Performance “Considerably Surpasses” Current Defences
On 30 August, following on from previous statements since February, the Russian Defence Ministry confirmed that it has successfully conducted tests of a brand new interceptor – the Russian press call it an ‘anti-missile’ – at the Sary-Shagan test site in Kazakhstan.
“After a series of trials, it was confirmed that the interceptor missile’s specifications correspond to its design parameters; it successfully performed its task and hit the simulated target with the specified precision,” Deputy Commander of the Air and Missile Defense of the Aerospace Forces, Maj.Gen. Andrey Prikhodko was quoted as saying in the official statement.
Gen. Prikhodko stated that the missile’s operational capabilities, including range, accuracy and service life, “considerably surpass those of weapons operational today.” The Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper of Russia’s Defence Ministry wrote that all elements of the new interceptor missile are made in Russia, and its serial production is expected to begin in the near future.