According to the original plans, ten S-500 battalions were to be purchased for the Russian Aerospace Defense (VKO) under the State Armament Programme 2020 (GPV-2020).[13]
As of 2013, the S-500s were intended to work in parallel with S-400s, and the systems together were planned to replace most of the S-300 missile systems.[14] The first units are planned to be deployed around theMoscow Oblast and the country's central area in 2025.[6] A naval version is the likely armament for the newLider-class destroyer, which was to enter service after 2020 but was not operational as of 2022.[15]
CEO ofRostec CorporationSergey Chemezov declared the beginning of S-500 production on 30 June 2019. Despite that, serial production of the first 10 systems (ordered in late 2020) only began in 2021.[16][17] In summer 2020Sergey Surovikin, the commander of the Aerospace Forces, seemed to confirm that the S-500 system can be used to kill satellites.[18]
A new contract was signed in August 2022.[19] In October 2023,Defense News claimed that production of S-500 remained behind, being negatively affected by thesanctions against Russia and labor shortages.[1]
The cost for one S-500 system was estimated be around $700-$800 million in 2020, and up to $2.5 billion in 2023.[1]
Testing
In May 2018, Russia conducted the longest range surface-to-air missile test to date with the S-500. According to reports citing unnamed sources familiar with U.S. intelligence on the program, the S-500 was able to hit a target 482 km (300 mi) away, which is 80 km further than the previous record.[20]
The S-500 is designed for intercepting and destroyingballistic missiles, as well ashypersonic cruise missiles and aircraft.[25] With a planned range of 600 km (370 mi) for anti-ballistic missile (ABM) and 500 km (310 mi) for air defense,[26] the S-500 was envisaged to be able to detect and simultaneously engage up to 10 ballistic hypersonic targets flying at up to a maximum of 7 km/s (4.3 mi/s).[27] The altitude of a target engaged is claimed to beas high as 180–200 km (110–120 mi).[28] However, as of 2023, the S-500's ability to intercept hypersonic missiles had not yet been tested.[1] Other targets it has been announced to defend against includeunmanned aerial vehicles,low Earth orbit satellites, space weapons launched from hypersonic aircraft, and hypersonic orbital platforms.[29] It is to have a response time of less than 4 seconds (compared to the S-400's of less than 10).[30]
In September 2025, it was reported that India was interested in procuring some S-500 units after the stellar performance of its predecessor inOperation Sindoor.[39] However, by October, reports debunked that India is looking to immediately purchase any S-500 missile system.[40][41][42]
^Atlamazoglou, Stavros (25 June 2024)."Missile Showdown in Ukraine: ATACMS vs S-500 Prometheus (Who Wins?)".The National Interest. Retrieved2 April 2025.Despite deploying the advanced S-500 Prometheus air defense system, the Russian military failed to intercept the U.S.-made ATACMS missiles.
Media related toS-500 at Wikimedia Commons