The S-350 Vityaz (russian: C-350 Витязь) is a Russian medium-range

surface-to-air missile A surface-to-air missile (SAM), also known as a ground-to-air missile (GTAM) or surface-to-air guided weapon (SAGW), is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft or other missiles. It is one type of anti-aircraft syst ...

system developed by GSKB Almaz-Antey. Its purpose is to replace the S-300PS. The system design traces its roots from the joint South Korean/Russian KM-SAM project and uses the same 9M96 missile as the

S-400 missile system The S-400 Triumf (russian: link=no, C-400 Триумф – Triumf; translation: Triumph; NATO reporting name: SA-21 Growler), previously known as the S-300 PMU-3, is a mobile, surface-to-air missile (SAM) system developed in the 1990s by Russ ...

Development

The first studies that would eventually become the S-350 started in 1999. Development began in earnest only in 2007. Almaz-Antey was able to leverage the experience gained while working on the joint development of the KM-SAM with

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...

. Around 2011, development slowed down, probably due to failed missile tests. The S-350 was unveiled in 2013, and presented at that year's MAKS airshow. Initial plans called for the system's test phase to end in the autumn of 2013, and for the delivery of around 30 systems by 2020. However, the first deliveries of the S-350 only took place in 2019, and it only entered service in February 2020.

Design

The S-350 ''Vityaz'' air defense system consists of several vehicles: * 1–2 50N6A multifunctional passively electronically scanned array radar stations. 360° coverage for early detection, target illumination and missile guidance. * 1 50K6A command post, fully autonomous combat work with interaction with other remote systems. * 4–8 50P6 launchers (12–96 missiles). ** 9M96/9M96E(E2) guided missiles; passive guidance and other missiles with active homing guidance. range, aerodynamic control surfaces and thrust vectoring. ** 9M100 guided missiles; range; infrared passive homing; aerodynamic control surfaces and thrust vectoring; maximum maneuver 60 G-20 surfaces. 9M100 can be quad packed in the naval version Resurs The Naval version of S-350 was renamed from Poliment-Redut to Resurs Basic performance characteristics of the S-350: *Maximum number of simultaneously engaged targets: ** Aerodynamic – 16 ** Ballistic – 12 *Maximum number of simultaneously induced missiles – 32 *Affected area for aerodynamic targets: ** Range – ** Height – 10 m- *Affected area of ballistic targets: ** Range – ** Height – *Deployment time – 5 minutes All vehicles are based on a Bryansky Avtomobilny Zavod

chassis A chassis (, ; plural ''chassis'' from French châssis ) is the load-bearing framework of an artificial object, which structurally supports the object in its construction and function. An example of a chassis is a vehicle frame, the underpar ...

(

BAZ-6909 The BAZ-6909 is a Russian artillery tractor and missile vehicle that was developed as a successor to the MAZ-537 and MAZ-7310 by Bryansk Automobile Plant. It can haul semi-trailers and loads with mass of 13-21 metric tons, both on and off-road. I ...

& BAZ-69092). The naval version with 9M96E guided missile which passed state tests in 2018 is the Redut. The export variant of the Redut was named Resurs (''Resource'').

Missiles

Deployment

In September 2017, it was reported that the missile system was deployed in the town of Masyaf in Hama province, Syria, delivered from Russia via the Tartus port. The first launches, made on March 26, 2019, were positive and the air defense missile system successfully passed state tests. In late December 2019, at Kapustin Yar, the S-350E was officially handed over to the Russian Ministry of Defence. The handover involved tracking of aerodynamic targets. In February 2020, the S-350 Vityaz was officially commissioned into the service of the old Russian Aerospace Defence Forces now merged in to the new

Russian Aerospace Forces The Russian Aerospace Forces or Russian Air and Space Forces ( rus, Воздушно-космические силы, r=Vozdushno-kosmicheskiye sily) or VKS ( rus, ВКС}) comprise the air and space branch of the Armed Forces of the Russian ...

as the new missile system had been delivered to Zhukov Air and Space Defense Academy to train crews for the equipment. The Almaz-Antey Group and the Defense Ministry of Russia signed contracts for the delivery of four sets of S-350 ‘Vityaz’ and three regiments of S-400 ‘Triumf’ in June 2020. Deliveries started in 2021.

Ship class that use the Redut Naval Air Defense System

* Steregushchiy-class corvette *

Gremyashchiy-class corvette The ''Gremyashchiy'' class (russian: Гремящий, , Thunderous), Russian designation Project 20385, is an update of the s of the Russian Navy. This follow-on project was designed by the Almaz Central Marine Design Bureau in Saint Petersbur ...

* Project 20386 corvette *

Admiral Gorshkov-class frigate The ''Admiral Gorshkov'' class, Russian designation Project 22350 for the original and upgraded version armed with 16 and 32 VLS cells respectively, is the newest class of frigates being built by the Severnaya Verf in Saint Petersburg for the ...

Operators

* Algerian Land Forces

Gallery

File:MAKS2013firstpix02.jpg, 50P6E transporter erector launcher File:50P6E - MAKS2013firstpix03.jpg, 50K6E command post File:MAKS2013firstpix04.jpg, 50N6E multifunctional radar

References

External links

* *
The first tests of the latest air defense system 50R6 “Vityaz” will be carried out in autumn
Russian Aviation, February 11, 2013

* * S-350E "Hero" / C-350E "Vityaz" Anti-Aircraft Missile System'' {{Russian and Soviet missiles, SAM Weapons of Russia Surface-to-air missiles of Russia Missile defense Naval surface-to-air missiles Almaz-Antey products 21st-century surface-to-air missiles Military equipment introduced in the 2010s