The wiki says,
the S-500 was envisaged to be able to detect and simultaneously engage up to 10 ballistic hypersonic targets
Does that just mean tracking or would they have to have multiple, two rocket launcher units (in this case 5) tied to each system to accomplish this?
Edit: formatting goof
I believe the setup would be similar to previous systems where a command center is tied to multiple radars, which then directs multiple launchers to fire based on the combined data. I don’t know how many launchers and missiles the S-500 is envisioned to have (just because pictures show two missiles on a launcher, I won’t commit to that number because previous systems have launchers of various loads mixed together in a single battery), but the S-300VM can control multiple launcher units, while tracking up to 24 targets and theoretically engaging them (I presume the reason the S-500 can only engage 10 is the longer range and theoretically higher maneuverability of the missiles it is using). It is difficult to find precise information on the S-500, so I’m extrapolating from the S-300 and S-400 info that is easier to find.
I did come across a Forbes article mentioning that the S-500 is supposed to be used with non-explosive missiles which have greater speed and maneuverability, but the lack of precision components in Russia means they may be falling back to using explosive warheads, which does degrade some of the advantage of moving to the S-500.
So S-500 is designed to launch non-explosive kill vehicles instead of missiles?
The categorization systems I’m familiar (primarily the US system and the now defunct Soviet system) with would still regard it as a missile, despite the non-explosive function. It’s designed for 77N6 missiles with no explosive payload (77N6-N and 77N6-N-1), but the reporting above says that 77N6 missiles with explosive payloads are being used.
that’s gonna make some glorious smoking wreckage in a few weeks.
the only question is which system will wipe it off the earth, my money is on HIMARS but suicide drones, Taurus and angry crimean babushkas are all neck-and-neck in the betting pool.
