The new air defence system is being developed on the basis of the advanced S-500 Prometey (Prometheus), designed to destroy enemy targets within a range of around 600 kilometres (370 miles).

Russia's S-550 will become the world's first mobile special operation missile and airspace defence system capable of effectively destroying intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM), two sources in the military-industrial complex told the Ria Novosti news agency.

One insider said that the new surface-to-air system is being developed as an upgraded version of the S-500 Prometey (Prometheus) anti-ballistic missile system.

"The S-550's capabilities to intercept warheads of enemy ballistic missiles, mainly, intercontinental ones, as well as space attack weapons will be by an order greater than the capabilities of the S-400 and the S-500, as well as those of the US THAAD and Aegis air defences fitted with the 3M-3 Block IIB missiles", the insider said.

This was confirmed by another source, who added that "the development of a new system is currently at an advanced stage".

The remarks come after the Russian Defence Ministry said in a statement earlier this week that the new S-550 air defence system is being developed in the country.

The statement pointed out that Russia's President Vladimir Putin last week made a special emphasis on the importance of developing advanced domestically-made missile defence systems, including the S-500 and the S-550, and delivering them to the Russian Armed Forces.

The S-500 Prometey is a next-generation surface-to-air missile system with a range of around 600 kilometres (370 miles), designed for intercepting and destroying intercontinental ballistic missiles, as well as hypersonic cruise missiles and aircraft.

Currently, Russia and the US possess specialised missile defence systems that can shoot down ICBM warheads with high precision, but those systems are not mobile and are instead based in silos.

Source: RIA Novosti

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