RUSSIA

According to senior military commander Sergey Babakov, development of Russia’s S-350 air-defence system prototype is almost complete and is already undergoing trials. The system will replace the older S-300PS as the Armed Force’s middle-range air-defence capability. Capable of being activated in five minutes, Russia aims to have 30 in operation by 2020.

Claims have been made by Russia that its new overthe-horizon radar is powerful enough to detect the US’s new F-35 stealth fighter. Dubbed Podsolnuh or Sunflower, the radar is capable of detecting objects on the surface of the sea or in the air at a maximum distance of 500 km at different altitudes in line of sight and over the horizon. At present, three Podsolnukh radars are operational and are located by the Sea of Okhotsk, the Sea of Japan and the Caspian Sea.