By Jim Morris, Warrior Vice President, News
Russia is touting its S-500 air defense system as a weapon that can knock down Western-made hypersonic missiles.
The system, which entered service in 2021, is described as being a major upgrade over the S-300 and S-400 versions, with a maximum operational range of 600 kilometers and an altitude capability of 200 kilometers. It’s designed to defend not only against hypersonic weapons, but also against ICBMs, stealth aircraft and low-orbit satellites.
Last month, Moscow announced that up to a dozen S-500s would be used to defend the Crimean Bridge – the longest in Europe – against Ukrainian attacks.
Russian military expert Mikhail Khodarenok says the S-500 can intercept hypersonic missiles that are similar to Russia’s Oreshnik medium-range ballistic missiles. The goal, he says, is for interceptors to engage the missiles during their initial flight phase, before they reach hypersonic speeds.
That’s a warning that’s likely to be taken seriously in the West. The Oreshnik reportedly has a top speed exceeding Mach 10 (7,610 miles per hour). Last November, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that mass production of the weapon had started, days after the missile was first used in combat against a Ukrainian facility.
The site Army Recognition says that several of the weapons being developed in the West have capabilities similar to those of the Oreshnik. Among them – the US-made Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon, a surface-to-surface boost-glide weapon, and the Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapon Concept, an air-launched cruise missile whose top speed exceeds Mach 5.
There’s also the Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon, which is said to hit speeds of over Mach 7. And France is developing a nuclear-armed hypersonic cruise missile, but it’s not expected to go into service until 2035.
Meanwhile, the West has been beefing up its air-defense systems to counter the threat posed by the Oreshnik and other hypersonic weapons. According to Army Recognition, the latest version of the US-made Patriot – the Patriot Advanced Capability Missile Segment Enhancement – has intercepted hypersonic missiles, including a Russian Kinzhal in Ukraine.
The US Navy’s Aegis ballistic missile defense system intercepted an ICBM target during a test more than four years ago, which indicates it could be successful against high-speed missiles. And the US and Japan are developing the Glide Phase Interceptor, which is designed to engaged hypersonic missiles during the glide phase.
Plus, Germany is developing an upgraded version of its IRIS-T surface-to-air missile system that is designed to take out hypersonic weapons.
