The S-300VM "Antey-2500" (,

NATO reporting name NATO uses a system of code names, called reporting names, to denote military aircraft and other equipment used by post-Soviet states, former Warsaw Pact countries, China, and other countries. The system assists military communications by providi ...

SA-23 Gladiator/Giant) is a Russian

anti-ballistic missile An anti-ballistic missile (ABM) is a surface-to-air missile designed to Missile defense, destroy in-flight ballistic missiles. They achieve this explosively (chemical or nuclear), or via hit-to-kill Kinetic projectile, kinetic vehicles, which ma ...

system. The system is designed to target short- and medium-range ballistic missiles, aeroballistic missiles,

cruise missiles A cruise missile is an unmanned self-propelled guided missile that sustains flight through aerodynamic lift for most of its flight path. Cruise missiles are designed to deliver a large payload over long distances with high precision. Modern cru ...

, fixed-wing aircraft, loitering ECM platforms, and

precision-guided munition A precision-guided munition (PGM), also called a smart weapon, smart munition, or smart bomb, is a type of weapon system that integrates advanced guidance and control systems, such as Global Positioning System, GPS, laser guidance, or Infrared ...

Structure

Components

The Antey-2500 air defense missile system features: * Battle performance automation due to high-speed digital computers *

Passive electronically scanned array A passive electronically scanned array (PESA), also known as passive phased array, is an antenna in which the beam of radio waves can be electronically steered to point in different directions (that is, a phased array antenna), in which all the ...

radars with advanced data processing methods * High ECM immunity * High mobility and autonomous operation * High firepower potential, irrespective of air attack tactics or sequence * Vertical launch from a special transport launch canister * Maintenance-free operation of missiles for at least ten years * Capability to defeat ballistic missile individual warheads *

Inertial guidance An inertial navigation system (INS; also inertial guidance system, inertial instrument) is a navigation device that uses motion sensors (accelerometers), rotation sensors ( gyroscopes) and a computer to continuously calculate by dead reckoning ...

with radio command mid-course update and

semi-active radar homing Semi-active radar homing (SARH) is a common type of missile guidance system, perhaps the most common type for longer-range air-to-air and surface-to-air missile systems. The name refers to the fact that the missile itself is only a passive dete ...

at the terminal phase * Focused detonation of the missile warhead The Antey-2500 system comprises: * Command post * Circular and sector scan radars * A Multichannel Missile Guidance Station (MMGS) which has 24 channels for illumination of 24 targets * 9A82M launcher (typical amount of 8 missiles) which includes radar of illumination, targeting, and internals of the radar * 9A83M launcher (typical amount of 12 missiles) which includes radar of illumination, targeting, and internals of the radar * 9A84M and 9A85M loader-launcher (technical maximum of 24 missiles) * 9M82M and 9M83M air defense missiles * Maintenance, repair, and transport of vehicles * Group SPTA set * Electronic trainer for MMGS operators * Set of missile handling equipment Technical ability to use 1-2 additional battalions.

Missile

The 9M82M missile is intended to defeat tactical, theater, and medium-range ballistic missiles, as well as aerodynamic targets at a range of up to 200 km. The Antey-2500 system is mounted on a tracked cross-country vehicle equipped with self-contained power supply and navigation systems, as well as surveying and positioning equipment.

Variants

*S-300V: began operating in 1983; 100 km range *S-300VM: 250 km range *S-300VMD: 350 km range *S-300V4: in service since 2014; ; Antey-4000 are the export version.

Operational history

In early October 2016, a battery of Russian S-300V4 missile system was deployed to Syria, at the Russian

naval base A naval base, navy base, or military port is a military base, where warships and naval ships are docked when they have no mission at sea or need to restock. Ships may also undergo repairs. Some naval bases are temporary homes to aircraft that usu ...

Tartus Tartus ( / ALA-LC: ''Ṭarṭūs''; known in the County of Tripoli as Tortosa and also transliterated from French language, French Tartous) is a major port city on the Mediterranean coast of Syria. It is the second largest port city in Syria (af ...

. In early December 2020, the system entered combat duty on the

Kuril Islands The Kuril Islands or Kurile Islands are a volcanic archipelago administered as part of Sakhalin Oblast in the Russian Far East. The islands stretch approximately northeast from Hokkaido in Japan to Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia, separating the ...

. On August 18, 2023, a Ukrainian drone captured videos of

HIMARS The M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS ) is a light multiple rocket launcher developed in the late 1990s for the United States Army and mounted on a standard U.S. Army Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTV) M1140 truck frame ...

artillery rockets destroying S-300V4 surface-to-air missiles in the

Russo-Ukrainian War The Russo-Ukrainian War began in February 2014 and is ongoing. Following Ukraine's Revolution of Dignity, Russia Russian occupation of Crimea, occupied and Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation, annexed Crimea from Ukraine. It then ...

. On 25 February 2025, Ukrainian forces destroyed a S-300VM missile system in Zaporizhia Oblast using a bomber drone. The drone then landed to record the attack as the S-300V4 burned.

S-300 system family tree

Operators

Current operators

*: ordered more than three S-300V4 divisions by 2015 **77th Air defense brigade (Korenovsk) and 988th Air defense Regiment (Gyumri) in the Southern Military District **202nd Air defense brigade (Naro-Fominsk) and 1545th Air defense Regiment (Znamensk) in the Western Military District **1724th Air defense regiment (Birobidzhan and Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk) and air defense unit stationed in the Jewish Autonomous Region in the Eastern Military District **28th Air defense Brigade (Mirny / Kirov oblast) in the Central Military District **Modernization of all S-300V to the version S-300V4 was to end in 2012. *: Antey-2500 missile system was ordered in 2014, as part of a multi-billion Egyptian-Russian arms deal signed later that year. The $1 billion contract comprises 4 batteries, a command post, and other external elements. In 2015, Russia started delivering the system components, and Egyptian soldiers began their training in Russian training centers. By the end of 2017, all batteries were delivered to Egypt. Russia is in talks with Egypt on the delivery of additional Antey-2500 systems. *: 2 S-300VM in 1 air defense battalion at Base Aérea Militar Capitán Manuel Ríos

Potential operators

*: In November 2015 Algeria was negotiating the purchase of several battalions of this system.

Failed bids

*: Turkey was in talks with Russian officials for a co-production deal before the Sukhoi Su-24 shootdown incident. *: Russia has offered Saudi Arabia the S-300VM as the first operator.

References

External links

S-300VM "Antey-2500" (SA-12 Giant/Gladiator)
at the

Vestnik PVO Vestnik () or vesnik () means ''messenger'' or ''herald'' in several Slavic languages, and is used as a generic name in various news publications. It may refer to ;Vestnik *Armianskiy Vestnik (Armenian Herald), Armenian-Russian magazine published in ...

website
S-300VM Antey-2500 SA-23 Gladiator Giant air defense missile system (Army recognition)
{{DEFAULTSORT:S-300vm Surface-to-air missiles of the Soviet Union Missile defense Anti-ballistic missiles of Russia Surface-to-air missiles of Russia Almaz-Antey products Military equipment introduced in the 2010s