospace assault weapons, including ICBM reentry vehicles, at an altitude of up to 200 km and at a range of up to 500 km. S-500 was designed to replace S-400 Triumf air defense systems.