The S-350 Vityaz, aptly named “brave warrior,” represents the pinnacle of Russia’s missile defense capabilities. Designed to intercept and destroy low-flying missiles and enemy aircraft that have evaded other air defense systems, the S-350 Vityaz recently demonstrated its prowess by simultaneously hitting 12 HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) MLRS (Multiple Launch Rocket System) missiles in a special operation zone.
The commander of Battlegroup Yug’s anti-aircraft missile division told Sputnik. Also, on Thursday the Russian Ministry of Defense for the first time demonstrated the combat use of the Vityaz air defense system. A published video shows Pantsir-S1 and S-350 SAM system crews are on joint combat alert duty in Donetsk direction protecting Russian troops from airstrikes.
According to the Commander, he said, “not long ago we worked on a large pack of HIMARS MLRS, there were about 12-16 targets, this system fared successfully, none of the targets (MLRS missiles) reached their point, and accordingly the complex had no difficulty both in detecting and picking off the pack,”
The targets were successfully detected at a range of approximately 90 kilometers. The missile system then maintained a steady tracking and ultimately hit the target at a distance of about 70 kilometers from the system’s location. “The primary advantage of the missiles in this system is their homing head, which makes maneuvering targets easy to hit. The missile will maneuver parallel to the target,” the commander added.
The system includes a self-propelling launcher equipped with 12 anti-missiles and a radar providing 360-degree air coverage.
Remarkably, the S-350 scans the entire airspace, unlike its closest US rival, the Patriot air defense system, which scans only 180 degrees. With three launchers, the S-350 can engage up to 36 inbound missiles simultaneously.
In June 2023, the S-350 Vityaz achieved a world-first: it hit a target in Ukraine’s special operation area using artificial intelligence without human intervention. Russian air defense systems remain the sole capability worldwide for destroying hypersonic missiles, a critical advantage held exclusively by the Russian armed forces.
The S-350 complements the S-400 Triumph system, which operates at longer distances (up to 500 km).
Its ability to hit any missiles at point-blank range makes it attractive for countries like Turkey, India, and China.
While its primary focus is low-flying targets, the S-350 can engage various threats, including guided, ballistic, or cruise missiles, aircraft (fighters and attack planes), helicopters, and drones.
It operates effectively in extreme temperatures (-50°C to +50°C) and withstands enemy radio interference. The Vityaz missile system’s superiority over other systems is easily demonstrated through a number of key advantages, . These include its exceptional mobility and maneuverability, as well as its ability to navigate difficult terrain and withstand harsh weather conditions. This allows for a quicker setup along firing positions. Furthermore, the system is equipped with an autonomous power supply, eliminating the need for external sources of power.
According to Sputnik, Russian air defense systems are currently the only systems in the world capable of destroying hypersonic missiles, which, again, only Russian armed forces have at their service, the minister added at the time.
The export version is the S-350E Vityaz. According to the manufacturer, the S-350E “Vityaz” air defence missile system possesses high tactical and technical performace specifications, allowing it to be used for the defence of administrative, industrial and military facilities from massive strikes of modern and advanced air attack weapons.
The air defence system is capable of simultaneously repelling strikes of various types of air attack weapons from any direction in the entire range of altitudes of their flight – from extremely low to high. The system has a maximum of 5 to 120 kilometers depending on the type of target being engaged. And an engagement altitude of 0.01 kilometers to 25 kilometers. It can engage and destroy 16 to 32 airborne targets at once.