S-300/400/500 News [Russian Strategic Air Defense] #1

Is there any good document that archives how SA-6 and SA-3 performed in the Arab war since 60's ?

January 26, 2012. Channel NTV. Russia, Leningrad region. Demonstration of new technics, in 11th educational center of Air Defense. S-400, S-300, Pantsir-S1. ( via mp.net )

Nice video.

Russia to supply S-400 systems to Belarus, Kazakhstan after 2015

Russia will start supplying S-400 Triumf air defence systems to Belarus and Kazakhstan after 2015 when its own new plants launch serial production of Almaz-Antey-designed S-400 and S-500 systems for the Space Defence Troops, a source in the government’s Military-Industrial Commission said.

“Once serial production of these systems begin, we will have to rearm up to 30 air defence regiments with S-400 systems and supply about ten S-500 squadrons to the Space Defence Troops by 2020 under the governmental armament programme,” the source told Itar-Tass on Saturday.

“As we meet the needs of the Space Defence Troops, we will be able to start supplying S-400 systems to Belarus and Kazakhstan after 2015,” the source added.

In February 2011, Vladimir Popovkin, who was first deputy defence minister at that time, said that regular S-400 supplies to the army were scheduled until 2020 to arm 28 air defence regiments.

He also said that Almaz-Antey was designing the unique long-range S-500 air defence system capable of intercepting ballistic targets at high altitudes.

“They plan to finish all design work in 2013 and start regular supplies to the army in 2015. A total of ten S-500 squadrons will be supplied,” Popovkin said.

While the current S-300PM1 is being updated to PM2 standards , new generation of jammer threats are emerging and are under works , specially the one that uses Ga/N TR module

New EW Capabilities To Emerge With NGJ

Austin wrote:Is there any good document that archives how SA-6 and SA-3 performed in the Arab war since 60's ?

Pervov's SAMS of the PVO book looks at the S-125 in various conflicts, as well as the S-75 and S-200.

Interview with Almaz-Antei CEO

http://i-korotchenko.livejournal.com/384407.html

http://vz.ru/news/2012/2/6/559333.html

As I understand this article, first examples of S-500 (prototype) will bi build to the end of this year.

If you read the Almaz Antei CEO interview and if translation is not playing tricks.

S-500 interceptor will be unique and it will have no comparision with any thing in the world.

And it will be smaller then S-400 interceptor and will have nothing in common with it.

GarryB wrote:It either means there is something very special there to protect, or there is a serious threat there that justifies its deployment.

The S-500 is very much like a super THAAD, that will not be wasted on aircraft or cruise missiles and will likely intercept its target well above the atmosphere.

Given that the S-500 will be an ABM/ASAT capable system, it's deployment doesn't necessarily mean anything about significant complexes in the region. You can drop it underneath known satellite overflight paths, you can stick it along the border to target inbound ICBM RVs, etc. Sure, they're probably going to drop some near Moscow, someplace in the FEMD, and on the Kola peninsula, to protect things that are already there (namely Moscow and the Northern/Pacific Fleet SSBN ports, in theory). But the mobility of the system means you can do a lot more with it than purely defend locations already in existance. You can put it places to maximize its capability in its design role. This also makes all of those large equipment garrisons around Moscow and other places far more significant. S-500s can take out IMINT assets prior to deploying more SAMs or offensive units from those locations. A proven, tested S-500 could force the USAF to re-think its reliance on satellites and look at developing an airborne, survivable wide-band VLO ISR platform again. A 200km+ reach is a nice figure to quote, but if it can in reality reach a little over 300km, then you can hold all of the Keyhole satellites at risk near periapsis.

And calling it a super-THAAD is insulting to the S-500. THAAD is reported to top out at 150km in altitude, lacking the reach to hit a satellite (over the 100km Karman Line you're technically exoatmospheric, but LEO doesn't typically begin until 160km), and lacks the velocity to deal with an ICBM RV. THAAD does seem to be very capable in its design role, with every one of the EMD tests succeeding, save three where no THAAD was launched as the target missile failed prior to the launch point. MASSIVE improvement over the initial test sequence.

I wonder what they mean by "unique" when referring to the missile. Smaller than the "40N6" leaves a lot of wiggle room, depending on how big that thing actually is. A developed version of the 9M82 would not shock me in the least, that thing has a cubic buttload of KE to exploit. And in terms of capability it would still qualify as "unique." Plus, this makes a bit of sense from a historical standpoint. If we assume that Fakel designed all of the S-400's missiles, then the "40N6" could represent a fatter, improved 48N6. Novator designed the 9M82 and the 53T6, as well as the 5Ya26 for the S-225, giving them a theoretical leg up on any future mobile ABM and making sense as the contractor for the S-500's weapon.

GarryB wrote:More importantly... with a 600km range I would think basing them in Cuba just to protect Russia from those Argentine ICBMs and nuclear weapons potential might be very interesting...

...except that in this case you're really doing nothing except placing the emitters in a very good spot for ELINT collection. 600 km range won't get an S-500 anywhere near an ICBM fired from the US to Russia

As a political statement placing the S-500 in Kaliningrad makes more sense. Or Syria. Either way, of course the US government will whine about it, and I'll be the first person to state that they (the US gov't) can sit and swivel, that an agreement between sovereign states to place defensive assets is perfectly acceptable provided you can live with the new geopolitical climate you've created as a result. Just like Russia's agreement to sell the S-300PMU-2 to Iran was perfectly legal, even under existing UNSCRs, whatever those are worth these days.

The more I think about the latter incident, the more I think Russia may have decided to purposely misinterpret the UNSCRs to avoid Israel potentially defeating the system. The Israelis have stated that they can defeat the S-300PMU-1/2 on various occasions, and they are pretty damn good at EW. What if they made a mockery of the system in Iranian hands? Even if it was due to the fact that Iran has never touched anything this advanced before (think operator error rather than a system flaw), it'd hurt export sales to future clients and allow factions within the Russian government to question spending so much on S-400 batteries (which are pretty much the penultimate S-300P evolution despite the fancy new designators used). On the other hand, the amount of whining Israel does at any S-300P series sale to anyone it finds disagreeable brings their claims into question.

At least they haven't made themselves to look like complete fools by objecting to the sale on the grounds that the missile can possibly be used as an SSM. Like, you know, Turkey.

Russia’s Almaz-Antey concern will finish the development of the advanced S-500 air defense system by 2017, two years later than the deadline announced earlier, the company’s General Director Vitaly Neskorodov said.



The S-500, a long-range air defense missile system, is expected to become the backbone of a unified aerospace defense system being formed in Russia.



Neskorodov said in an interview with Moskovsky Komsomolets newspaper on Monday that the complexity of technical solutions used in this unique system and some management problems led to the delay in the development.



“We have to step up the work and make up for lost time,” he said. “Nevertheless, we will have prototypes of several components of the system ready for testing by the end of 2012.”



Russian officials provide sketchy details on the technical characteristics of the new system.



The S-500 will reportedly have an extended range of up to 600 kilometers (over 370 miles) and simultaneously engage up to 10 targets.



The Russian military has demanded that the system must be capable of intercepting ballistic missiles and hypersonic cruise missiles and plans to order at least ten S-500 battalions for the future Russian Aerospace Defense.



The S-500 could become a trump card in Russia’s response to the U.S.-backed European missile shield, which Moscow believes may threaten Russia’s nuclear deterrent.



Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin has proposed setting up a government body responsible for consolidating efforts aimed at the creation of an effective aerospace defense network in the country.

http://www.en.ria.ru/mlitary_news/20120207/171194086.html

put a fool at the controls of an F-22 and a professional in a Mig-21 might eat him for breakfast... stealth doesn't stop 23mm cannon shells...

Garry , is that true

I think no one will own F-22 except he was professional

So , amodernized mig-21 can make adefensive role against Raptor , not reasonable for the first time , but theoriticaly as you said there is another ways to deal with modern technology using old platform , not surprised now when egypt modernized it's mig-21s in the 21 century !

If History can be a lesson:
- Propeller driven Mustangs and La-7s have shot down jet powered German Me-262.
- Vietnamese MiG-17s have shot down US F-4 Phantoms.

Having an aircraft from a previous generation does not necessarily mean "Game Over". As Garry said, a professional can more than make up for the generation difference in case the opponent is foolish enough.

GarryB wrote:You miss the point. They don't actually deploy anything to Cuba, but the plans to base something there with a 600km range that could use nuclear tipped missiles that might end up intercepting something very close to the ground in... say Miami... might refocus the US on the effects of its encirclement of Russia and ABM systems with radars that look deep into Russian territory...

I think you overestimate the amount of give-a-crap the US would have if Russia based a non-nuclear (unless I'm missing something, otherwise the AMRAAM may as well be classified as just as nuclear capable in theory) ABM system in a location that'd guarantee it's ability to not hit ICBMs.

GarryB wrote:If they could defeat it so easily what is with all the complaints and behind the closed doors efforts to stop the sale and transfer?

Exactly. Either 1) they're full of crap, or 2) they know that to defeat the system they'd need a big strike package full of support assets, not something they could sneak into Iran to bomb a reactor complex.

GarryB wrote:Ummm Sean... the US is currently shtting its pants and preparing to build a 50 billion plus ABM system in Europe to defend against Iranian ICSMs that don't exist, and Iranian nukes that also don't exist.

Are you telling me they will look at 600km range Russian missiles in Cuba and not care?

I'm telling you that the DoD won't care, or the White House. They'll be too busy drooling over the ELINT. And like I said, they'll know it means absolutely zero in the strategic balance to have ABMs in Cuba.

Or, they'll decide that Russia has discovered Chavez's ICBM program, and initiate bombing raids accordingly.

Either way.

GarryB wrote:The media will go mental... those crazy Russians are trying to restart the Cold war... how dare they place offensive weapons close to mother america!!! It wont be the same thing as US Defensive missiles in Europe of course because they will only be used for peaceful means...

Of course the media will go mental, because they have no real desire to promote sanity and lack general intelligence in most of these matters.

And, please, we aren't Turkey. We can recognize a defensive weapon for what it is.

GarryB wrote:to protect the ozone layer or something.

Heh. Go green, buy THAAD!