Get ready for Russia’s latest game-changer: the S-500 Prometheus. Moscow isn’t just calling it another missile system; they’re presenting it as an ultimate “upper-tier shield” designed to sit above their famous S-400 network. The bold claim? It’s custom-built to challenge elite US stealth aircraft like the F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II.
This isn’t just hype. Russia says the S-500 boasts an incredible 500-kilometer reach and can engage targets up to 200 kilometers high. Its “hit-to-kill” interceptors are designed to take down ballistic missiles, hypersonic threats, and even objects hovering at the edge of low Earth orbit. To achieve this, it relies on a sophisticated multi-radar system, engineered to detect and track complex targets – including stealth aircraft – even amidst heavy electronic jamming.
Crucially, the S-500 is no mere S-400 upgrade. Designers stress it’s a completely new complex with a different mission. Its purpose isn’t everyday air defense, but rather to act as a strategic shield for critical moments. Think high-value targets: ballistic missiles, airborne early-warning aircraft, satellites, and potentially even stealth bombers.
So, can it truly take down an F-22 or F-35? While Russian sources claim its advanced sensors *can* detect fifth-generation stealth aircraft, detection is just the first step to a confirmed kill. The consensus suggests the S-500 is less a routine fighter hunter and more a system reserved for the most serious scenarios, when the targets in the sky carry extreme strategic consequences. It’s for the highest stakes, safeguarding Russia’s airspace when peace hangs in the balance.
