According to what has been reported by state media, the S-400 Triumph air defense systems of the Russian Armed Forces would be undergoing a modernization process that takes the lessons learned from their use in Ukraine, which would allow them to neutralize enemy threats more effectively. The news in question was hinted at by Yan Novikov, who serves as chief executive officer of the weapons manufacturer Almaz-Antey, pointing out that the design of the system now features “unusual characteristics” in relation to other models present in the air defense networks employed by Armed Forces around the globe.
Gathering some of his own statements: “The current world is experiencing a rapid scientific and technological revolution, with the defense industry being one of its most important points. The speed of change allows us to respond without delay to new challenges. One of these responses is the enormous modernization potential of the S-400 air defense missile system, which allows us to quickly mitigate emerging threats during the special military operation. Thanks to this potential, the Triumph has acquired new capabilities and properties that are generally not characteristic of air defense systems.”
In that sense, Russian sources point out that the system has been showing signs of greater operational effectiveness since the month of August, with different reports accounting for successful use against Ukrainian missile attacks; particularly against those launched from land. Following that line, analysts in Moscow assert that the S-400s played a key role in the interception of ATACMS missiles launched against targets inside Russian territory in mid-November, while at the same time highlighting their participation in efforts to intercept missiles deployed from Patriot systems against Russian aircraft.
Even though no further details have been provided regarding which improvements are being incorporated into the S-400, it has also been emphasized that these could represent a greater push to carry out their export to international clients, with India being the main candidate for this. Just as we reported during the past month of October, New Delhi and Moscow would be close to sealing an agreement for more than 100 billion rupees to strengthen the former’s air defense capability, a network of which the S-400s acquired in 2018 already form part; currently in the process of being incorporated and already employed in the course of Operation Sindoor to shoot down Pakistani Air Force aircraft.
For the time being, it is worth recalling that currently the air defense systems referred to so far constituted one of the most advanced available in the Russian inventory, with an estimated range of around 400 kilometers to carry out shootdowns; 600 kilometers if we refer to the ability to detect targets. To that end, the system features missiles belonging to the 48N6 series, added to a modern anti-jamming radar that allows it to track up to 80 potential threats at once during its deployment in combat.
*Images used for illustrative purposes
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