Russian Military District Tests New Air Defense Systems

Russia’s Southern Military District has moved a step closer to adopting the new S-400 Triumf air defense systems, the district’s press service confirmed on Saturday.
Further successful target-shooting trials of the new air defense systems brings the district closer to the point at which the S-400 Triumf systems will be put on combat duty, replacing the S-300 PM systems, the district's press service confirmed on Saturday.
The Southern Military District was created in October 2010. It comprises the republics of Adygea, Dagestan, Ingushetia, Kabardino-Balkaria, Kalmykia, Karachay-Cherkessia, North Ossetia, Chechnya, and the Krasnodar, Stavropol, Astrakhan, Volgograd and Rostov regions.
The S-400 Triumph long- to medium-range surface-to-air missile system can effectively engage any aerial target, including aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, and cruise and ballistic missiles at a distance of up to 400 kilometers (250 miles) and an altitude of up to 30 kilometers (18.6 miles).
Russia already has four S-400 regiments protecting national airspace around Moscow, in the Far East and in the Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad.
By 2020, Russia plans to have 28 S-400 regiments, each comprised of two battalions, mainly positioned in maritime and border areas.

Russia to create two new super missiles, more powerful than Satan

Two kinds of new strategic missiles, which Russian experts develop, should become a response to the deployment of the U.S. missile defense system in Europe. It goes about a heavy liquid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) weighing 100 tons. The new missile will surpass the most powerful missile in the world RS-20B Voyevoda (Satan). The second type is a solid-fuel ICBM, which is said to replace fifth-generation Yars and Topol-M complexes. The news was revealed Friday by the Commander of Strategic Missile Forces of Russia, Colonel General Sergei Karakayev.

Since the potential of solid-fueled ICBMs may not be enough to overcome the U.S. missile defense, a heavy liquid ICBM will be able to oppose the system. Such an ICBM would create a strategic precision weapon with non-nuclear equipment of  "practically global reach," if the United States does not refuse from its program, ITAR-TASS quoted the commander as saying.

Karakayev condemned Washington for its anti-Russian activities in the field of missile defense.  He also said that in the future there would be missile defense complexes deployed of the European continent that would be able to intercept intercontinental ballistic missiles. "We are told that this is being done against the missile threat from Iran. However, only Russia has such missiles in Europe," said Karakayev.

As for the new solid-fuel ICBM, it is the first time when Russia announces its creation. According to General Karakayev, strategic missile forces have already conducted several launches of the prototype of this missile this year. The last launch took place on October 24th. The missiles were launched at Kapustin Yar range ground from a mobile launcher.

The official declined comments about the interim results of this work, having referred to "obvious reasons." He noted that judging by the results of the launches the creators of the new missile were on the right track.

Next year, Russia's Strategic Missile Forces plan to conduct 11 launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles, Sergei Karakayev told reporters on the eve of the Day of Missile Forces, which Russia celebrates on December 17th. This year, he said, there were five launches conducted. Three of them were performed in accordance with the programs to test the missile systems that are being developed. One launch was made under combined programs, and another one was conducted to extend the service life of missiles.

By the end of December, the official said, the Strategic Missile Forces will have 96 launchers of new missile Topol-M and Yars. Thus, in recent years, the share of state-of-the-art weapons in the Strategic Missile Forces approached 30%, the official concluded.

Sergei Karakayev also said that although the warranty period of RS-20 Voyevoda (NATO reporting name Satan) was overestimated 1.5 times, their extension will keep the missile in service until 2022. Earlier, the general named different deadlines for Voyevoda missiles to stay in service, including the years 2018 and 2026.

Russia will continue to update the arsenal of its missile forces. In addition, by 2020, the Strategic Missile Forces will fully switch to digital technologies for transmitting information, said the commander.