The Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) has successfully launched an upgraded anti-ballistic missile at the Sary-Shagan test site in Kazakhstan, the Russian Defense Ministry said Saturday. Video of the test launch conducted in Kazakhstan was published by the Defense Ministry. The missile defense system is designed to protect Moscow from aerospace attacks, and perform early warning and space monitoring tasks, according to the ministry. According to some source, the VKS has successfully conducted trials of a new PRS-1M interceptor missile of the A-135 anti-ballistic missile system.
The PRS-1M is meant to replace the 53T6 short-range anti-ballistic missiles as part of the ABM shield guarding Moscow from nuclear strikes. The new missile may be deployed either inside a reinforced missile silo or from road-mobile launcher vehicle developed by KB Motor jointly with OJSC Avangard. The PRS-1M interceptor missile reportedly has a new hull with a composite material heat shield, a more powerful engine that boosts its speed to 4 km per second and an upgraded guidance system capable of withstanding the pressure of greater acceleration, which can reach almost 300 g.
After a series of tests, the new PRS-1M anti-ballistic missile system successfully hit a conventional target with precision, Missile Defense Task Force Commander Sergei Grabchuk said in a ministry press release. Missile Defense Task Force Commander Sergei Grabchuk said, as quoted by the press service, that “the new antimissile missile proved out its specifications after a series of testing and successfully implemented the task by hitting the ‘target’ with the given accuracy.” In late August the successful test launch of a new missile of the Russian missile defense was reported. The test launches of the new missile were also carried out in February, April and July 2018.
