Russia demonstrates the new S-500 air defense system in action (video)

Russia today released footage for the first time showing its new S-500 surface-to-air missile system, Reuters reported.

The S-500’s predecessor, the S-400 system, has become a source of geopolitical tensions with the United States.

Footage released by the Defense Ministry showed the system’s truck-based installation fired a high-speed missile from the Kapustin Yar test site in southern Russia. According to RIA Novosti, the ministry is showing the S-500 system operational for the first time during testing. The footage was partially blurred to make it difficult to study the system in detail. The ministry said the missile successfully hit a “high-speed ballistic target”.

“The S-500 anti-aircraft missile system has no analogues in the world and is designed to hit the full range of existing and promising aerospace attack weapons of a potential enemy at the full range of altitude and speed,” the ministry said. “
“Once the full test cycle is completed, Moscow plans to supply the first S-500 system to the air and missile defense unit,” the ministry said.

The system, called Prometheus, can destroy ballistic and cruise missiles as well as planes and helicopters, and has an intercept radius of about 600 kilometers.

Deputy Defense Minister Alexei Krivoruchko said last year that the system is expected to be delivered by 2025, and that state contracts should be signed this year.