Russian Defence Minister Andrey Belousov on December 17 confirmed that the primary regiment outfitted with S-500 lengthy vary had entered fight responsibility, 4 years after the primary elements of the system started to affix the Aerospace Forces in late 2021. Russian Chief of Normal Employees Normal Valery Gerasimov had beforehand in late December, 2024, claimed that the primary full regiment outfitted with the S-500 had already been shaped, elevating questions concerning why the regiment required a full 12 months to enter fight responsibility. Till the disclosing of the rival Chinese language HQ-29 system in August, the S-500 was thought of an entirely distinctive sort of asset worldwide, and is designed to supply a strategic stage defence towards all sorts of missiles from cell launch autos. This features a functionality to intercept intercontinental vary ballistic missiles of their terminal phases, which solely the fixed-site American Floor Primarily based Midcourse Defence and Russian A-135 methods beforehand had.
The S-500 was projected close to the start of the 2010s to enter service round 2015, with repeated delays having continued to push this date again. Regardless of vital successes increasing manufacturing capacities for different sorts of lengthy vary air defence system, most notably the S-400 and S-300V4, manufacturing of S-500 methods seems to have remained restricted, probably as a result of an intention to change the design based mostly on expertise working the primary regiment. The methods in service have been operated beneath a variety of situations,together with for operations within the Arctic from December 2021, and extra lately in June deployments in Kerch Metropolis close to the disputed Crimean Peninsula, primarily to guard the Kerch Strait Bridge which hyperlinks the territory to the Russian mainland.
In early December Indian media shops confirmed that start formal discussions with Russia concerning the procurement of the S-500 would start on December 4, throughout a gathering in New Delhi between Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Russian counterpart Andrey Belousov. The assembly would additionally see each side additionally evaluation supply schedules for the S-400 lengthy vary air defence system, and additional ongoing talks on the doable sale of Su-57 fifth era fighter plane. Among the many most excellent capabilities of the S-500 are its potential to shoot down satellites, excessive pace hypersonic missiles, and house plane, and its engagement vary of 500 kilometres towards in-atmosphere targets. This vary improves on the 400 kilometre vary of the 40N6 missiles employed by the S-400 system, which have lately been fight examined in Ukraine and within the Indian-Pakistani border areas. It has the potential to pose a severe risk to excessive worth targets reminiscent of strategic bombers and AEW&C methods.
