Russia’s Superior Air Defense Systems

By Stephen Lendman  //  GlobalResearch.ca

US-dominated NATO threatens Russian security. State-of-the-art air defenses are vital.

Russia has the world’s best – better ones coming by 2020 or sooner. More on this below.

Its S-400 air defense system is unmatched – the world’s most sophisticated technology, able to strike targets up to 400 km away at altitudes up to 90,000 feet, including fifth generation warplanes, as well as ballistic and cruise missiles.

It’s protected against electronic warfare, able to hit targets beyond the horizon. No other country has anything like it, including America.

It can distinguish between airborne and ground-based targets. Its sophisticated radar spots everything within its range, including tiny aircraft and stealth ones at low or high-flying altitudes.

It renders stealth aircraft obsolete, able to destroy them with pinpoint accuracy. It can simultaneously engage up to 36 targets with up to 72 missiles.

Three separate types are used – extremely long range 40N6, long range 48N6 and medium range 9M96 missiles. They’re fitted with homing devices able to lock onto and destroy targets.

Unlike America’s capability, S-400s don’t need to track targets. Their effectiveness neutralizes US-led NATO air power.

Development of Russia’s more sophisticated surface-to-air defense system is well underway – called the S-500 Prometey (Prometheus), also referred to as the 55R6M Tiumfactor-M.

When operational, it’ll protect Russia from hypersonic and intercontinental ballistic missiles. According to defense analyst Viktor Murakhovsky, “(t)his is the next step. These are air defense capabilities on operational and strategic levels.”

They let “us to protect entire regions from intercontinental ballistic missiles and other advanced weapons, including hypersonic glide vehicles currently under development in the United States.”

They’ll be able to hit targets near space, including satellites outfitted with electro-optical surveillance systems.

The S-500 effectively counters Pentagon plans for a so-called Prompt Global Strike (PGS) system to deliver precision-guided weapons anywhere in one hour or less – using surface, sub-surface and air-launched hypersonic missiles.

According to Murakovsky, “hundreds of billions of (US) dollars…have gone down the drain.”

S-500 missiles are mobile. They’ll have a range of up to 600 kilometers. They can simultaneously intercept up to 10 ballistic and hypersonic missiles traveling at speeds of seven km per second.

They can strike targets up to an altitude of 200 km. They can neutralize America’s most sophisticated aerial capability. They’re strictly for defense – giving Pentagon planners pause about attacking Russia.

Reportedly, development of an even more sophisticated S-1000 system is underway.

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at [email protected].
His new book as editor and contributor is titled “Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III.” http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html
Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.
Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network.

http://www.globalresearch.ca/russias-superior-air-defense-systems/5577032