MOSCOW, August 24 (RIA Novosti) – Russia’s Almaz-Antei corporation will showcase for the first time its newest S-350E Vityaz mid-range air defense system at the upcoming MAKS-2013 air show near Moscow, the company said.
The Vityaz, which is expected to replace the outdated S-300 systems, is superior to similar foreign models, according to Almaz-Antei statement released on Friday.
The new Russian system was reportedly shown to President Vladimir Putin during his June 19 visit to a St. Petersburg plant where it is being manufactured by the Almaz-Antei corporation.
The system has been in the works since 2007 and features advanced all-aspect phased array radar, a new mobile command post and a launcher carrying 12 vertical-launch missiles, which will use a variant of the 9M96 active radar homing missile, according to the company.
Almaz-Antey plans to hand over the system to the Russian Defense Ministry for testing before the end of 2013 and start deliveries to the Russian military next year.
The Vityaz will complement the Morfey, the S-400 and the S-500 air defense systems in the future aerospace defense network to engage targets at ranges from five to 400 kilometers, and at altitudes from five meters to near space.
