THIS air defence system can knock down 5th-gen stealth jets like US' F-35, has range of...; it is built by...

As tensions around the world rise with the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, much focus is on air defence systems of countries. Air defences are integrated military setups that detect, intercept, and neutralise aerial threats such as enemy aircraft, drones, and missiles. While India showcased its air defence capabilities during Operation Sindoor last month, it lacks the system to counter highly-advanced aircraft, including fifth-generation stealth jets such as F-35 And J-35A. But the Russia-made S-500 "Prometheus" air defence system can do the job. Let us tell you more about it here.

Successor to S-400 system
The S-500 boasts of a state-of-the-art radar capable of tracking and neutralising stealth fighter jets and hypersonic missiles. Experts say it can effectively destroy fifth-gen stealth aircraft mid-air. Presently, India operates the Russian-made S-400 Triumph system alongside its homemade missile defences. But the S-500 significantly differs from its predecessor, mainly in its use of next-generation technology designed for modern warfare. The S-500 has been developed by the Russian defence firm Almaz Antey.
Furthermore, it can detect and knock down up to 10 hypersonic missiles at once and can track missiles flying at speed of up to Mach 19 (over 23,000 kilometers per hour), surpassing the capabilities of the S-400 system by a huge margin.

S-500's range and altitude capacity
The S-500 also comes with advance range and altitude capacities: It can strike at a range of 600 kilometers and can intercept threats at altitudes between 180 and 200 kms. This makes the system capable of neutralising long-range missiles such as Pakistan’s Ababil (2,200 km range) and Shaheen-3 (2,750 km range), and China’s DF-21D and DF-26. Often referred to as the “death knell" of fifth-gen fighter jets, the S-500 can detect and counter targets with minimal radar radiation, which makes them difficult to track.