S-500 Is Dying From Brain Drain

Strategy page ^ | 2/25/2012 | Strategy Page

[U-238]

It was recently announced that the new Russian anti-aircraft/anti-missile system, the S-500, will be further delayed. Apparently the S-500 won't enter service until the end of the decade. Last year it was admitted that the S-500 was a full two years behind schedule, with prototype testing not taking place until 2015 and deliveries in 2017. It was explained that much of the delay was due to the fact that this system uses a lot of new technology. There also seems to be a problem deciding exactly what the S-500 should do. Senior government officials are apparently demanding that the S-500 be able to intercept a wider range of ballistic missiles. This has complicated an already difficult development effort. The S-500 is not an upgrade of the current S-400 but a new design. With a range of 600 kilometers the S-500 is designed to hit ballistic missile warheads at altitudes as high as 40 kilometers (124,000 feet). The S-500 can also go after AWACS aircraft. Russia plans to purchase ten S-500 battalions. These units are mobile, with all equipment carried in large trucks. The missiles, for example, are carried and launched from 10x10 trucks.

Then there are the personnel problems. When the Cold War era S-300 was designed the development team was drawn from the best engineers and scientists available in the Soviet Union. Now, there are more tempting jobs available to the best and the brightest. That explains many of the problems the S-500 is having.

Meanwhile, the new S-400 system (also known as the S-300PMU-3, SA-21 or Triumf) has been in service for two years, with four S-400 anti-aircraft missile battalions deployed. Each S-400 battalion has eight launchers, each with two missiles, plus a control center and radar.

[hosepipe]

Good...... die die die

[U-238]

http://democratist.wordpress.com/2011/03/15/unresolvable-discrepancy/

[Kickass Conservative]

I thought this was about a problem with the ECM in a Mercedes Benz.

[UnbelievingScumOnTheOtherSide]

Russian junk has been useless wherever it has been deployed since WWII.

[cunning_fish]

Don’t tell it to USAF&USN. They lost 2300, ~800 jets and thousands airmen KIA to Soviet SAMs in Vietnam only.

S-series SAMs are extremely capable. Latest Patriot is actually built using earlier S-300 tecnnology evaluated by USAF since 1994.

Unlike in most other areas Russians has the edge in air defence. They are some 20 years ahead. They have deployed ABM since mid70s.

[UnbelievingScumOnTheOtherSide]

Don’t tell it to USAF&USN. They lost 2300, ~800 jets and thousands airmen KIA to Soviet SAMs in Vietnam only.

That's not capability. That's what happens when you let them take pot shots at you year after year without making any effort to reduce them by occupying territory and stopping them from resupply.