Russia’s First Full Regiment of S-500 Air and Space Defence Systems Begin Combat Duty

Russian Defence Minister Andrey Belousov on December 17 confirmed that the first regiment equipped with S-500 long range had entered combat duty, four years after the first components of the system began to join the Aerospace Forces in late 2021. Russian Chief of General Staff General Valery Gerasimov had previously in late December, 2024, claimed that the first full regiment equipped with the S-500 had already been formed, raising questions regarding why the regiment required a full year to enter combat duty. Until the unveiling of the rival Chinese HQ-29 system in August, the S-500 was considered a wholly unique type of asset worldwide, and is designed to provide a strategic level defence against all types of missiles from mobile launch vehicles. This includes a capability to intercept intercontinental range ballistic missiles in their terminal stages, which only the fixed-site American Ground Based Midcourse Defence and Russian A-135 systems previously had. 

The S-500 was projected near the beginning of the 2010s to enter service around 2015, with repeated delays having continued to push this date back. Despite significant successes expanding production capacities for other types of long range air defence system, most notably the S-400 and S-300V4, production of S-500 systems appears to have remained limited, possibly due to an intention to modify the design based on experience operating the first regiment. The systems in service have been operated under a wide range of conditions,  including for operations in the Arctic from December 2021, and more recently in June deployments in Kerch City near the disputed Crimean Peninsula, primarily to protect the Kerch Strait Bridge which links the territory to the Russian mainland.

In early December Indian media outlets confirmed that begin formal discussions with Russia regarding the procurement of the S-500 would begin on December 4, during a meeting in New Delhi between Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Russian counterpart Andrey Belousov. The meeting would also see both sides also review delivery schedules for the S-400 long range air defence system, and further ongoing talks on the possible sale of Su-57 fifth generation fighter aircraft. Among the most outstanding capabilities of the S-500 are its ability to shoot down satellites, high speed hypersonic missiles, and space aircraft, and its engagement range of 500 kilometres against in-atmosphere targets. This range improves on the 400 kilometre range of the 40N6 missiles employed by the S-400 system, which have recently been combat tested in Ukraine and in the Indian-Pakistani border regions. It has the potential to pose a serious threat to high value targets such as strategic bombers and AEW&C systems.