© Aleksey Malgavko / Sputnik
S-400 launchers deployed in Crimea.
Terrain-hugging aircraft cannot feel safe when confronted by Russia's newest anti-aircraft missile developed for the S-400 and future S-500 systems, as
it can reportedly hit targets flying a mere 10 meters above the ground.
The 40N6E interceptor missile specifications, shown at the booth of Almaz-Antey during the Army-2018 expo near Moscow, are probably the first 'official' figures related to the advanced weapon.
The missile itself reportedly passed military trials in July, with first deliveries to deployed S-400 units expected in a matter of weeks.
According to a presentation slide
published by bmpd, a popular Russian defense blog, the latest missile weighs around 1,893 kg (4,173 lbs), or about 2,600 kg (5732 lbs) when stored inside its sealed transport/launch container. When launched, the missile flies at an average speed of 1,190 meters per second (2,662 mph).
The interceptor can hit targets flying as low as 10 m (33 ft) and as high as 30 km (19 miles), disproving rumors that it was designed with a built-in anti-satellite capabilities. It can engage targets at a range of at least 5 km (3 miles). The maximum range for targeting aircraft with the 40N6E is 380 km (236 miles). The range for ballistic missiles is up to 15 km, according to the presentation.
Comment: The U.S. is no longer the world's military hegemon. It hasn't been for a long time (it's actually arguable whether it ever really was). American military dominance is largely based on its naval reach. Russian anti-shipping missiles have changed that. U.S. aircraft carriers are sitting ducks. As for air superiority, the F-35 is a joke; Russian jets can 'see' American stealth jets, and the S-400 (and upcoming S-500) can target any aircraft in the area, including stealth. The U.S. makes weapons for profit. Russia makes weapons for survival. That means their weapons are
effective, not just 'sophisticated' - and produced at a fraction of the cost of American ones. Arrogant American military planners seem not to have taken any of that into account over the years...
See:
Losing Military Supremacy: The Myopia of American Strategic Planning
Comment: The lies are becoming a little too transparent. Gone are the days when the deep state was actually half-decent at deception.