The Russian defense industry, represented by the Almaz-Antey VKO Concern, handed over to the army the first set of the advanced anti-aircraft missile system S-350 Vityaz. As planned, the air defense missile system was handed over to the troops by the end of the year and should soon go into operation. In addition, the armies will soon transfer new Vityaz kits, which will make it possible to begin re-equipping the corresponding units of the air defense and missile defense forces.
First set
On December 23, the press service of the Almaz-Antey EKR Concern reported on the latest developments in the context of the S-350 project. On the eve, at the Kapustin Yar test site in the Astrakhan region, all the necessary measures took place prior to the delivery of the finished model of the air defense system. The army and industry jointly conducted acceptance tests, during which the S-350 successfully demonstrated its capabilities.
This was followed by a system handover ceremony. In a solemn atmosphere, representatives of the departments signed an acceptance certificate. This event puts an end to one stage in the history of "Vityaz" and gives a start to the next.
Earlier this year, it was reported that the first set of a new type of air defense system is intended for the preparation of calculations that will work on serial equipment. The first operator of the Vityaz will be the Aerospace Forces Training Center in the Leningrad Region.
The training center will have to receive and master the new technique. At the same time, the Almaz-Antey VKO Concern will continue the serial production of promising air defense systems. In the future, this technique will enter combat units to replace obsolete samples.
On development stage
The Vityaz research and development work has been carried out since 2007 in the interests of the Russian Ministry of Defense. Then the army got acquainted with the current developments of the Almaz-Antey concern and expressed a desire to get a new air defense system based on them. It took several years to design the complex.
At the beginning of the decade, the developer concern performed tests of various components of the future air defense system, and in 2012-13. built the first experimental complex. In 2013, the S-350 system was first shown to the public at an open event. In the same period, the field tests of the Vityaz were started as a whole.
Initially, it was supposed to complete the tests and bring the S-350 air defense system to mass production by the middle of the decade. However, the work on the project was delayed, incl. due to the need to fine-tune fundamentally new components. The stage of state tests was completed only in the spring of 2019. However, despite such a shift in terms, the result of the work was a full-fledged air defense system with all the required components and necessary capabilities.
In the spring of this year, it was reported about the start of production of the first serial "Vityaz". It was planned to transfer this kit to the training center. A few days ago, he passed the acceptance tests and was handed over to the army.
New opportunities
According to known data, the S-350 "Vityaz" air defense system includes several components for different purposes. These are the 50N6A multifunctional radar, the 50K6A command and control station, the 50P6A self-propelled launcher and three types of anti-aircraft guided missiles. An air defense system with one control point can include up to two radars and up to eight launchers.
The main assets of the complex are made on self-propelled chassis providing high mobility. Deployment to a combat position takes about 5 minutes. The transfer of equipment can be carried out both on roads and over rough terrain.
The radar and control center provide tracking of the air situation, searching for targets and generating data for firing. One complex with products 50N6A and 50K6A is capable of simultaneously firing at up to 16 aerodynamic or up to 12 ballistic targets. Each target is guided by two missiles.
An important feature of the S-350 is the presence of three types of missiles at once for solving different problems. The ammunition load includes items 9M100, 9M96 and 9M96M2 with different characteristics. With their help, the destruction of targets at ranges from 10-15 to 100-120 km is ensured. The height of the lesion is from 5 m to 20-30 km, depending on the type of missile defense system.
Fighting vehicle 50P6A has a lifting launcher with mounts for the installation of 12 transport and launch containers for missiles. Thus, the total ammunition of the battery can reach 96 missiles and provide high combat qualities.
Targets and goals
The Vityaz air defense system was created as a modern replacement for outdated complexes of the S-300P family. The oldest samples of this line no longer fully meet the current requirements, which led to the order for the development of a completely new complex. As the serial production and supply of the S-350 progresses, the Russian army will be able to gradually abandon the outdated air defense systems.
This replacement has several positive consequences, directly related to the characteristics of the S-350. The new Vityaz was developed taking into account the operating experience of the S-300P and modern threats, as a result of which it has a number of important differences.
First of all, the effectiveness of air defense is increased due to the use of modern electronic components with increased performance. The Vityaz equipment is capable of processing larger amounts of data faster and more accurately with understandable results in the context of combat use. It also provides full compatibility with modern communications and command and control of air defense and missile defense forces.
The ammunition includes three types of missiles with different characteristics. This provides a choice of weapons depending on the characteristics of the targets and the current situation. Missiles with high flight performance and with the ability to maneuver with a large overload are capable of intercepting both aerodynamic and ballistic targets - up to the warheads of medium-range missiles.
An important advantage of the S-350 is its increased ammunition load. One launcher 50P6A carries 12 TPK with missiles against 4 at the installation of the S-300P complex. The increased ammunition load of the installation and the battery as a whole allows for longer combat work or more effectively to deal with massive enemy raids.
First step
The process of testing and fine-tuning the S-350 anti-aircraft missile system was noticeably delayed, and the originally named terms were shifted by several years. Nevertheless, the work was nevertheless completed with the desired result. Concern VKO "Almaz-Antey" has developed, tested and put into a series of new models of equipment for videoconferencing.
The other day the first serial set of Vityaz air defense systems completed acceptance tests and was handed over to the army. He will participate in the preparation of calculations. The transfer of the next production sample is expected in the near future. According to various sources, in the next years, it is necessary to deliver several dozen sets of S-350, due to which a complete replacement of outdated modifications of the S-300P will be performed.
The production of dozens of S-350 Vityaz air defense systems will take several years and will require appropriate funding. Such re-equipment of air defense and missile defense is provided for by the current state armaments program. Moreover, the first step has already been taken in this direction - the serial "Vityaz" has been handed over to the customer, which allows him to get new opportunities in the field of defense.
